14 DAY TRIAL // Even if we've mostly talked about the toys the biggest names in the industry unveiled at this year's CES, there were quite a lot of other, smaller companies that have also showcased their products at this major fair. And one such company is Delphi, who has announced the development of a hub to accommodate multiple vehicle systems or consumer interfaces.
"A single USB port that serves as an interface between the vehicle's electrical system and external consumer equipment enabling passengers to download MP3 music files from pen-drives and iPods and listen to music files stored on those devices through the vehicle's audio system may not satisfy all passengers," says John Yurtin, Connection Systems Component Specialist, Delphi Electrical/Electronic Architecture.
"Some passengers might want to play video games, look at pictures stored on photo cards or listen to music through headphones without bothering other passengers. Delphi makes this possible with a hub that allows automakers to locate a variety of consumer interfaces - standard USB ports for iPods and MP3 players, video and audio jacks for games, DVD players or camcorders, or SD slots for photo cards - throughout the vehicle" he added.
Automakers determine the number, locations and variety of consumer interfaces included in the vehicle. Interfaces are typically on the dashboard, inside the glove box, on the console or in the rear seat passenger compartment. Delphi's E/EA engineers help automakers ensure the reliability and viability of these consumer interfaces with innovative solutions for sending high-speed data throughout the vehicle while minimizing EMI (electro-magnetic interference).
Multiple consumer interfaces can accommodate audio/video, telematics and global positioning exchange data. They are USCAR-30 compliant and all Delphi consumer interfaces employ industry standard I/O interfaces used to connect peripheral devices to computers. Delphi's consumer ports are standard equipment on several makes and models of automobiles.
However, advanced connectivity solutions to accommodate multiple ports or connection of multiple vehicle systems are in development targeted for model year 2010, which means that we'll probably have to wait for a while longer before these things become widely available.
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