Date: 09/09/2009

New consortium to drive automotive DSI bus standard for automotive electronics

DENSO, Freescale and TRW jontly started the development and deployment of the Distributed Systems Interface (DSI) bus standard.

DSI bus standard is used to connect remotely placed sensors to the airbag electronic control unit (ECU) in automobiles. The DSI protocol has been adopted by the supplemental restraint system (SRS) airbag manufacturers.

Freescale says, The DSI consortium has unveiled DSI 2.5 and is working to develop the DSI 3.0 standard, which will aim to increase bus performance such as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) signature and transmission speed. Currently, more than a dozen automotive OEMs have included DSI-based systems in their vehicles. DSI-compliant products have been in production for many years. Demand for airbag-related systems is driven by legislation, consumer influences and automotive growth in emerging markets.

"With the establishment of this consortium, we expect acceleration in the development of advanced competitive DSI standards that have higher performances and lower costs, as well as help expand the DSI standard in the market," said Mitsuhiko Masegi, DENSO's managing officer responsible for the Information & Safety Systems Business Group.

"As automotive airbag systems continue to become more sophisticated and require more collision detection sensors, car manufacturers face pressures to reduce cost while enhancing safety," said Tom Deitrich, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale's RF, Analog and Sensors Group. "This consortium will enable implementers of the DSI safety bus to participate in the evolution of the standard and to continue providing robust, high-speed communications for the growing number of collision sensors planned to be used in new vehicles."

"As a global leader in the development of active and passive safety systems, TRW looks forward to the further development of advanced network protocols and is already at work on enhanced future generations for DSI," said Martin Thoone, vice president of TRW Electronics Engineering.

For more details visit www.dsiconsortium.org