AVX has joined the OPEN (One-Pair Ethernet) Alliance, a non-profit special interest group (SIG) comprised of automotive industry and technology providers dedicated to encouraging the widespread adoption of single-pair Ethernet solutions as the standard for automotive networking applications.
Similar to the SPE Industrial Partner Network, which supports the development, standardization, and widespread adoption of single-pair Ethernet in industrial automation applications to hasten the realization of Industry 4.0 and also counts AVX as an active member, the more than 340 members of the OPEN Alliance collaborate to help automotive OEMs leverage the scalability, flexibility, reduced complexity, and cost effectiveness of single-pair Ethernet communication networks to support the continued evolution of connected vehicle and autonomous driving technologies.
As an OPEN Alliance member, AVX will collaborate with other member companies to fulfill one of the SIG’s key goals: enabling the deployment of existing IEEE 100BASE-T1, 1000BASE-T1, and 1000BASE-RH physical layer specifications with complementary specifications for conformance and interoperability. To help fulfill this initiative, AVX has been qualified to develop multilayer varistors (MLVs) that meet IEEE 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 testing requirements and deliver low capacitance and low leakage in a compact and lightweight design.
Varistors and other transient voltage suppression (TVS) devices are used to protect the data lines in automotive Ethernet networks from electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can damage sensitive components like integrated circuits (ICs) in networked applications including engine control units (ECUs), advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS), and heads up displays (HUDs).
“We are thrilled to join the OPEN Alliance and are fully committed to collaborating with other members, Tier 1 suppliers, and automotive OEMs to develop, standardize, and promote the widespread adoption of safe, efficient, and effective products that meet the organization’s stringent testing specifications, as well as broader Ethernet-based standards that apply to the automotive and IoT industries,” said John Gallipeau, technical marketing manager for Power Film/Circuit Protection at AVX.
“We have extensive experience developing TVS devices, including multilayer varistors, for high-reliability and mission-critical automotive applications, as well as an impressive track record of field-proven success with these components. So, we’re very proud and pleased to leverage our expertise in support of the OPEN Alliance and its efforts to develop, standardize, and promote new single-pair Ethernet technologies capable of handling the ever-increasing data speeds critical to the continuation of advanced automotive innovation.”
In addition to its wide-scale support of single-pair automotive Ethernet technologies and its targeted efforts to support the development of new physical layer solutions, the OPEN Alliance is also working to provide requirements and test specifications for applications including harnesses, switches, and ECUs, and to identify and proactively overcome any technical challenges related to the implementation of automotive Ethernet networks both effectively and cost-effectively.
