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Fujitsu Jade, virtual gauges, and the Artega GT

I've been blogging about digital instrument clusters as if they're strictly next-gen technology. But the truth is, they've already gained a foothold in some high-end vehicles.

Case in point: The very sleek and very desirable Artega GT. It uses digital gauges powered by the Fujitsu Jade SoC, a processor that supports QNX's digital cluster software. (I don't know what software the Artega uses, btw.)

According to Fujitsu, the Artega GT cluster has "one large central mechanical gauge with all the other instruments rendered graphically by Jade and projected onto the LCD. This requires a [graphics] controller able to produce sophisticated 3D graphics -– right down to the shading around instruments -– to make them look like a mechanical gauge."

The following image gives you an idea of what Fujitsu is talking about:



It's hard to tell from such a small photo, but the gauges do indeed look more mechanical than virtual. To enable this trompe-l'œil, the Jade integrates several features, including a rendering engine for 2D/3D graphics acceleration, a geometry processor for smooth graphics animation, and support for 6 independent graphics layers.

The multi-layer support is key. For instance, it allows the system to render speedometer needles on one graphics layer while rendering the speedometer background on another layer. As a result, the graphics controller can redraw the quickly moving needles without having to continually redraw the entire speedometer. The result is a flicker-free display.

Having a modular, memory-protected operating system like QNX Neutrino also helps. For instance, it allows a user-space process to render the needles in OpenGL ES (a 3D API) while a separate process implements the background graphics in Adobe Flash. This approach ensures that the needles will continue to operate even if a failure occurs in a Flash-based component.

QNX digital instrument cluster adds dash to Freescale Mad Mac vehicle

A couple of months ago, I introduced you to the QNX digital instrument cluster, which demonstrates how automakers can migrate from mechanical gauges driven by stepper motors to virtual gauges driven by microprocessors and graphics chips.

Well, I just discovered that the QNX digital cluster forms part of Freescale’s "Mad Mac," a concept car designed to showcase Freescale automotive silicon. The Mad Mac includes, among other things, an external combustion engine with a clear acrylic block -- reminds me of the Visible V8 that I always wanted as a kid.

Check out this video on the Mad Mac; the QNX digital cluster makes its appearance at the 3:25 remaining mark and in the closing frames of the video:

Totally random

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Multi-core performance boost: Does it stop at four cores?

Several years ago, I asked a colleague whether the QNX Neutrino SMP kernel could scale beyond 8 processors. Can't remember the answer (I think it's 32), but I do remember my colleague commenting, "But it doesn't really matter, since, practically speaking, 4 processors is the upper limit for SMP." (This was back in the day when SMP systems typically consisted of multiple discrete processors on a board, rather than multiple processing cores on a chip.)

Fast forward to last Tuesday, when the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) published the results of a study on multi-core scalability. According to SNL's announcement, multi-core systems show a significant increase in speed when scaling from 2 to 4 cores, an insignificant increase in speed when scaling from 4 to 8 cores, and a decrease in speed when scaling beyond 8 cores.

Why such poor results beyond 4 cores? The culprit, according to SNL, is insufficient memory bandwidth: too many cores "asking for memory through the same pipe."

In a blog entry posted earlier today, Clay Breshears of Intel says he isn't surprised, since the problem of having multiple cores share a single memory pipe is well known. He questions, however, whether the poor results could also be the outcome of how SNL's software algorithm was implemented.

SNL doesn't get into details about their methodology, so indeed, it would be interesting to see if different implementations of the same algorithm yield different results.

How about it, SNL?

Do you support a complete ban on cell phones in cars?

I'll admit it, I'm biased. I work for a company (QNX) whose software is used in millions of automotive handsfree systems. So I have a personal stake in the handsfree market. Having said that, I have a hard time with laws that would ban all cellphone use in the car, including handsfree calls. Yet that's exactly what the US National Safety Council (NSC) is asking for.

Don't get me wrong. I think you should eliminate every possible distraction when driving. If you don't need to talk on the phone, be it handheld or handsfree, then don't. Keep your mind focused on the road instead. Because, hey, my wife and son are on the road, too.

Still, a handsfree system has some definite advantages over a handheld phone. For one thing, it lets you drive with both hands. And it doesn't force you to take your eyes off the road. So I don't see how legislating handsfree systems out of existence is the best possible solution.

Are government agencies justified in worrying about cell phone use, both handheld and handsfree? You bet. The freedom to call your girlfriend while driving along a busy street must take second place to ensuring that you don't kill someone in the process.

I'm questioning, though, whether a complete ban is the right way to go. Zero-tolerance solutions tend to ignore the fact that a healthy society must achieve an optimal balance between freedom, responsibility, and risk.

What do you think? A total ban? A ban for certain devices, situations, or drivers? For instance, should laws allow adults to use handsfree systems only, while forbidding teenagers from making any kind of phone call? Would it help if drivers had to take a course on responsible use of handsfree systems?

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