The evolution of the car from gasoline engines to hybrid and electric also be followed by information technology served through the instrument panel. Digital information or telematic systems are increasingly in its penetration into the car.
The emergence of new car information display system is not out of work for more complex hybrid cars. The information must be displayed even more than gasoline or diesel-engined car to date.
In the hybrid and electric cars, a lot of energy left in the battery, and it must be informed on an ongoing basis. the distance can be taken based on the energy in batteries. Thus, drivers feel more secure and comfortable.
It Can be reconfigured. The condition makes Yazaki North America Corp. creating prototype of the instrument panel which it can be changed or customized. Consequently, any instrument panel display is similar to a small computer. It could be, it is more sophisticated than the netbooks which those can be carried like a small agenda. Instrument panel display can be changed the configuration and image background.
Finally, Yazaki group managed to make a prototype instrument reconfigured as a basic screen displays for hybrid and electric cars. The panel display of information in the form of three-dimensional graphics on a single LCD screen.
Impressions on the instrument panel is more diverse to thanks to the support of industry mikrochip. For the prototype meter is a combination of three dimension, Yazaki using Freescale processors Semicondutor MPC5121e. Microcomputer was then connected to the LCD of high resolution of thin film transistor, known as thin-film transistor (TFT).
Linux OS. According to John Vincent, Product Marketing Microcontroller Solutions Group for Freescale Semiconductor, this is not the first time MPC5121e processor used for car instrument panels. But interestingly, the prototype meter of Yazaki combination made this work with the Linux operating system and OpenGL graphics drivers.
"This is the first time of Yazaki using the Linux operating system and Open GL for the instrument panel," said Michael Boyd, Engineering Manager of Display Technology and Advanced Development for Yazaki North America Inc..
For electric and hybrid vehicles, meter combination should be able to display information charging and discharging electrical energy, efficiency when cars use electric motors (power mode), the distance taken based on the energy in batteries and fuel in the tank, the power generated electric motor, as well as other information.
In Addition, features such as car power information creating data interfaces, USB and video jacks will also be able to complete the system.
"The composition of the configuration can be tailored to the tastes car users, including changing the background image and the image screen. Another possibility can deliver performance of the car, save the album audio, and video camera interface to input, "added by Boyd. It's more complicated for auto maintanance.
