Intel unveils kit to speed evolution of digital driving Intel has announced a new "application-ready platform" that it says will help automakers get customized in-vehicle systems up and running more quickly and efficiently. Intel In-Vehicle Solutions Compute Module Want to fill your car with digital delights? This board can help (click to enlarge) "We see the real value here is …
Last November – should have pointed that out; my bad.
Automakers have been primarily using PowerPC for the past 15 years or so for embedded use, but since it was a low margin market Intel had no interest in it. Now they're sniffing around thinking they can make some money in the future and trying to get themselves in, but I see no reason why GM, Ford, Toyota, VW et al should be interested in Intel's solutions. The ISA doesn't matter, there's no backward compatibility requirements, no need to run Windows applications.
As with mobile, Intel is far too late to the party, and will fail miserably because they can't compete on price which is what it comes down to in this market. They have to try to sell it to keep the shareholders happy, and this failure will be swept under the rug and ignored when they go on to the next hyped market a few years down the road. Maybe robotics.
Same as it is anywhere where the IT department don't make the rules and the "system builders" aren't amenable to strongarm tactics to ensure they stay with Intel across the product range.
Especially so in this case as this product family has already accepted that Windows is irrelevant.
But you knew that :)
Where does (Intel-owned) Wind River's IVI stuff come into this picture? Or maybe the dead hand of Intel has killed that too?
http://www.windriver.com/services/automotive_IVI_solutions_and_telematics.html
The recent focus on server power and mobile battery life means that you now get more MIPS per Watt from an Intel processor than from anything else (ARM included).
Also, they now have a synthesisable Atom core and if Rockchip can use it then so can Bosch.
"more MIPS per Watt from an Intel processor"
"synthesisable Atom core"
OK, fine, let's just take those at face value.
To sell this stuff and get people to move off known and trusted incumbent(s), the Intel stuff has to be attractively cheap per chip, especially after factoring in any porting costs.
How do Intel make this produc range attractively cheap whilst not correspondingly destroying their margins on the rest of their x86 cash cows?
"How do Intel make this product range attractively cheap whilst not correspondingly destroying their margins on the rest of their x86 cash cows?"
Example : Moorefield 4core Atom is 70sqm yields 800 die per wafer
wafer cost $3000 - die cost $3.75. Assembly cost $2 sell for $12 - Margin 50+%
Simples!!! And all done in a fully depreciated, paid for, last generation Fab!.
Right. You think you've covered how Intel make them cheap. That just leaves how Intel preserve the prices (and profit) of the mid and high end of the x86 range for more than a year or three once the bargain basement Moorefields and what have you are adequate for 80%+ of the PC market in general.
That should be interesting.
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