High-Speed Data in Industrial, Automotive, Healthcare, and Data Centers
12
The automotive world is about to experience a
revolution—one that will be far more profound than the
move to electric propulsion, for that simply exchanges
one power plant for another. Instead, this will be a
fundamental change to how cars and other vehicles
are made; it will be a change every bit as important as
Mr. Ford's introduction of the moving assembly line in
1913.
Innovation has brought huge advances to the
automotive industry. Manufacturers are constantly
developing new technologies for their vehicles,
whether they are improving safety, delivering greater
performance, or increasing passenger comfort.
Some of these innovations have been the result
of dedicated development within the automotive
industry, while others have been adopted from the
world of motorsports or even the aerospace industry.
Going forward, advances in other disciplines also
will play a major role. In a recent study co-sponsored
by Molex and Mouser Electronics, Dimensional
Research surveyed more than 500 automotive industry
professionals. About 43% of respondents stated that
one of the key drivers for change in vehicle design
will be technological leaps in other areas that enable
new capabilities. As a result, future vehicles will boast
an enormous range of features that make them more
sophisticated than ever before.
Despite the adoption of these new technologies, the
way cars are built has not changed significantly in
decades. The electronic systems within the modern
vehicle often represent over half of its value, with new
features constantly being added; but the techniques
used to connect electronics have not advanced at the
same rate as the hardware and software themselves.
In fact, more than 57% of the professionals surveyed
in the Molex- and Mouser-sponsored study identified
technology issues with manufacturing as one of the
greatest barriers that must be overcome to achieve
next-generation vehicle architecture.
Zonal Architecture: Making the
Car of the Future Possible
Greg Avery | Strategy Development Manager,
Molex Transportation Solutions
Josh Dawson | Group Product Manager, Molex
Guido Dornbusch | Senior Director of Advanced
Technology Innovation, Molex
