Leading automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, Lear Corporation has signed a joint development agreement with IMS Connector Systems, a technology company based in Löffingen, Germany, specializing in high-speed Ethernet solutions for automotive applications.
Both the companies will work on high-speed automotive Ethernet solutions that will optimise and improve existing products andenable new mobility features.
In addition, the Lear and IMS Connector Systems will enable new applications in the growing capabilities of network architectures in next-generation vehicles.
According to Lear, the fully validated product will be available beginning in 2023.
Ethernet provides a cost-effective, scalable solution for higher data transmission speed and capacity in increasingly connected vehicles. The speciality is that it can run alongside or bypass standard cabling, allowing all vehicle components to connect with lighter and more functional wires – reducing connectivity costs and cabling weight while providing significantly higher bandwidth and better performance.
Ethernet is key as vehicles transmit more data due to the increasing use of sensors, actuators, and other control devices to support advanced driver assist systems and in-vehicle comfort and convenience features. In future, Ethernet may also be a key enabler of future technologies, including highly autonomous or fully autonomous operating systems and edge computing, which moves computation and data storage from the cloud into the location where it is needed to improve response times.
Lear and IMS Connector Systems share extensive experience in connector design and advanced manufacturing to improve high-speed data transmission, said Carl Esposito, Lear Senior Vice President and President, E-Systems.
Peter Peetz, CEO, IMS Connector Systems, said that with vehicle architectures becoming more complex and connected, the company expects that high-speed Ethernet applications will experience a significantly higher market penetration in the future.