Johnson Controls to employ standardized electronics architectures Johnson Controls joins AUTOSAR and LIN Consortium

Burscheid 29. 11. 2004 (PROTEXT/ots) - Recently JohnsonControls, one of the world's leading suppliers of automotiveinterior systems, interior electronics and batteries, became amember of AUTOSAR and of the LIN Consortium. Both organizationsare based on partnerships between major automakers andsuppliers. The objective of AUTOSAR is to establish an openindustrial standard for automotive electronics architectures.The LIN Consortium works on the standardization of the LIN(Local Interconnection Network) sub- bus system. This enablesautomakers and suppliers to respond effectively to legalrequirements and the increasing complexity of networkedelectronic systems.

Partnership with AUTOSAR The role of electronics inautomobile interiors is steadily increasing and with it thevariety and complexity of the electronic systems and theirnetworking. Reliable interaction of electronic systems can beachieved by standardizing the E-E system architecture for allautomakers. This was the incentive behind AUTOSAR (AUTOmotiveOpen System ARchitecture), which was founded in May 2003 bymajor automakers. Its core members today include BMW, Bosch,Continental, DaimlerChrysler, the Ford Motor Company, PSA PeugeotCitroën, Siemens VDO, the Toyota Motor Corporation, Volkswagenand various automotive suppliers at premium member level.Relevant areas within the vehicle are the vehicle electricalsystem, drive systems, chassis, comfort functions, safetysystems, multimedia/telematic systems and human/machineinterfaces.

The aim is to jointly define and establish a standardizedsoftware component specification by August 2006. The processwill take into account the interdependencies that arise from anetworked environment. This will involve standardizingunderlying system functions, defining the integration of modulesfrom different manufacturers with their interfaces and willinclude the maintenance of electronic parts and upgrades ofsoftware during the whole production cycle. In future, theAUTOSAR definitions will be incorporated into Johnson Controlssoftware-architectures.

Membership of the LIN Consortium Johnson Controls has alsojoined the LIN Consortium. In 2000, automakers AUDI, BMW,DaimlerChrysler, Volvo Car Corporation, Volkswagen, VolcanoCommunications Technologies and Motorola (now FreescaleSemiconductor) teamed up with other suppliers to form the LINConsortium. The members set themselves the task of defining andimplementing an open standard for high-quality serial bussystems for cars. Typical application areas for LIN bus systemsinclude for example door-, seating-, climate- and lighting-control systems. LIN bus systems are characterized by cost-effective development, manufacture and implementation. JohnsonControls has already incorporated the LIN bus into seriesproduction of the HomeLink garage door opener. Permanentlyinstalled in the vehicle, HomeLink is a modular control unitequipped with a LIN bus interface and has enjoyed two years ofconsiderable commercial success.

"As a member of AUTOSAR and the LIN Consortium we can provideoptimal solutions for the ever-increasing requirements of theautomotive industry and keep up with the increasing complexity ofelectronic systems in the future, said Michael Schmaul,Engineering Manager at Johnson Controls.

Further information is available from:Johnson Controls GmbH Johnson Controls GmbH AutomotiveGroup Automotive Group AstridSchafmeister Ina LongwitzIndustriestr. 2030 Industriestr.2030 51399 Burscheid 51399 BurscheidGermany Germany Tel. +492174 65-3189 Tel. +49 2174 65-4343 Fax: +492174 65-3219 Fax: +49 2174 65-3219 Email:astrid.schafmeister@jci.com Email:ina.longwitz@jci.com Johnson Controls, Inc., is a global market leader in automotivesystems and facility management and control. In the automotivemarket, it is a major supplier of integrated seating andinterior systems, and batteries. For non- residential facilities,Johnson Controls provides control systems and services includingcomfort, energy and security management. Johnson Controls (NewYork Stock Exchange: JCI), founded in 1885, has its headquartersin Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The companys sales for 2004 totaledUS$26.6 billion, the Automotive Group worldwide generating US$20.5 billion of this figure. The European headquarters is inBurscheid, Germany. The companys product portfolio also includesinstrument panels/cockpits, door systems, overhead systems,interior electronics, electrical energy management and engineelectronics.

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