New generations of vehicles are applying digital technology at a rapid pace, as advanced electronics replace mechanical systems for safety, comfort and engine control. One exciting development will bring in-vehicle entertainment to passengers, with video and audio moving from multiple sources to the driver's console, into screens for the front-seat passenger, and onto displays serving rear seats. Passengers in a car, truck or SUV will be able to connect their PCs, DVD players and games to the vehicle network — just as if they were in their living room or office.

Now, add another feature to enhance safety: multiple cameras strategically placed to improve driver visibility, providing details about what's around a moving car. Nissan is demonstrating a test vehicle that combines these entertainment and safety systems, using multimedia-networking technology with multiple channels and high bandwidth. In addition to the front panel and rear seat displays for DVDs, PCs and peripherals, the Nissan multimedia platform incorporates cameras in the front right, front left, and center of the vehicle, another on the left side, with door mirrors right and left, and a rear camera — a total of seven. Images from the cameras can be provided at preset intervals to increase the data available to the driver.

To achieve these capabilities, the vehicle must become a local area network able to serve various component combinations. For example, a driver may want to access two cameras at once, while a DVD is playing on a rear seat display and a data storage device is collecting navigation information. This demands significant network bandwidth — more than 100 Mbps. And to apply a full complement of peripherals and displays at the same time, bandwidth requirements can reach more than 200 Mbps.