The increasing digitization of vehicle displays, safety and entertainment features has often led to a fragmented and confusing user experience in the car. At the same time, automakers are faced with managing the increased complexity of these in-car electronics, often with increased costs for multiple controllers and software solutions to manage these disparate systems.

HARMAN’s new Digital Cockpit platform addresses these challenges through a compute platform that is capable of driving multiple functional domains within the car, including the center displays and infotainment, instrumentation cluster, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), audio and sound management, lighting, e-mirrors, navigation, drive assist, and even an intelligent personal assistant.

The scalable approach allows Harman to offer cost-effective cockpit solutions addressing the broader vehicle segments. Additionally, automakers can now use HARMAN’s Digital Cockpit Platform to offer drivers a vastly improved experience that harmonizes the visual look and feel between all in-car systems, as well as improve system flexibility and performance.

HARMAN’s digital cockpit platform was brought to life through rigorous benchmarking that meets industry requirements for performance, security, stability and functional safety. Critical vehicle functions are always prioritized for fail-safe operation enabled by a Type 1 hypervisor. For increased system protection, a safety-critical real time operating system is used to drive the instrument cluster and HUD display, while the rich infotainment and connected experience is powered either by Android or Linux.

“For too long a car’s integral cockpit components have been fragmented," said Phil Eyler, executive vice president and president, Connected Car, HARMAN. “Our next-generation digital cockpit platform merges critical elements of the connected car, while keeping ease of deployment and management top of mind for OEMs and staying committed to providing drivers with a harmonious and natural interface.”

All of the platform systems can also be “future proofed”, thanks to HARMAN’s Ignite IoT solution that provides services and over-the-air (OTA) update capabilities that have been integrated within the platform.

New features and functionality, as well as bug fixes or software upgrades, can be easily transferred to the car, ensuring that the in-vehicle experience stays as fresh and current as other aspects of the driver’s digital life. The entire system is also secured from the “inside-out” by leveraging HARMAN’s industry-leading 5+1 security framework.