FlexRay histoRy anD nxP’s Role anD contRibution

A brief review The history of FlexRay started in the late 1990s, when several car makers recognized that their future In-Vehicle Networking (IVN) requirements could not be solved with existing networks such as CAN. These car makers therefore decided to found a consortium − FlexRay Consortium − to develop and drive the adoption of an industry standard − FlexRay − for high-speed, time-triggered communication networks for automotive applications. NXP Semiconductors (formerly Philips Semiconductors) was invited to become one of the founding (core) members of this FlexRay Consortium and has been leading the Physical Layer Working Group ever since. Because of its core membership, NXP Semiconductors (NXP) also held a chair in the Steering Committee and Executive Board until the FlexRay Consortium ceased operations on December 31, 2009. NXP developed the fi rst hardware solution to enable other Consortium members to perform system studies on FlexRay applications. This product is known as the TJA1080.