Agri SIC: an “electronic heart” for a multi-display system
News – October 2022
MTA presents its complete in-vehicle system specifically developed for
off-highway applications and recently awarded with “Mention EIMA 2022”.
Agri SIC
is an integrated vehicle platform that gathers all the computing power in a
central intelligent unit able to handle and control dashboard and displays in
the cabin. This architecture gives the ability to dynamically move graphics
applications to the preferred display, achieving a high degree of user
configurability and sharing information and data across multiple screens from a
single central processing unit.
Agri SIC
is an innovative product from the point of view of architecture and design that
follows the trends of the auto industry, while ensuring that high resistance to
the stresses typical of the off-highway sector. Even in the agricultural and earthmoving
market, customers are demanding solutions that "replicate" the user
experience of tablets. They are also looking for high-quality displays with a
strong aesthetic appeal that are particularly thin and small in size compared
to traditional displays with integrated logic. These features are ensured by
the central unit containing all the computing power.
The
presence of this ‘electronic heart’ makes the displays and the central
dashboard become separate devices on the system. This peculiarity is worth
underlining because it enables OEMs to easily replace the displays in the
transition from one vehicle application to another or to make significant
changes over time to the terminals and introduce new features and functions in
line with a rapidly evolving market, without changing the "core" of
the system.
Hardware
The central unit of the MTA system has been developed based on a flexible and powerful architecture, making use a multicore microprocessor with a high computing power and it is distinguished by a fast boot time and a multi-level security architecture.
The unit can handle up to four full HD displays inside the vehicle, as well as collect and convey the information coming from the vehicle, and the images from cameras through BroadR-Reach technology.
Software
Agri SIC is based on a very flexible Linux software architecture, an open system that allows the unit to be developed according to the specific needs of the customer’s application, supporting for example ISOBUS. However, such flexibility does not come at the expense of compliance with stringent software development standards, as MTA is working on its infotainment systems according to the Automotive Spice process required by leading OEMs.
Press release – Agri SIC – Italian+English