Case Study: Designing an Electric Vehicle (EV) Dashboard Using EVE Video Controllers

Introduction

In the ever-evolving automotive landscape, Electric Vehicles (EVs) require modern, intuitive, and reliable dashboards to ensure a seamless driving experience. Designing a dashboard for an EV requires a solution that supports multiple functionalities, such as touchscreen capabilities, dynamic graphic display, and the ability to handle various display sizes. EVE (Embedded Video Engine) video controllers from Bridgetek emerge as an ideal solution for designing next-generation EV dashboards, offering features that ensure a highly interactive, visually engaging, and flexible display interface.

This case study explores the benefits of using EVE video controllers for designing an EV dashboard.

Client Requirements

The client, a leading EV manufacturer, sought to develop a dashboard for their new line of electric vehicles. The key requirements included:

1. Wide display format: A high-resolution screen that could accommodate various gauges, vehicle information, and navigation.
2. Touch interface: Touchscreen capability for user interactions.
3. Stylish graphics: The ability to showcase dynamic visuals, including animated gauges and alerts.
4. Multi-language support: Custom font integration to display multiple languages and symbols.
5. Low power consumption: The dashboard needed to minimize power usage to maximize vehicle battery efficiency.
6. Reliability: The display solution had to meet automotive-grade standards, especially in terms of temperature tolerance and durability.

Solution: EVE Video Controllers for EV Dashboards

EVE video controllers, specifically the BT817A model, were selected to fulfill the client’s needs due to their rich feature set, automotive qualifications, and versatility.

Key Features of EVE Video Controllers That Made the Solution Ideal

1. AEC-Qualified for Automotive Use
   The BT817A is AEC-qualified, ensuring it can withstand the rigorous conditions of automotive environments. With an extended temperature range, it is reliable even in extreme weather conditions, making it suitable for the demanding operational conditions of electric vehicles. The dashboard needs to operate in a wide range of temperatures, from freezing cold to scorching heat, and EVE controllers ensure stable performance throughout.

2. Support for a Wide Range of Screen Sizes and Shapes
   EVE controllers support various display resolutions, including 1280×800. This allows for 10.1” and 12.3” wide-format screens, which are increasingly common in modern EV dashboards. The flexibility to support different screen shapes and sizes offers manufacturers freedom in dashboard design, enabling them to cater to various vehicle models.

3. RGB to LVDS Conversion for High-Quality Displays
   By using an RGB to LVDS conversion IC, EVE controllers can interface with LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) displays, which are often used in automotive applications for their superior image quality, sharpness, and reduced electromagnetic interference. This ensures high-definition visuals, ideal for clear and visually attractive dashboards that display vehicle stats, speed, range, and more.

4. Extensive Image Support for Stylish Graphics
   EVE controllers provide extensive image support, allowing designers to incorporate stylish gauges, backgrounds, symbols, and animations. This is crucial for an EV dashboard, which must display real-time information such as battery charge levels, speed, and navigation in a visually appealing manner. EV drivers expect modern, high-quality visual elements that enhance user experience, and EVE provides the capability to render high-fidelity graphics.

5. Onboard Flash Chip for Image Storage
   The BT81x series supports EVE-attached flash chips, allowing for independent image storage. This offloads the burden from the host microcontroller (MCU), improving system efficiency and enabling the storage of complex images and animations without taxing the EV’s central processing unit (CPU). With large-scale image storage, the dashboard can display high-quality animations and background images, enhancing the user experience without compromising performance.

6. Custom Font and Multi-Language Support
   EVE video controllers allow the integration of custom fonts, enabling the display of multiple languages, symbols, and units. In a global automotive market, EV dashboards must support different languages and measurement units to cater to diverse regions. The EVE controller ensures that the dashboard can be easily customized for international markets without the need for extensive redesign.

7. Audio Output and Built-in Tones
   Audio feedback is critical in EV dashboards for alerting the driver of important events, such as low battery, charging status, or system warnings. EVE controllers feature built-in audio output and tones, enabling the EV dashboard to play sounds for warnings, notifications, and indicator sounds. This built-in feature eliminates the need for external audio components, reducing system complexity and cost.

8. PWM Dimming for Screen Brightness Control
   The PWM dimming output enables dynamic adjustment of the screen’s backlight brightness. This ensures optimal visibility under various lighting conditions, from bright sunlight to low-light environments, while reducing power consumption by dimming the screen when full brightness is not needed. In an EV context, reducing power consumption is crucial for extending the vehicle’s range, and PWM dimming contributes to this by efficiently managing the display’s energy usage.

9. Capacitive Touch Interface for User Interaction
   EVE controllers support capacitive touch interfaces, providing smooth and responsive touch functionality. This allows drivers to interact with the dashboard through touchscreen gestures, enhancing the overall user experience. For modern EVs, the ability to seamlessly control navigation, media, and vehicle settings via touch is essential, and EVE controllers offer robust support for capacitive touch displays.

10. Innovative Touch Features for Enhanced Control
    Beyond basic touch functionality, EVE offers innovative touch features that can be integrated into the dashboard, allowing advanced touch control for a more interactive experience. For example, swipe gestures can be used to switch between different display modes or screens, such as switching from navigation to vehicle diagnostics or entertainment settings.

Conclusion

By leveraging EVE video controllers, the client was able to design a modern, high-performance EV dashboard that met all of their requirements. The extended temperature range, support for a wide range of display formats, advanced image and font capabilities, and integrated audio and touch features made EVE an ideal solution for EV dashboards. Additionally, EVE’s power efficiency features, such as PWM dimming, aligned perfectly with the client’s need to minimize power consumption in electric vehicles.

The end result was a sleek, functional, and interactive EV dashboard that enhances the driving experience, ensuring clear information display and intuitive user interaction—all while maintaining the robustness required for automotive applications.

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