Fujitsu Microelectronics (Sunnyvale, Calif.) said its MB88395 controller combines 800-Mbit/sec. physical and link layers with its proprietary SmartCODEC compression technology. Compliance with the IEEE 1394 networking standard doubled the performance of the Fujitsu controller, the company said.

The controller was co-developed with Fujitsu VLSI Ltd.

Fujitsu said its controller targets the growing market for rear-seat entertainment systems. "Fujitsu Microelectronics anticipated the need for rear-seat entertainment and has taken a global leadership position in 1394 controller technology," Philip Hughes, senior director of Fujitsu's Automotive Business Group, said in a statement.

The MB88395 controller can simultaneously transmit HD video (1,280 dots by 720 lines) from Blu-ray DVDs, digital TV and car navigation images, the company said.

New 1394-based auto network technology is expected to show up as early as the 2011 model year. Fujitsu said it is banking on 1394 networking technology as in-vehicle networking grows. The trend is being driven by the global shift to digital TV, wider availability of HD content and the phasing out of analog output from Blu-ray players.

Fujitsu claims its SmartCODEC technology can compress and decompress high-resolution video in as little as 2 milliseconds without perceptible time lag. The technology is used in a transport protocol for sending video streams over 1394 networks.

Fujitsu said it will be demonstrating its auto controller during the 1394 Auto Technology Seminar in Dearborn, Mich., on April 30.

The MB88395 automotive controller is sampling now in 224-pin FBGA packages. Pricing begins at $17 each.