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Plugging an MP3 player into your car's stereo system in the hopes of taking the edge off the early morning traffic jam might seem harmless enough.
But in today's tech-jammed automobile, this seemingly innocuous move could potentially wreak havoc on your car's onboard infotainment and computerized safety features.
"Without proper partitioning, the simultaneous demands could jam a car's central processing unit (CPU)," according to Charles Eagan, vice-president, research and development at QNX Software Systems Ltd., an Ottawa-based provider or realtime operating systems software (ROTS).
If you happen to be using an onboard navigation system, the device could freeze and cause you to miss a turn you had to make.
More seriously, Eagan said, demands on your CPU from multiple devices could disable the onboard global positioning system (GPS) that alerts emergency personnel of your location in the event of an accident.
Flaws can also surface in larger environments such as enterprise networks and operating systems, where they are often exploited by hackers. QNX provides software and developing tools for companies such as Cisco Systems, Lockheed Martin, Panasonic, General Electric Co, and Siemens.
Auto manufacturing giant DaimlerChrysler Corp. also uses use QNX software to build applications for their cars entertainment, navigation and safety systems.
QNX software loaded within automobiles from DaimlerChrysler, Porsche and Audi enables these vehicles to prioritize CPU executions within milliseconds so as to prevent the unit from freezing.
The company has developed another technology dubbed Adaptive Partitioning targeted at embedded devices. It promises embedded designers the ability to develop secure, long-lasting systems without sacrificing system performance.
Adaptive Partitioning, the company says offers several benefits:
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