Resource Type: post

Altia ON: 2023 Piaggio MP3

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

Motorcycle and motorbike companies such as Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Piaggio and Triumph trust Altia software to drive the graphics of their most advanced multi-functional displays. Here is a shining example of the safety, style and performance that Altia can deliver—the Piaggio MP3.

This is the most advanced and luxurious model ever produced by Piaggio, the pioneer and leader of the three-wheeler segment. This three-wheeler features a 7-inch TFT display, the largest display in its category. This display functions as the control and connection center for Piaggio’s MIA connectivity system, which allows drivers to access calls, manage playlists and use GPS. Drivers can also customize the display according to their needs and preferences.

Using the instrument cluster, which is clearly inspired by high class cars on the road, riders can manage numerous features including navigation, connectivity and, on the 530 hpe Exclusive version, also the engine maps (Comfort, Eco and Sport) and cruise control, as well as clearly displaying the images of the rear camera while reversing (exclusive to this equipment).

Take a ride on a Piaggio MP3 with this YouTuber to see this gorgeous display in action!

The TFT also integrates the innovative ARAS (Advanced Rider Assistance System) devices, which are based on a 4D imaging radar technology developed by Piaggio Fast Forward. The ARAS devices include the BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) and the LCDAS (Lane Change Decision Aid System), which alert drivers to fast-approaching vehicles and help them avoid collisions. These devices are exclusive to the Piaggio MP3 and make it the first scooter to be equipped with such advanced safety systems.

Delivering innovative UX for embedded displays is Altia’s specialty. Designed into over 100 million cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, medical devices, home appliances and more, we offer production-proven software and services for getting pixel-perfect graphics to production.

Visit www.altia.com/get-started. Let’s get your next GUI on the road together!

Altia: The Complete HMI Platform for Automotive Cockpit Displays

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

As the automotive industry moves closer and closer to fully autonomous, even lower end vehicles are evolving into rolling computers—with ever-increasing interconnectivity and complexity in the vehicle cockpit. Car buyers now expect to be connected to the outside world—and OEMs are responding to their requirements. It is estimated that by 2030, 95% of all new vehicles will incorporate intermediate or advanced infotainment, telematics and V2X capabilities to communicate between vehicles, users and infrastructure.

With these dramatic shifts in technologies from more mechanical and analog controls to those that are partially or fully digital, automotive OEMs are challenged with anticipating how customers interact with their vehicles, namely through the human-machine interface (HMI).

The HMI acts as a hub of the wheel for the vehicle cockpit’s connected user experience, integrating the spokes that provide information to the driver while sending commands to the various systems both inside and outside the car. The considerable shift toward electrification and autonomous vehicles has resulted in new regulatory requirements. These requirements have compelled OEMs and suppliers to invest more R&D into user interface hardware and software lifecycles and integration, whether their digital cockpits include a multitude of dedicated displays in a single vehicle to just a single in-dash touchscreen.

But the simplicity of a well-architected UI masks great complexity. Cockpit software design includes many considerations, such as how to integrate multiple compute domains and vehicle applications across varying operating systems. Customers have grown accustomed to smartphones being at their side—so how can OEMs keep them connected to their communication and entertainment while adhering to regulations for driver safety and attention? How can OEMs maintain brand continuity between native HMI screens, multiple connectivity solutions and those of the passengers’ personal devices? This is a complex challenge encompassing a vast number of varying requirements, especially given the increase in autonomy. OEMs can embrace these challenges by leveraging a production-proven platform to bring this all together efficiently.

Meeting OEM Challenges with Proven Innovation

Altia delivers a single, comprehensive platform to meet OEM’s cockpit software challenges and the needs and expectations of their customers. They provide a complete end-to-end cockpit software solution for OEMs by combining the best design tools, advanced technology, customization capabilities and expertise within one unified platform.

Altia has helped some of the largest OEMs create custom HMIs in various vehicles as well as develop and deploy their entire software stack—from sedans, SUVs, semis and motorcycles to electric construction-agriculture equipment and everything in between. The integration of Altia’s powerful features and hardware flexibility in over 100 million production vehicles on the road have been shaping the industry. Altia’s software solution is at the heart of over 375 vehicle dashboards for the upcoming generation.

A Comprehensive Collection of Tools and Expert Service

Altia’s cockpit software platform sets the standard for designing, developing and deploying innovative, first-class automotive user experience. The platform enables display design and deployment on any screen within a car, including instrument clusters, HUDs, infotainment displays, passenger displays and rear passenger entertainment systems. No matter how grand and challenging your vision is, Altia can enable a seamless look and feel in your vehicle cockpits to provide an immersive experience that is representative of the brands across your fleet of vehicles. By reusing the core of your work, Altia enables you to keep design cost-efficient while enabling endless opportunities to differentiate. Providing the tools and expert support you need to bring your UI from concept to production quickly and efficiently, Altia’s HMI development platform saves time and reduces production costs.

Altia Advantages for Automotive

  • Hypervisor operations — HMI cockpit operates on both sides of your hypervisor
  • Code generation — Quick conversion of HMI prototypes and graphics to deployable graphics code across a wide range of hardware
  • Integration and display management — Guidance on how to manage and integrate cockpit real estate to create cohesive and intuitive signature UIs for customers while maintaining brand identity
  • Head-up display expertise — Best-in-class HUDs integration to show system information and advanced driver-assist system (ADAS) warnings to keep drivers’ eyes on the road
  • Automated testing solutions — Reduction in time-to-market HMI testing costs, minimizes human error

Integrations

Altia’s cockpit HMI platform can seamlessly integrate the following services and applications into your displays:

  • Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
  • Third-party mapping programs
  • ADAS
  • Media players
  • Telematics units
  • Automotive infrastructure integrations via Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)

Altia Software Tools and Services Support Every Step of Your HMI Process

With the increasing complexity in the automotive world and increasing demand for OEMs to pull user experience and data ownership in-house, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with an approach to managing it all. Altia is here to bring all the pieces together and help OEMs to realize their automotive user experience goals. Altia guides OEMs through designing, developing and deploying their custom automotive cockpits.

Altia’s complete automotive software platform supports every step of the development process, from concept design through delivery. Altia automotive solutions enable OEMs to meet their digital cockpit goals today and in the future. Altia understands these system complexities and has the proven tools to help you with your automotive software challenges.

Ready to start your automotive cockpit development journey? Altia delivers the expertise, software and services to guide you throughout the process to meet your needs and realize your goals. We would love to hear about your project and how we can help you get it on the road.

Visit www.altia.com/get-started.

Collaboration Improves Designer-Supplier Process and Final Product

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

“I want a blue line between these sections,” says the UX designer. Into the spec doc it goes: “add a blue line between these sections to improve UI.” It seems simple enough until several stakeholders and contributors interact with the little blue line at different times in the product development process.

“Will it be sky blue or royal blue?” asks marketing. “Should we make it dotted, dashed or solid?” The team agrees that a dotted, royal blue line is best.

With the internal back and forth resolved, it’s the supplier’s turn to ask for design clarifications. “The resolution of our hardware makes dotted lines look fuzzy unless they’re at least five pixels thick, and the line gets distorted at the bezel if it extends to the edge of the screen.”

Now it’s back to internal discussions. Marketing lobbies for hardware with better graphics to bring the original vision to life. Procurement wants to know if there are savings to be had by using a solid black line. The supplier offers a friendly reminder that this iteration isn’t accounted for by the original contract, so now might be the time to renegotiate.

When this collaboration nightmare becomes more like a recurring dream, it burns resources, delays time to market and ultimately shows in the quality of the product. A streamlined process for product development must clarify communication between stakeholders.

Designer to Supplier – Where’s the Disconnect?

Collaborative frustrations can yield feelings of tension every time there’s a handoff of information or responsibility: especially from designer to engineer and engineer to supplier. The real problem isn’t the other teams but the gap in collaboration that separates the teams. Written spec docs become like one long game of telephone:

  • The market demands features.
  • The designer ideates.
  • The engineer implements a technical plan.
  • The supplier executes the plan to deliver a product.

Stakeholders work at different physical locations, often sharing information about visual designs in a text-based format. The finer details get lost in translation until something as simple as a blue line can get blown out of proportion.

Model-Based Development, Functional Specs and Clear Collaboration

Model-based development gets product designers and engineers on the same page. Advancing from written spec docs to model-based graphical user interface (GUI) development solutions eliminates ambiguity, clarifies requirements and reduces rounds of back and forth. Functional specs—in the form of GUI models—replace written spec documents, so everyone is looking at the same blue line. It’s right where it belongs: between the two relevant sections on the GUI model.

Everybody benefits from not having to discuss the blue line ad nauseam.

Rapid prototyping of GUI models accelerates iterative design among internal teams. Stakeholders in various physical locations can collaborate with tight feedback loops. Usability testing can start earlier in the design process, which eliminates supplier-side iterations down the line. Innovative processes for software design, requirement development and code generation create a ripple effect throughout the entire product development lifecycle.

Software Requirements and Hardware Selection

Model-based development yields GUI models which become functional specs to show what the design will look like once implemented. When the engineers can see exactly how the blue line is supposed to look, they can determine which hardware is required to get the right look.

If a design will only look good in high definition, the supplier should expect to use premium hardware that will perform as expected. For simple GUIs that don’t require a lot of fine detail, the supplier should know to use the budget chipsets instead of trying to upcharge for anything unnecessarily advanced.

Bringing implementation closer to the design phase prevents unforeseen problems at the deadline. If a high-end human-machine interface (HMI) design is likely to strain the hardware’s memory and bandwidth, it’s better to find a solution earlier. For example, a low-power code solution can help prevent memory and bandwidth constraints from becoming problematic.

Internal vs. External Iterations

Even with streamlined collaboration, occasional conversations about blue lines and related topics might be unavoidable. The good news is that those conversations can be brief and conclusive instead of confusing and ongoing. Internal stakeholders quickly align around a functional spec in their internal meetings. Once everything has been accounted for in a fully functional spec, the design is set and ready to go to the supplier.

With this process, any external iterations will be implementation-specific and unrelated to redesign. Delivering a turnkey design to suppliers saves them time and resources—all they have to do is execute a design that has every detail accounted for in the model. This is how products get to market as designed, on budget, and ahead of schedule.

Next Steps: Improving Collaboration to Build Better Products Faster

Model-based human-machine interface design helps designers express their visions clearly. Engineers can see the design, so they know exactly what is required in the technical implementation. Suppliers receive a functional model instead of written instructions and even have clear guidance about how to select the appropriate hardware to execute the final product.

A truly comprehensive collaboration solution offers a string of tools to cover the entire product development process. For example, a GUI editor combined with a code generator creates one collaboration suite to take a project from beginning to end. Nothing gets lost in translation.

Investing in the collaboration workflow can save a project, but the benefits don’t end with that one project. Hyundai took complete control of its embedded display design to make future innovation more efficient, too. Gaining control of the collaborative process pays off in every product development project, especially when working with new suppliers to advance previous work.

Getting Started with Altia

Altia’s graphical user interface design and development environment is built to function holistically, with the GUI editor and code generator working in concert. The combination of these two functions is what closes communication gaps between stakeholders. To ease the transition, Altia’s service team helps bridge knowledge gaps to get the initial project to market on time and under budget.

If your GUI project is already underway but perhaps headed in the wrong direction, all is not lost. The Altia Design Jumpstart Bundle includes the development tools and support required to give your GUI a lift off the ground. Get started today, and let’s make it to market the right way.

Altia ON: 2025 Cadillac ESCALADE IQ

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is an innovative electric SUV that will combine top-tier luxury with cutting-edge technology. GM relies on Altia for getting its most advanced, intuitive graphics into production – and this cutting-edge redesign of Cadillac’s flagship turned EV will definitely deliver. 

Here’s what we’re most excited about in the Escalade IQ. 

The cockpit interface is incredibly user-friendly, with intuitive menus and rapid responses. Multi-tasking is a breeze, allowing drivers to simultaneously view navigation, play music and monitor vehicle stats without switching screens. Voice recognition, augmented reality navigation and integration with popular apps ensure that drivers are safe, comfortable and connected.

The dash is composed of a sprawling, curved pillar-to-pillar 55″ total diagonal LED display powered by a Snapdragon Cockpit platform from Qualcomm Technologies. Spanning the entire front row, it provides a stunning visual experience for driver and passenger. This massive display is segmented to serve the different needs of front seat passengers—with 35″ dedicated to the driver and 20″ dedicated to the passenger. The passenger side of the display is polarized—making it less visible to the driver thus reducing distraction and clearing the regulatory hurdle that will let passengers stream video or surf the internet while the electric Escalade is on the move. The display can be customized with different themes, widgets and apps, including voice-controlled services like Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play.

Beneath the 55″ screen combination sits an 11″ touchscreen where driver and passenger can access five-zone climate controls, ambient lighting and even the doors (if equipped with the power open-and-close feature).

That cool, connected experience of the Cadillac Escalade IQ extends to the back seat. For models with the Executive Seating package, second-row passengers get two 12.6″ personal screens plus a rear command center screen to control comfort, lighting and more.

Designing, developing and deploying this kind of brand-defining innovation in cockpit displays is exactly what Altia does. We work with automotive OEMs and Tier 1s all over the world—including General Motors—to deliver first class cockpit experiences for production vehicles. Let us help you with your next generation production program. Visit www.altia.com/get-started today.

Altia and Nuvoton Announce Cooperation for Embedded GUI Solutions for Next-Generation IoT and Smart Home Devices

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

Altia, a leading supplier of graphical user interface (GUI) development solutions for production embedded displays, and Nuvoton Technology Corporation, a leading provider of microcontrollers and microprocessors, announce that Altia-generated graphics code is running on the Nuvoton MPU NUC980. Customers of Altia and Nuvoton can now consider this powerful combination of technologies for their next-generation embedded devices.

Altia is a concept-to-code GUI solution that gives developers the power to deliver artists’ 2D and 3D graphics to production-embedded hardware. Altia’s code generators are optimized to leverage the full feature set of hardware, yielding the lowest memory footprint and best performance on a chip. Altia’s graphics code is designed for over 100 million devices worldwide in products ranging from automotive and industrial to consumer and medical.

“Nuvoton looks forward to cooperating with Altia on projects for customers designing applications for the Internet of Things and Smart Home. Altia’s industry-standard solutions will enable our customers to deliver very powerful embedded GUIs and a rich user experience on hardware like the Nuvoton MPU NUC980. Altia and Nuvoton together will enable cost-efficient embedded solutions combining well-tested hardware and software that allow a fast time to market,” Nuvoton remarks.

“Altia is well-suited to partner on code generation solutions like the Nuvoton MPU NUC980,” states Jeff Urkevich, Director of Product Marketing for Altia. “With powerful features to maximize GUI performance and carefully architected code generators yielding highly optimized code, Altia enables the smallest footprint and fastest execution on chip.”

To learn more about the NUC980DK microprocessor, visit Nuvoton’s product page. To learn more about Altia and download an Altia GUI demo for Nuvoton MPU NUC980, visit our demo offer page.

About Altia

Altia is a software company that provides graphical user interface design and development tools that can be used from concept to final production code. Our GUI editor, Altia Design, offers development teams the capability to implement a model-based development process enabling clear team communication and accelerated user interface development. Our code generator, Altia DeepScreen, supports a vast range of low- to high-powered processors from a variety of industry-leading silicon providers. Altia generates pure C source code that is optimized to take full advantage of hardware resources. Graphics code generated by Altia is driving millions of displays worldwide – from automotive instrument clusters, HUDs and radios to thermostats, washing machines and medical devices.

Our mission is to get the best automotive, medical and consumer interfaces into production in the shortest time on the lowest cost hardware.

Altia was founded in 1991. Its customers include automotive OEMs and Tier 1s like Continental Automotive, Denso, Stellantis, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Renault, Magneti Marelli, Nippon Seiki, Valeo, Visteon and more – plus leading consumer device manufacturers like Electrolux, Whirlpool, NordicTrack and many others.

For more information about Altia, visit www.altia.com or email [email protected].

Follow Altia on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Altia Media Contact

Cheryl Falk
Director of Marketing Communications
+ 1 719-598-4299

About Nuvoton

Nuvoton Technology Corporation (Nuvoton) was founded to bring innovative semiconductor solutions to the market. Nuvoton was spun-off as a Winbond Electronics affiliate in July 2008 and went public in September 2010 on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE). Nuvoton focuses on the developments of microcontroller, microprocessor, smart home, cloud security, battery monitoring, component, visual sensing and IoT with security ICs and has strong market share in Industrial, Automotive, Communication, Consumer and Computer markets. Nuvoton owns 6-inch wafer fabs equipped with diversified processing technologies to provide professional wafer foundry services. Nuvoton provides products with a high performance/cost ratio for its customers by leveraging flexible technology, advanced design capability, and integration of digital and analog technologies. Nuvoton values long term relationships with its partners and customers and is dedicated to continuous innovation of its products, processes, and services. Nuvoton has established subsidiaries in the USA, China, Israel, India, Singapore, Korea and Japan to strengthen regional customer support and global management. For more information, please visit http://www.nuvoton.com.

Nuvoton Media Contact

Carol Chang
Microcontroller Digital Marketing Deputy Director
+886-3-5770066 ext. 23123

 

Top UX Design Trends for IoT GUIs

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

“Internet of Things” (IoT) became a hot phrase when the first internet-enabled devices and appliances hit the market. Soon, we’ll just say “things.” An internet connection is becoming a must-have feature for all types of devices.

The IoT isn’t only for modern developments like voice assistants, GPS trackers and security systems. It’s also changed how we use our watches, thermostats and refrigerators. While other industries faltered, IoT spending grew 21.5% to $201 billion in 2022 (via IoT Analytics). The IoT is no more a fad than the internet itself—and the competition for market share is only beginning.

What Separates the Best IoT Devices?

The first IoT devices were popular because of their novelty. As the of available IoT devices grows, standards are getting higher. Success in IoT device manufacturing depends on designs that capitalize on these seven trends.

1 – Connectivity

As more types of devices join the IoT, there’s an increased need for them to all work together. Users expect data sharing and interconnectivity across networks. Real-time communication between devices and systems is ideal. When an embedded GUI sends and receives data with the cloud on a schedule, users expect to know how current the information is.

In either case, communication across networks must be seamless. That means embedded GUI developers must understand various protocols and technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee. Interfaces with broad compatibility will win market share.

2 – Multi-Modal UI

Many IoT devices still need a physical user interface. For example, a smart refrigerator or smart lamp still must work when the Wi-Fi goes down. The following features and capabilities help embedded GUI teams balance UX, aesthetics and battery life:

  • Voice search and voice control for intuitive, hands-free operation
  • Touch-based interfaces for precise control over scrolling, typing or drafting
  • Haptic feedback to provide tactile cues and alerts

Including multiple modalities allows users to control the device according to their needs. Alternative ways of input and output increase accessibility, decrease product failures and empower efficient user experiences.

3 – Simplicity

Users aren’t used to navigating steep learning curves when buying new refrigerators, watches or doorbells. Devices that offer visual representations of only the essential information are simple to use and understand. Clear, concise language and intuitive UI design make a device easy to use effectively without additional training.

Testing and validation ensure that connected GUIs work as intended and meet user needs. Thorough testing also helps squash any bugs or issues that they arise. Altia’s model-based   development enables teams to test with users early and confirm that the GUI is easy to use.

4 – Performance

Even with efficient IoT data processing, too much information can hurt the scalability of the UI. Users don’t want to wait for interfaces to load and respond, so the GUI must be responsive and fast. Efficient data processing also conserves battery and processing power.

Presenting information in graphs or dashboards can help draw simple meaning from massive amounts of data. When showing many events or messages is unavoidable, pagination allows loading the data in manageable parts.

The best devices have GUIs that are optimized for performance and efficiency. For example, the Tandem Diabetes Care T-Slim insulin pump can run for a week on a small rechargeable battery.

5 – Security

As IoT adoption expands, so does the attack surface. Security vulnerability has become one of the most critical challenges for IoT device manufacturers. Security features like machine-to-machine authentication, biometric logins and AI-powered security practices can help.

Awareness and training go a long way, too, but users don’t want to carry the burden of protecting themselves alone. Embedded GUIs should be designed with security in mind, as cybersecurity concerns can destroy a product’s appeal.

Recognizing the Threats

Unauthorized access or manipulation can cause significant harm to the IoT infrastructure and users. Successful hacks compromise user privacy, safety and business operations. Secure GUI design can prevent vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows, injection attacks and other exploits that attackers can use to gain access to the system.

A secure GUI design goes beyond preventing unauthorized access to the system’s hardware, firmware and software. It must also include intrusion detection and prevention mechanisms to ensure appropriate responses to suspicious activities or attacks. Avoiding security incidents spurs user confidence in IoT systems and drives widespread adoption.

Privacy and Security Solutions IoT Devices

Trust is non-negotiable for connected devices, which means embedded GUI teams must steer clear of common IoT security challenges. IoT device manufacturers can build trust with any or all of the following:

  • Automatic security updates
  • Customizable privacy settings
  • Transparency in data collection
  • Two-factor authentication (2FA)
  • Secure communication protocols
  • Enforcement of strong passwords
  • Encryption of sensitive information

Addressing security and privacy concerns is vital during the GUI design phase. Embedded GUI teams should also commit to ongoing efforts to keep the device’s software and firmware up to date, preventing security breaches.

6 – Personalization

Few UX design trends among IoT offerings are more pressing than personalization. Sensors, beacons and adaptable technology make it possible to deliver customized experiences in industries ranging from retail and automotive to healthcare and edutech.

Modern customers expect products to meet individualized needs and personal preferences. This also ushers in a golden age for marketers who want to deliver more impactful experiences. Customizable settings and functions boost satisfaction, loyalty and adoption.

Personalization of features also benefits data collection. Product teams can see how users interact with devices, which guides future enhancements. For now, personalization is considered a premium feature. Soon it will be the cost of admission into the IoT market.

7 – Incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning

Collecting data used to be the hard part. Now the challenge is in making sense of mountains of data. Machine learning and artificial intelligence make big data more useful for IoT devices. Advanced analytics will empower everything from preventative security enhancements to predictive maintenance, thus reducing downtime, maintenance costs and energy consumption. ML and AI also serve other UI trends for IoT devices, such as advanced security features, voice control and customization.

Embedded GUI Design for Successful IoT Products

As UX expectations continue to rise, project managers should equip their teams with the skills and resources required to develop connected GUIs. This includes expertise in networking, software development and hardware integration.

Innovation and continuous improvement are the keys to success in the rapidly evolving IoT market. GUI developers and project managers who stay ahead of new trends and technologies will come out on top.

Altia’s end-to-end GUI solutions help developers create embedded displays for the IoT with confidence. Contact our team to get started today.

Altia Graphical User Interface Software to Be Showcased at IAA Mobility 2023

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

Altia announces today that our graphical user interface software will be on display with a key ecosystem partner at IAA Mobility 2023. This event is the world’s largest mobility event, gathering manufacturers, suppliers, tech companies, service providers and startups for focused discussions about future technologies, cars, e-vehicles, autonomous driving and beyond. IAA Mobility is happening in Munich, Germany. The IAA Exhibition will be held from September 5-8 in the Munich Exhibition Center.

Altia’s ecosystem partner, Telechips, will be demonstrating Altia’s GUI software on their Dolphin 5 platform in Hall B3, Booth F10. This demo features Altia HMIs on two screens—an EV instrument cluster with real time 3D animations and a touch HVAC system featuring functionality for heating and air conditioning as well as seat controls. These HMIs were designed and deployed with Altia’s easy-to-use toolchain, which features advanced 3D capabilities, global language support, Cloud-based collaboration and broad hardware support. Altia software enables HMI development teams to create sleek, intuitive interfaces and then automatically generate production-ready graphics code that is optimized for smallest footprint and best performance on their hardware.

Altia HMI experts will be at IAA Mobility 2023 on Wednesday, September 6 and Thursday, September 7. Visitors to IAA Mobility are invited to schedule a meeting with our Altia experts at the show to learn about Altia’s complete cockpit software platform which has everything HMI teams need to bring their cockpit UI/UX from concept to production quickly and efficiently. Appointment requests can be made using this link.

About Altia

Altia is a software company that provides graphical user interface design and development tools that can be used from concept to final production code. Our GUI editor, Altia Design, offers development teams the capability to implement a model-based development process enabling clear team communication and accelerated user interface development. Our code generator, Altia DeepScreen, supports a vast range of low- to high-powered processors from a variety of industry-leading silicon providers. Altia generates pure C source code that is optimized to take full advantage of hardware resources. Graphics code generated by Altia is driving millions of displays worldwide – from automotive instrument clusters, HUDs and radios to thermostats, washing machines and medical devices.

Our mission is to get the best automotive, medical and consumer interfaces into production in the shortest time on the lowest cost hardware.

Altia was founded in 1991. Its customers include automotive OEMs and Tier 1s like Continental Automotive, Denso, Stellantis, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Renault, Magneti Marelli, Nippon Seiki, Valeo, Visteon and more – plus leading consumer device manufacturers like Electrolux, Whirlpool, NordicTrack and many others.

For more information about Altia, visit www.altia.com or email [email protected].

Follow Altia on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Enhancing EV Charging Station UX and Why It Matters

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

If electric vehicles, or EVs, are the future of the automotive industry, are charging stations the new gas stations? It certainly seems that way, which means the EV charging market is primed for explosive growth. The rise of electric vehicles is creating an increased demand for charging stations. Every opportunity to differentiate a charging station can help businesses capture market share. One such opportunity is in the EV charging station display.

EV Charging Stations by the Numbers

As automotive companies continue to roll out new electric vehicles, the discussion turns to how those vehicles can stay charged:

  • Annual EV sales grew 19,000% in the United States between 2010 and 2020. As technology and public opinion evolve, the electric vehicle market is growing exponentially. It’s projected that there will be as many as 35 million EVs on the road by 2030 in the United States alone.
  • There are already an estimated 53,000 public charging stations in the United States, according to Porch Research.
  • The International Council on Clean Transportation predicts massive growth in the U.S. charging infrastructure between now and 2030.
  • The growth isn’t limited to the United States. Global Newswire forecasts a compound annual growth rate of 44% for the electric vehicle charging station market until 2027.

Legacy automotive brands are riding the EV wave instead of trying to swim against it. General Motors CEO, Mary Barra, has set a goal for the company to sell only electric passenger vehicles by 2035. All of those vehicles will need to be charged. Investors, businesses and even governments are pouring resources into their efforts to build the charging stations that will power the electric future of the automotive industry.

Defining and Designing the Charging Station

Thanks in part to a $135 billion commitment from the U.S. government, the United States should have a national network of 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030. Because these charging stations are public, they’ll have to accommodate all the different types of vehicles. Every vehicle can accept a different power level from the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

When a driver plugs in an electric vehicle, there is a brief communication between the EV and EVSE before charging begins. The car requests information about how much power the charging station can deliver. The EVSE returns an answer. Then the car requests the maximum power the charger can provide, and the vehicle can accept. From there, the car controls the voltage and will continue to charge until it’s full.

What Do Charging Stations Display?

There are three different levels of electric vehicle charging with various display functionality:

  1. Level 1 120V EV home chargers typically don’t have displays.
  2. Level 2 chargers, from 240V for home or 208V for commercial chargers, generally have simple displays. The charger might show the time to completion and display the battery level with an animated charge progress bar.
  3. Level 3 480V EV chargers, including Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) and the Tesla Supercharger, offer the most advanced displays. If the EVSE can charge more than one vehicle at a time, it might have multiple displays. These chargers typically have all the EV charging station display features from Level 2, plus a video screen for news headlines and ads.

As more users begin to use charging stations, expectations are rising. Those who wish to win EVSE market share must develop competitive EV charging station displays.

What Drivers and Passengers Need from Charging Stations

EV charging stations aren’t just the gas stations of the future. They’re also travel lodges of the future. People might spend significant time at these stations while waiting for their vehicles to charge. Not all EV charging stations are built the same, and the differences matter more for extended visits. It’s critical to create the right user experience, which means considering the following:

Prioritize Ease of Use

Early adopters have already had EVs for years, and now the early majority is starting to embrace electric vehicles. Social reasons for going electric are even encouraging some people who typically don’t adopt technology, especially quickly. As a result, new users of all ages and comfort levels will be interacting with EV charging station displays.

To accommodate a diverse user base, an EV charging station display must be user-friendly and intuitive. Simple screens should provide clear instructions. Touch screens should enable easy navigation. There must be convenient payment options and a clear path to payment.

Users want to know where they are in the charging process and take control of the charging experience as much as possible. Some users prefer to monitor and manage the experience via a mobile app or the in-vehicle interface, so the EVSE must be compatible with other technologies. Diagnostic information, troubleshooting workflows and live support help guide the user to a satisfying experience.

Ensure High Visibility

The EV charging station display will likely be outside, requiring it to be visible in all conditions. It will need the right type of screen to make the charging status visible to the user. When designing an EVSE, it can be helpful to generate code and test it in various real-world scenarios—including sun, shade, partial light and full darkness.

Performance Matters

An EVSE has to offer flexible charging speeds to accommodate different types of EVs as well as user preferences. Then there’s the performance of the EV charging station display itself. When the user wants to modify the charging performance, the interface needs to be responsive enough to make that happen. GUI code that has been optimized for the display hardware makes graphics perform more smoothly. Testing that code on production-intent hardware ensures that the display is adequately responsive to touch.

Inform and Entertain

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that a fully electric vehicle might take 4-10 hours to gain a full charge from Level 2 charging. This speed makes it more suitable for locations where the driver spends significant time, like home or the workplace. DC Fast Charging (DCFC) is more ideal for high-traffic areas and road trip stops. DCFC might get an electric vehicle to an 80% charge in just 20 minutes to one hour.

In any case, drivers and passengers often have time to kill at the charging station. OTA updates enable a variety of informational and entertaining content. Drivers and passengers may wish to play audio and video without using battery power from their vehicles or devices. Alternatively, users might want quick information about area restaurants, lodging or entertainment.

The EVSE display might also show stats and graphics that gamify the experience. Guest books and driver networks inspire engagement. They also give drivers additional reasons to choose one charging station over another. Capturing a user base also creates opportunities to sell ads, including offers for nearby businesses.

Choose the Right Hardware

Selecting versatile hardware will give the EV charging station greater compatibility and connectivity. The hardware has to be able to support the graphical features of the GUI and run at top performance. At the same time, identifying favorable target hardware goes a long way toward controlling costs.

Getting Started with EV Charging Station Display Design

Ultimately, users have a significant say in which businesses will win market share within the growing EV charging industry. A thoughtful display can enhance the experience of using public charging stations and Level 2 home charging. For more information, visit www.altia.com.

 

Altia Learn Drives Results with New Impactful Learning Tools

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

The modern workforce can be spread far and wide, spanning different time zones and sometimes across the world. As a result, a centralized singular approach to training can prove to be inflexible and challenging to schedule for a busy and dynamic team.

Altia Learn is a new user-friendly online learning management system that empowers graphical user interface (GUI) designers and engineers to learn how to make the most of Altia products by offering an innovative training approach designed for today’s modern workplace. It is built on the premise that every employee has their learning style and time constraints, which means they learn in different ways and at different speeds.

The innovative learning platform allows companies to better understand how their teams learn so that they can deliver on-demand training programs personalized for each individual, regardless of their level of expertise or location.

Tools to Help Your Team Design, Develop and Deploy Your GUI

The Altia Learn platform is designed to help companies increase their employees’ productivity, competencies and engagement while reducing costs associated with training and development programs. It shows what can be built within the embedded GUI space and how to build it through courses consisting of training modules, videos and downloadable resources. After registering, users become part of the Altia Learn User Community, joining an expansive group of Altia users who have already deployed Altia-generated code in over 100 million devices worldwide.

Built on a robust set of learning management tools that provide users access to training materials and resources on demand, the unique learning management system empowers engineers with the tools and knowledge base they need to create innovative products with embedded GUIs. This is accomplished by teaching users how to build user interfaces that are customizable, interactive and responsive to user input. It also includes an extensive library of interactive training courses and tools that allow engineers to measure their understanding of key concepts.

The interactive tutorials are designed as hands-on training activities, reinforcing course content through experiential learning activities. Courses require users to navigate the software interface, complete specific tasks or learn critical concepts related to the software’s functionality. A library of downloadable resources is available for immersive exercises to reinforce processes and concepts that translate into engineers’ real-world workflow.

Each course is designed to be approachable and concise, providing a summary containing the topics covered and videos typically ranging from 5-7 minutes to keep the information manageable and focused.

Altia Learn courses can serve as a helpful reference when needed. If a challenge arises, engineers can return to a training module to find and refamiliarize themselves with a particular concept or process they need for the task at hand and quickly return to their workflow with a better understanding of the process.

A Learning Management System Tailored to Your Team’s Needs

Altia believes that employees are the most essential resource of a business, and that training and development is the key to getting the most out of your team. We have, therefore, developed a robust learning management system that allows managers to create learning paths tailored for each user based on their learning goals, job role and familiarity with GUI development through Altia products.

After registration, Altia Learn users are greeted with a dashboard showing an overview of their training history, progress and accomplishments. The overview includes the number of courses they have completed and how many in which they are enrolled, while achievement badges provide positive progress ownership and encouragement in their efforts.

The system also shows available courses, suggests learning paths and recommended courses. Personalized assessments are designed to measure core competencies and identify knowledge gaps to address where additional training can be administered. The assessments include identifying strengths and weaknesses in conceptual understanding and application.

This means managers can design learning plans for individual users based on their preferred learning style or other factors such as current level of expertise or time available for training so that the approach to training is appropriate for the individual and does not waste time with any unnecessary course material. Managers can add courses as the user progresses to provide comprehensive training and meet evolving training goals.

At launch, Altia Learn has a variety of learning modules for users of all skill levels in GUI development, including varied topics such as what makes Altia a leader in embedded graphical user interfaces, how to begin the initial steps of building your specialized dynamic GUIs and how to process automation through Altia GUI development and code generation. New courses will be added to the site regularly to cover an even broader scope of GUI design, development and deployment.

Altia Learn is Your Guide to GUI Success

Altia Learn is a new way to empower Altia’s customers by providing them with the tools they need to successfully design, develop and deploy top-tier graphical user interfaces. The on-demand learning management system delivers immersive, hands-on training materials to teach users how to employ the tasks and concepts covered in the training.

The platform offers the flexibility of being an always-available resource, meeting the needs of all skill levels and competencies through tailored training paths to reduce downtime and increase productivity. Managers can track course progression and address any areas needing improvement while ensuring that their team receives consistent and concise training on Altia’s GUI development software directly from the experts at Altia.

Altia will continue to enhance this program with more resources and training materials, so please check back often or contact us today for more information at altia.com.

Altia Announces Altia Learn, New eLearning Portal with On-Demand GUI Development Software Training Resources

Posted on by Cheryl Falk

Today, Altia announces the launch of our learning management system, Altia Learn. Altia Learn is designed to help Altia software users design, develop and deploy first rate graphical user interfaces (GUIs) quickly by pairing video courses with activities tailored to reinforce course content and help our users practice what they are learning.

With Altia Learn, engineers can access training materials and resources on-demand—reducing downtime and increasing productivity. By leveraging Altia Learn across a GUI development team, managers can be assured that their team receives consistent training and knowledge about Altia’s GUI development software, which will help minimize errors and inconsistencies in GUI design. Altia Learn can provide personalized learning paths to engineers based on their level of expertise, job role and learning objectives. This tool gives managers the ability to track and report on engineer progress and completion of training, providing valuable insights into areas where more support may be needed.

“Altia is continually seeking new ways to improve the customer experience with our software. We’re proud to offer Altia Learn as a powerful tool for delivering effective training and development programs. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, Altia Learn delivers engaging, impactful learning experiences that drive results,” stated Brett Stein, Altia Vice President of Operations. “Whether you’re looking to upskill your workforce, onboard new hires or support ongoing learning and development, Altia Learn is the ideal solution for unlocking the full potential of your team.”

Altia Learn currently includes a variety of courses for Altia users at all levels, with new courses releasing regularly. Basics and Fundamentals courses are free for all users. Courses for intermediate and advanced users are available for customers with current support and maintenance (SMA) agreements. The Altia Learn platform is available today from the Altia Cloud dashboard, so current users of Altia can access Altia Learn immediately.

Current Altia customers using Altia Design 13 can access Altia Learn right away from their Altia Cloud portal. New users wishing to explore Altia Learn can do so from our website.

About Altia 

Altia is a software company that provides graphical user interface design and development tools that can be used from concept to final production code. Our GUI editor, Altia Design, offers development teams the capability to implement a model-based development process enabling clear team communication and accelerated user interface development. Our code generator, Altia DeepScreen, supports a vast range of low- to high-powered processors from a variety of industry-leading silicon providers. Altia generates pure C source code that is optimized to take full advantage of hardware resources. Graphics code generated by Altia is driving millions of displays worldwide – from automotive instrument clusters, HUDs and radios to thermostats, washing machines and medical devices.

Our mission is to get the best automotive, medical and consumer interfaces into production in the shortest time on the lowest cost hardware.

Altia was founded in 1991. Its customers include automotive OEMs and Tier 1s like Continental Automotive, Denso, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Renault, Magneti Marelli, Nippon Seiki, Valeo, Visteon and more – plus leading consumer device manufacturers like Electrolux, Whirlpool, NordicTrack and many others.

For more information about Altia, visit www.altia.com or email [email protected].

Follow Altia on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Translate »