Reduced Pair 1 Gb/s Ethernet

The following request for agenda time for a "Call for Interest" has been received from Steve Carlson. It will be discussed at the IEEE 802 LMSC March 2012 Plenary meeting in Waikoloa, HI, USA.

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IEEE Std 802.3 PHYS are being deployed in ever-increasing numbers in a wide variety of application spaces. Recently, the global automotive industry has begun to deploy Ethernet into vehicles as a backbone for all data services. This includes vehicle control (brakes, suspension, transmission, ECU, etc.) and well as infotainment. The automotive industry is interested in 1Gb/s speeds, but with fewer than the four pairs currently used by 1000BASE-T. The reduction in wire pairs will reduce the size and weight of the Ethernet wiring in the vehicle, as well as allowing for a smaller form-factor connector. It is estimated that over 500 million Ethernet nodes will be present in cars by 2018. The represents an untapped, high-volume market for Ethernet technology that would likely open up new applications in other areas, such as industrial control or small form-factor consumer devices.

The 'call for interest' will take place during the IEEE 802.3 Opening Plenary on the afternoon of Monday 12th March. A call for interest meeting will be scheduled to occur during the plenary week. The vote to determine if a Study Group will be formed will take place at the IEEE 802.3 Closing Plenary on the afternoon of Thursday 15th March.