TRW announced that the Distributed Systems Interface (DSI) architecture it developed with Motorola will enter production on MY2002 vehicles of a major automaker. It is the first use of the new DSI standard and the first application of a dedicated safety bus, according to TRW. The interface makes use of a two-wire serial bus linking safety-related sensors and components on a dedicated high-speed communications circuit. It enables the use of the latest-generation "intelligent" digital sensors and actuators for dual-stage front air bags, weight sensors, electronic seat-belt pretensioners, and side-impact protection systems.

The bus provides electrical power for the components linked by the system, and its two-wire design greatly reduces the wiring required by older designs, reducing weight and easing assembly and in-use maintenance. The use of DSI can speed vehicle development because its open architecture has plug-and-play flexibility. Components designed to the standard can be added without redesigning or rewiring the system. The number of components or discrete part numbers that automakers and suppliers must track can be reduced, thus cutting costs.

Though developed by TRW and Motorola, other companies can design systems and components to the open DSI standard without paying royalty or licensing fees. According to Heinz Pfannschmidt, Executive Vice President and General Manager, TRW Automotive Electronics, the use of the DSI architecture gives TRW customers an advantage in configuring their systems. New sensors and actuators can be added in mid-development, which can dramatically reduce product time-to-market.