Thanks not only to its good sound, but also due to its control convenience and wide range of possible functions, the compact disc (CD) has already established itself as an important medium for recorded music. This, combined with the current trend toward high-end car audio, means that we can look forward to its rapid popularization in the years to come as a component in car stereo systems.
With this in mind, we at Matsushita have given top priority to the development of car CD players. In this paper we intend to focus on our efforts at integrating CD players into the automotive environment, the system and component technology involved and the environmental conditions which must be met.