MOST technology is used in car brands worldwide, including Audi, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lancia, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen, SAAB, SKODA, SEAT and Volvo.
[citation needed] MOST is a registered trademark of Standard Microsystems Corporation (SMSC), now owned by Microchip Technology.
MOST25 provides a bandwidth of approximately 23 megabaud for streaming (synchronous) as well as package (asynchronous) data transfer over an optical physical layer.
Although MOST50 is specified to support both optical and electrical physical layers, the available MOST50 Intelligent Network Interface Controllers (INICs) only support electrical data transfer via a three copper conductor configuration; consisting of an Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) set and a single additional control line.
The additional control line is connected to each MOST50 network device in a parallel single shared bus configuration.
As with its fiber counterparts, closing or completing the ring (termination at the originating device) is required for any and all network operation.
MOST uses plastic optical fiber (POF) with a core diameter of 1 mm as transmission medium, in combination with light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the red wavelength range as transmitters.
The MOST Cooperation, a partnership of carmakers, AV equipment designers, system architects, and key component suppliers, was founded in 1998.
In March 2008, SMSC (formerly OASIS SiliconSystems), inventor of the first MOST NIC, and Harman/Becker announced that they would open and license their proprietary data link layer intellectual property to other semiconductor companies on a royalty-bearing basis.
Development tools are offered by K2L, Ruetz System Solutions, SMSC, Vector Informatik GmbH and Telemotive AG.