Reminiscence, Processing, & Safety: Focal Factors of New Automotive Releases

The automotive business is ever shifting towards electrification and autonomous driving. Electrification has impressed builders to design chips and software program that optimize energy administration, battery efficiency, and charging infrastructure. In the meantime, superior driver help programs (ADAS) name for superior {hardware} and algorithms that effectively course of and interpret sensor knowledge and make real-time choices.

This text highlights three new merchandise launched this summer time from Samsung, Lattice Semiconductor, and Renesas, every designed to progress a unique dimension of automotive programs.

Samsung Produces UFS 3.1 Recollections for Infotainment

Common Flash Storage (UFS), the flash storage specification for client electronics, bodes properly within the automotive atmosphere due to its excessive knowledge switch speeds, low latency, sturdiness, reliability, security measures, and energy effectivity. As automotive programs change into more and more advanced and data-driven, UFS gives essential advantages for protected, environment friendly, and interactive driving. 

In July Samsung began mass-producing its new automotive Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 3.1 memory devices optimized for in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) programs. The brand new UFS 3.1 lineup gives 128, 256, and 512 GB variants. 

Samsung UFS 3.1 storage gadgets. Picture used courtesy of Samsung

Samsung experiences these new merchandise eat little energy, making it simple to handle battery life effectively. The 256 GB variant consumes 33% much less vitality than the earlier technology of merchandise. It additionally gives a sequential write pace of 700 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and a sequential learn pace of two,000 MB/s.

Past automotive purposes, Samsung says its new storage gadgets might show helpful in cellular reminiscence options and 5G gadgets. 

Lattice Rolls Out FPGA-based Drive Stack

This summer time additionally noticed Lattice Semiconductor rolling out an automotive platform, the Lattice Drive Solution, focusing on a number of purposes, together with: 

• In-vehicle infotainment shows
• Connectivity and knowledge processing
• ADAS sensor bridging and processing
• Low-power zonal bridging purposes for driver, cabin, and automobile monitoring

The low-power, FPGA-based resolution permits multi-resolution scaling and helps as much as 4K show sizes, because of its video scaler IP that makes use of as much as 4 totally different scaling algorithms. It additionally helps a number of shows, offering a show port interface as much as 1.5x quicker than related gadgets. Lattice claims the answer can course of knowledge with as much as 75% decrease energy than competing gadgets as a result of it could offload the processing unit.

Based mostly on the CertusPro-NX FPGA, the Lattice Drive resolution stack contains the Lattice Nexus {hardware} platforms, IP constructing blocks, Lattice Radiant and Propel software program design instruments, reference designs, and demonstrations. 

Lattice Drive resolution stack. Picture used courtesy of Lattice Semiconductor

The RISC-V processor can deal with video processing duties or work together with different IP blocks for video-related capabilities. The AXI interconnect facilitates easy communication between the RISC-V processor, video scaler, show port IP, and different peripherals, making certain environment friendly knowledge switch and management movement. 

Lattice Drive show port and video scaler reference design. Picture used courtesy of Lattice Semiconductor

The video scaler IP resizes an enter video stream to a unique decision whereas sustaining the side ratio and visible high quality. The show energy IP can then convert video knowledge from the inner format of the FPGA or SoC to the show port interface’s acceptable protocol. With these options, this stack permits the FPGA or SoC to course of video knowledge and output the video content material to an exterior show by means of the show port interface.

Renesas Unveils Automotive Safety Administration

The final merchandise on this roundup comes from Renesas, with its summer time announcement of its automotive Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) for growing microcontrollers (MCUs) and programs on chips (SoCs). The TÜV Rheinland Industrie Service GmbH licensed Renesas’ CSMS based on Worldwide Commonplace ISO/SAE 21434:2021. This certification contains its 16-bit RL78 and 32-bit RH850 MCUs and the R-Automobile SoC household.

Cybersecurity purposes within the automotive house. Picture used courtesy of Renesas

Renesas designed the R-Automobile SoCs for safe exterior communication in autonomous autos. To this finish, the corporate included {hardware} safety modules (HSMs) to generate, safeguard, and handle cryptographic keys and execute cryptographic operations inside a protected atmosphere. The RH850 32-bit MCUs additionally embody HSM to steadiness efficiency with low energy consumption. The HSMs safe in-vehicle communication between management items. With their ultra-low energy consumption and {hardware} security measures, the RL78 household of 16-bit MCUs could also be notably helpful for actuator and sensor purposes.