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VSI claims first automotive industry standard, high speed SerDes silicon

Thu, Dec 08, 2022

Believed to be the first commercial SerDes IC that complies with the ASA (Automotive SerDes Alliance) Motion Link standard, VS775 provides high speed data transmission for automotive camera applications.

VSI develops high speed communication semiconductors for vehicles and has introduced the industry’s first commercial serialiser/deserialiser (SerDes) silicon that complies with the ASA standard. It has a data transmission rate of up to 16Gbits per second, so that the engine control unit (ECU) can quickly process high resolution image data collected by vehicle image sensors, especially electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles.

The VS775 provides a commercial camera link semiconductor that will resolve the bandwidth concerns associated with using more high resolution image sensors in advanced autonomous vehicle designs for automotive OEMs worldwide, said VSI.

As the level of autonomous driving becomes more advanced, the number of sensors such as cameras and lidar and radar mounted on vehicles increases, which creates demand for real time, high speed data transmission. For example, it is expected that more than 20 sensors will be required for one vehicle at ASIL 4 and 5 autonomous driving, which requires high speed data transmission technology.

The ASA standardisation means that there are no interoperability issues causes by OEMs using proprietary technology, pointed out VSI.

In addition to high-speed data transmission, the VS775 features a low power design that reduces power consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to existing products, said VSI. The compact size means it is optimised for electric vehicles and automotive camera modules where there is limited space.

Steve Kang, founder and CEO of VSI, said: “As an industry-standard product, the VS775 guarantees interoperability that existing SerDes products cannot provide, which will reduce OEMs’ development periods and drive down costs. This in turn should accelerate the evolution of self-driving cars and electric vehicles and drive the future of the automobile industry.”

Currently, VSI is in the process of supplying contracts for camera link solutions for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) with global automotive parts suppliers (Tier 1). The company plans to expand the support range of high-speed bandwidth to 32 and 64Gbits per second through subsequent development of the VS775.

VSI is a fabless company that designs high speed communication semiconductors for vehicles and high-speed transmission of large volumes of data generated in real-time from autonomous driving and electric vehicles.

VSI is a semiconductor technology-intensive start up and its major customers are global automotive OEMs and Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies.

http://www.vsitech.co.kr

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4D imaging radar architecture drives autonomous mobility, says Ambarella

Wed, Dec 07, 2022

Ambarella has introduced what it claims to be the world’s first centralised 4D imaging radar architecture which allows both central processing of raw radar data and deep, low-level fusion with other sensor inputs (including cameras, lidar and ultrasonics). Thie result is greater environmental perception and safer path planning in AI-based ADAS and L2+ to L5 autonomous driving systems or autonomous robotics, said the company.

Ambarella has used its Oculii radar technology which includes AI software algorithms.

By optimising the Oculii algorithms for its CV3 AI domain controller SoC family and adding specific radar signal processing acceleration, the architecture dynamically adapts radar waveforms to its surroundings to provide high angular resolution of 0.5 degrees and a dense point cloud up to 10s of thousands of points per frame, with a long detection range up to 500+ meters.

The CV3’s AI performance per Watt offers the compute and memory capacity needed to achieve high radar density, range and sensitivity, said the company. A single CV3 can provide high performance, real time processing for perception, low level sensor fusion and path planning, centrally and simultaneously, within autonomous vehicles and robots.

This is all achieved with fewer antenna MIMO channels than competing 4D imaging radars, said Ambarella, which reduces the data bandwidth and results in “significantly lower power consumption” said the company.

The data sets of competing 4D imaging radar technologies are too large to transport and process centrally. They generate multiple Tbits per second of data per module, while consuming more than 20W of power per radar module, due to thousands of MIMO antennas used by each module to provide the high angular resolution required for 4D imaging radar. This figure is multiplied across a vehicle’s six or more radar modules, making central processing impractical for other radar technologies, which must process radar data across thousands of antennas.

The data sets of competing 4D imaging radar technologies are too large to transport and process centrally. They generate multiple Tbits per second of data per module, while consuming more than 20W of power per radar module, due to thousands of MIMO antennas used by each module to provide the high angular resolution required for 4D imaging radar. This figure is multiplied across a vehicle’s six or more radar modules, making central processing impractical for other radar technologies, explained Ambarella.

Applying AI software to dynamically adapt the radar waveforms generated with existing monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) devices and using AI sparsification to create virtual antennas, Oculii technology reduces the antenna array for each processor-less MMIC radar head in this new architecture to six transmit x eight receive.

While the number of MMICs is drastically reduced, a high 0.5 degrees of joint azimuth and elevation angular resolution is achieved, reported Ambarella. The centralised architecture consumes significantly less power, at the maximum duty cycle, and reduces the bandwidth for data transport by a factor of six. It also eliminates the need for pre-filtered, edge processing which can result in loss of sensor information.

Additional benefits of the centralised architecture include easier over the air (OTA) software updates. Instead of individually updating each radar module’s processor after determining the processor and OS being used in each, the Ambarella architecture requires a single OTA update to the CV3 SoC and aggregated across all of the system’s radar heads. These radar heads eliminate the need for a processor, which reduces bill of material costs as well as costs in the event of damage from an accident (most radars are located behind the vehicle’s bumper). Additionally, many of the edge-processor radar modules deployed today never receive software updates because of this software complexity.

The centralised architecture will be demonstrated at Ambarella’s invitation-only event taking place during CES in Las Vegas in January. For sampling and evaluation information, contact Ambarella.

https://www.ambarella.com

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Image sensor is based on Infineon’s pixel technology

Tue, Dec 06, 2022

Claimed to boost 3D camera system performance, the IRS2975C imager sensor uses pmdtechnologies’ indirect flight (i-ToF) technology and Infineon Technologies’

pixel technology. The sensor’s form factor and performance are engineered to deliver the highest possible operating range at an optimal power budget for i-ToF applications. The emerging i-ToF user cases are in smartphones, service robots, drones and IoT devices.

Infineon’s pixel technology includes 3D field engineering enabling best demodulation efficiency. A buried optical reflector elevates quantum efficiency (QE) to a level which has until now, only been reached by rear or back-side illumination (BSI) sensors, while maintaining the cost advantage of front-side illumination (FSI) sensors, said Infineon. Combined with the IRS9102C VCSEL driver, the IRS2975C reduces the bill of materials for camera modules and provides differentiating features for the high-volume smartphone segment.

The IRS2975C features a half-quarter video graphics array (HQVGA) resolution of 240 x 180 pixels with a chip size of 18mm² for a 1/6 inch image circle. It offers high-sensitivity 10 micron pixels with SBI and enables highly integrated systems with low-power operation, continued Infineon. The imager is designed to support 2.8V supply rails. The device provides full laser safety functionality such as an eye protection mechanisms and can be customised in terms of output power.

The IRS2975C imager will enter mass production in early 2023.

http://www.infineon.com

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Class-D audio power amplifiers emit at up to 10W for eCall and telematics

Fri, Dec 02, 2022

Two single channel fully differential 10W Class-D audio power amplifiers, the FDA803S and FDA903S, are the latest members of STMicroelectronics’ FDA (fully digital amplifier) family. They are designed for automotive applications like eCall, telematics, and wherever an audio channel needs to reproduce human voice, music, or warning messages at a standard output power level of up to 10W.

The amplifiers integrate an I2S front end, digital core, 24-bit DAC with 100dB resolution and class-D PWM output stage. The integrated digital audio processing ensures high sound quality within a compact circuit footprint, said ST. Feedback within the chip, before the external L-C output filter, simplifies the circuit design and saves space.

The amplifiers have I2C configurability and in-play diagnostics that include clipping detection, thermal warning, overcurrent protection and open-load detection. The level of integration minimises external components and bill-of-materials costs.

They also exhibit low quiescent current which contributes to vehicle energy efficiency, said ST.

Both the FDA803S and FDA903S feature an I2S digital input and a time division multiplexing (TDM) interface. They can be configured for various sampling frequencies between 8.0 up to 96kHz to optimise performance with a variety of audio sources. The lower sampling frequencies, from 8.0 to 32kHz, enable designers to save memory space in applications such as warning tone generators, said ST.

The FDA903S additionally integrates a real-time, load-current monitor, allowing self-diagnostic capability compatible with the demands of functional safety applications up to ASIL A level.

Both devices are supplied in a QFN32 5.0 x 5.0mm exposed pad-down package which does not required a heatsink. The low component count and the elimination of a heatsink is also claimed to minimise the bulkiness of power amplifiers built using these ICs.

There is also an evaluation board, the EVAL-FDA903S.

Both the FDA803S and FDA903S are in production now.

http://www.st.com

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VSI claims first automotive industry standard, high speed SerDes silicon

4D imaging radar architecture drives autonomous mobility, says Ambarella

Image sensor is based on Infineon’s pixel technology

Class-D audio power amplifiers emit at up to 10W for eCall and telematics

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