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Hand-held camera cube reference design brings AI to the edge

Wed, Jul 21, 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) which was previously limited to expensive machines with large power budgets can now be embedded in space-constrained, power-powered edge devices. Maxim Integrated says its MAXREFDES178# camera cube executes low latency AI vision and hearing inferences on a coin cell power budget with reduced cost and size.

The MAXREFDES178# enables low power IoT devices to implement hearing and vision. It is based on the MAX78000 low power microcontroller with neural network accelerator for audio and video inferences. The system also contains the MAX32666 low power Bluetooth microcontroller and two MAX9867 audio codecs. The system is delivered in a compact form factor to show how AI applications, such as facial identification and keyword recognition, can be embedded in low power, cost sensitive applications such as wearables and IoT devices.

AI applications require intensive computations, which is usually performed in the cloud or in expensive, power-hungry processors: self driving cars is an example. Maxim says that its MAXREFDES178# camera cube demonstrates how AI can operate on a low power budget, enabling applications that are time- and safety-critical to run on even the smallest of batteries. The MAX78000’s AI accelerator slashes the power of AI inferences up to 1,000x for vision and hearing applications, compared to other embedded solutions, reports Maxim. The AI inferences running on the MAXREFDES178# also show dramatic latency improvements, running more than 100x faster than on an embedded microcontroller.

The compact form factor of the camera cube (1.6 x 1.7 x 1.5inch of 41 x 44 x 39mm) allows AI to be implemented in wearables and other space-constrained IoT applications. The MAX78000 is up to 50 per cent smaller than the next-smallest GPU-based processor, says Maxim, and does not require other components like memories or complex power supplies to implement cost-effective AI inferences.

The MAXREFDES178# and the MAX78000 is available now, together with the MAX32666GWPBT+T RF microcontroller and the MAX9867EWV+T stereo codec   at Maxim Integrated’s website and authorised distributors.

http://www.maximintegrated.com

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R-Car Gen3e SoCs have up to 20 per cent higher CPU speed, says Renesas

Wed, Jul 21, 2021

Six SoCs have been added to the R-Car series by Renesas Electronics. The R-Car Gen3e series is a scalable series of devices for entry- to mid-range automotive applications that require high-quality graphics rendering. They can be used in integrated cockpit domain controllers, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), digital instrument cluster, driver monitoring systems, and LED matrix lighting.

They have increased CPU performance up to 50k DMIPS and 2GHz speeds. to help vehicle manufacturers navigate demands for continuous user experience, security, and safety improvements.

As applications such as augmented reality navigation and artificial intelligence (AI) -based digital automotive assistants grows, OEMs and Tier 1s need to balance the demand for larger, higher resolution displays and high performance chips with rising bill of material (BoM) costs and longer development times, explained Naoki Yoshida, vice president automotive digital products marketing at Renesas. The R-Car Gen3e devices provide a migration path and full compatibility with Renesas’ current R-Car Gen3 SoCs.

The six models that have been added to the R-Car Gen3e SoCs series are the R-Car D3e, R-Car E3e, R-Car M3Ne, R-Car M3e, R-Car H3Ne, and R-Car H3e.

All have increased CPU, with the R-Car M3Ne, R-Car M3e, and R-Car H3e operating up to 2GHz.

An on-chip real-time Arm Cortex R7 CPU eliminates the need for an external vehicle controller combined with a Renesas PMIC, which reduces BoM costs. Development times are also reduced with reference designs for fast boot, human machine interface (HMI) and functional safety.

Renesas offers board support packages updated with the latest versions of the Linux and Android operating systems.

Pre-integrated software enables higher application integration, for example for 2D/3D cluster HMI, welcome animation, rear-view camera, and surround view applications, explains Renesas.

VirtIO technology allows developers to easily add the reference solutions to existing applications without changing the existing Linux or Android application

The SoCs also supports ASIL-B system safety requirements for applications such as telltale monitoring and camera freeze detection, as well as for true hardware separation in non-hypervisor cockpits

The R-Car Consortium (RCC) partner ecosystem includes system integrators, middleware/application developers, and operating system and tools vendors, providing innovative solutions for the connected car, ADAS, and gateway markets that enable customers to reduce development time and accelerate time to market for new products.

The R-Car Gen3e SoCs are sampling now.

https://www.renesas.com

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CoreAVI brings cockpit graphics based on Intel 11th Gen Core processors

Wed, Jul 21, 2021

Graphics and computing software for safety critical cockpit displays, mission computing and autonomous vehicle systems are provide by CoreAVI, based on the 11th Gen Intel Core processor.

CoreAVI’s software and hardware building blocks are capable of achieving RTCA DO-178C and DO-254 DAL A, ISO 26262 ASIL D and IEC 61508 SIL 3 safety certifications, says the company. Intel will provide CoreAVI with access to detailed technical data, including Intel Airworthiness Evidence Package, and Functional Safety Essential Design Package for the processor.

CoreAVI’s support for Intel’s Core CPU includes its COTS-D hardware IP modules, VkCore SC Vulkan-based graphics and compute driver, VkCoreGL SC1/SC2 OpenGL SC, VkCoreVX SC OpenVX SC 1.3 and ComputeCore libraries. These provide a safety critical framework to support integrated GPU compute, vision systems and safe artificial intelligence (AI) deployments, continues CoreAVI. They have been purpose-built to enable customers to reduce the time to market as well as reducing associated costs and risk while increasing return on investment (ROI).

The 11th Gen Intel Core processor incorporates Intel Iris Xe Graphics. The integrated GPU delivers about three times the graphics performance of the previous generation Core processor for edge computing. According to CoreAVI, the Intel Core processor, with up to four CPU cores, four displays up to 8K, and extended temperature ratings, offers scalable power, enhanced security, and the high performance gains for the advanced parallel processing required in today’s safety critical avionics applications.

“We are excited to announce this partnership with Intel to bring to market a true safety critical compute and graphics platform based on Intel’s latest Core processor,” said Dan Joncas, chief sales and marketing officer at CoreAVI. “This partnership ensures that our customers are able to harness the full performance of Intel’s latest generation of graphics and compute processing capabilities coupled with rigorous safety certification that spans multiple markets and applications.”

“Avionics applications continue to demand the highest levels of performance and safety capabilities that are being met more frequently with multi-core processors,“ said Tony Franklin, general manager of federal and aerospace IoT markets at Intel. “With our 11th Gen Core processor, we provide compelling compute performance together with the Intel Airworthiness Evidence Package, which provides safety artefacts to enable and simplify the certification of safety critical avionics systems.”

CoreAVI specialises in architecting and delivering safety critical graphics and compute software drivers and libraries, embedded SoC and discrete graphics processor components, and certifiable platform hardware IP. CoreAVI’s comprehensive software suite enables development and deployment of complete safety critical solutions for automotive, industrial and aerospace applications requiring certification to the highest integrity levels coupled with full lifecycle support. Its portfolio supports both graphics and compute applications including safe autonomy, machine vision and AI in the automotive, unmanned vehicle and industrial IoT markets, as well as commercial and military avionics systems.

http://www.coreavi.com

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Three RF power transistors series target ISM satellite, avionics and radar

Tue, Jul 20, 2021

Three series expand STMicroelectronics’ STPower family of LDMOS transistors, addressing RF power amplifier applications in commercial and industrial projects.

The high efficiency, low thermal resistance devices combine a short conduction-channel length with a high breakdown voltage for cost-effective, low power consumption but high reliability operation, says ST.

The IDCH and IDDE series are 28V / 32V common-source N-channel enhancement-mode, lateral, field-effect RF power transistors.

The IDCH devices provide output power from 8.0 to 300W and are specifically designed for applications up to 4GHz, including 2.45GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM), wireless infrastructure, satellite communications, and avionics and radar equipment. The LDMOS devices are suitable for all types of modulation formats.

The IDDE series consists of 10 to 700W devices for broadband commercial, industrial, and scientific applications at frequencies up to 1.5GHz. The devices can withstand a load voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of 10:1, through all phases. The IDDE LDMOS transistors are suitable for all typical modulation formats, and for most classes of RF power amplifier operation including Class A, Class AB, and Class C. The high efficiency minimises the energy needed to deliver the required output power, resulting in lower operating costs and reduced heat dissipation to simplify thermal management and to enable more compact systems.

In the IDEV series, devices are based on a 50V common-source, N-channel-enhancement-mode, lateral field-effect, RF power transistor technology. The transistors have output power from 15 up to 2.2kW and are designed for ISM applications at frequencies up to 250MHz, including driving high power CO2 lasers, plasma generators, MRI systems, broadcast FM radio transmitters in the 88 to 108MHz range, and avionics and radar applications up to 1.5GHz. They are suitable for all typical modulation formats and for power amplifier operation in Class A, Class AB, and Class C.

The rugged IDEV series is capable of up to 2.2kW continuous wave (CW) output power, from HF (3.0 to 30MHz) frequencies up to 250MHz. The single ceramic package reduces the number of RF power transistors needed in high power applications, such as broadcast transmitters, says ST. Power efficiency greater than 82 per cent minimises system power demand and ensures high reliability with simple thermal management.

There STPower RF LDMOS devices are available in industry standard packages.

http://www.st.com

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