Automotive

Functionally safe positioning hardware-software model minimises time to market

Wed, Oct 11, 2023

Pre-certified to ISO-26262/ASIL-B, u-safe is end-to-end positioning hardware-software by u-blox and based on market-proven safe components which have been extensively tested in autonomous driving conditions, said u-blox. It can be seamlessly integrated into future-proof advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) architectures, which “significantly” minimising time to market, said the company.
The model for vehicle positioning is designed to accelerate the adoption of autonomous vehicles. It uses components that are proven in automotive driver navigation systems to offer Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs driver automated and assistance systems in, for example, ADAS Level 3 and above applications requiring high integrity and functional safety features. In addition, ADAS Level 2+ applications can also benefit from u-safe, said u-blox, to ensure that these systems are future proof and ready for a transition into higher levels of automation.
u-blox claimed to be the only supplier in the market today to offer a functional-safety-and-SOTIF compliant safe end-to-end positioning solution combining proprietary hardware with customised software and correction service. The company said u-safe is simplifying the automotive supply chain for customers working on ADAS up to SAE Level 5.
Integrated into ADAS and autonomous driving stacks, u-safe represents an additional layer of safety by offering functional safety (ISO-26262 standard), high integrity and trustworthy positioning for automated and autonomous driving markets.

u-blox said u-safe ensures ASIL-B GNSS localisation for sophisticated safe automotive systems. It incorporates u-blox’s ninth generation GNSS technology platform with A9 ASIL-B chipset and module, PointSafe which uses GMV’s high accuracy and safe correction service and on-board safe position engine, the u-blox Thingstream IoT platform, as well as customised integration support.
u-safe follows the recently announced partnership with GMV, which specialises in navigation for connected and autonomous vehicles. u-blox and GMV joined forces to pioneer functional safety with market-proven components to bring functional safe E2E positioning solutions to the automotive industry for mass-market applications.
u-blox operates in positioning and wireless communication in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. The company has a broad portfolio of chips, modules, and secure data services and connectivity. The company headquarters are in Thalwil, Switzerland, with offices in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
http://www.u-blox.com

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NXP opens up S32K3 automotive microcontrollers to AWS cloud services

Tue, Oct 10, 2023

NXP Semiconductor has integrated Amazon Web Services (AWS) into its S32K3 automotive microcontroller series for body, zone control, and electrification applications.

The S32K3, S32Z/E, S32G2 and S32G3 enable new in-vehicle and secure cloud services. Using FreeRTOS libraries supporting AWS IoT Core, NXP’s S32K3 with integrated cloud connectivity speeds up the development time for software-defined vehicles (SDVs) to securely connect to the cloud and deliver vehicle data-driven insights and services and over-the-air (OTA) updates, claimed NXP. The software libraries also enable seamless connectivity between the S32K3 and devices running AWS IoT Greengrass.

AWS IoT services have been integrated with NXP’s S32G vehicle network processor for service-oriented gateways since 2020. The NXP S32 devices’ software with AWS cloud solution supports a range of communication technologies and can be used with wireless connectivity technologies like 4G/5G cellular and Wi-Fi. Now NXP S32K3 devices can connect directly to AWS cloud services or a more powerful S32G device using AWS cloud services such as AWS IoT Core, AWS IoT Greengrass or AWS IoT FleetWise.

Extending AWS connectivity to S32K3 gives automotive OEMs the flexibility to build AWS cloud connectivity into their vehicles regardless of the vehicle architecture used and supports the vehicle architecture transition. This includes architectures in which the S32K3 acts primarily as an end node or zonal controller and supplements an S32G vehicle network processor, as well as configurations with multiple S32K devices without an S32G processor, with at least one S32K3 acting as a gateway to access AWS cloud services.

The combination of NXP’s S32 vehicle compute platform and AWS cloud connectivity is appropriate for different mobility types. For example, the direct connection of the S32K3 devices to the cloud is suitable for smaller vehicles such as electric bicycles and scooters, where the S32K3 acts as the aggregator or main controller.

The NXP S32K3 devices are scalable, low power Arm Cortex-M series-based microcontrollers that are AEC-Q100 qualified with advanced safety and security and software support for automotive and industrial ASIL B/D applications in body, zone control and electrification. There is a dedicated hardware security engine (HSE) and A/B swap capability and OTA firmware updates to the S32K3 are secure and protected, said NXP. The devices are supported by a minimum of 15 years of product longevity and a comprehensive, third-party software and tools ecosystem.

Access to and processing of real time, vehicle wide data with secure access to cloud services and machine learning can enable intelligent vehicles that continually improve with OTA updates. This can provide insights into vehicle performance and health, driver behaviour and traffic patterns for automotive manufacturers while consumers can extend the longevity of their vehicles and add features. NXP suggested one example could be that data collected and analysed can lead to new revenue streams with services such as usage-based insurance.

http://www.nxp.com

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Dual output Hall-effect sensors save space while detecting speed and direction

Thu, Sep 21, 2023

For high voltage, automotive and industrial applications, the AH39xxQ series of Hall-effect sensors provide speed and directional data, said Diodes.

The high-voltage, dual output, automotive-compliant sensors provide accurate speed and directional data or two independent outputs. They are designed for industrial and automotive applications such as detecting rotational and linear speed/direction and determining the angular position of a rotating shaft.

They operate over a wide supply voltage range of 2.7 to 27V to meet automotive battery requirements.  They also have a 40V absolute maximum rating, enabling them to safely handle 40V load dumps. 

There is also -18V of reverse voltage protection to guard against incorrect battery connections. 

For added robustness, the ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection exceeds the automotive norms of 5kV human body model (HBM) and 2kV charge device model (CDM).

Three BOP/BRP (operating/release) options are offered, with typical values of 10/-10, 25/-25 and 75/-75 Gauss and the narrow operating window ensures accurate and reliable switching points, confirmed Diodes. 

Dual-channel operation means these sensors can replace two latch switches, reducing both PCB space and overall component costs. Combining chopper-stabilised amplifiers with an advanced Hall plate design mitigates switch point drift, ensuring accurate measurements over a broad temperature range. 

The self-diagnostic features make the AH39xxQ sensors suitable for ISO 26262-compliant systems. There is also a safe operating mode which is entered if an error, such as over-temperature or under-voltage lockout, is detected.

The AH39xxQ series Hall-effect sensors from Diodes are AEC-Q100 Grade 0 qualified, manufactured in IATF 16949 certified facilities, and support PPAP (production part approval process) documentation. 

They are supplied in TSOT25 packages. 

Diodes supplies semiconductor products to the world’s leading companies in the automotive, industrial, computing, consumer electronics, and communications markets. Its product portfolio consists of discrete, analogue and mixed-signal products and packaging technology.

The company has worldwide operations of 32 sites, including engineering, testing, manufacturing.

http://www.diodes.com

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MAC-PHY devices connect automotive devices with 10BASE-T1S Ethernet

Fri, Sep 15, 2023

A family of LAN8650/1 MAC-PHY devices developed by Microchip Technology can be used to connect low-cost microcontrollers without a built-in Ethernet MAC (media access controller) to a 10BASE-T1S Ethernet network.
In automotive designs, 10BASE-T1S technology makes it possible for low speed devices to connect to a standard Ethernet network, eliminating the need for dedicated communication systems. Expanding its portfolio of automotive-qualified Ethernet solutions, the LAN8650 and LAN8651 MAC-PHYs are qualified for automotive applications. They include a MAC and SPI (serial peripheral interface) to connect devices at the edge of automotive networks.
The built-in MAC and SPI enable designers to connect 8-, 16-, and 32-bit microcontrollers that do not have a built-in Ethernet MAC to 10BASE-T1S SPE (single pair Ethernet) networks. As a result, sensors and actuators that interface between the digital and the real world to become part of an all-Ethernet architecture. Connecting to even the simplest microcontrollers can reduce the overall size and cost of a design, said Microchip.
Matthias Kaestner, corporate vice president of Microchip’s automotive business, commented: “This new technology will connect sensors and actuators in the physical world all the way to the cloud, enabling a seamless Ethernet architecture in vehicles, which in turn reduces development effort and time to market”.

These devices are equipped with time-sensitive networking (TSN) support, which allows for synchronised timing across Ethernet networks. This synchronisation is critical for many automotive applications such as advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS).
The automotive-qualified LAN8650/1 devices comply with AEC-Q100 Grade 1 for enhanced robustness in harsh environments, including extended operational temperature range from -40 to +125 degrees C.  They are also functional safety ready and designed for use in ISO 26262 applications.
The LAN8650/1 MAC-PHYs are supported with a set of network analysis tools, the LAN8651 SPI evaluation board and MPLAB Harmony 3. The MAC-PHYs are available to purchase now.

http://www.microchip.com

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