Radar test system simulates driving scenarios for ADS and autonomous cars

At next week’s European Microwave Week (EuMW 2023), Rohde & Schwarz will introduce a radar test system which simulates driving scenarios for testing radar-based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and radar sensors used in automated driving cars over the air.

New options for the company’s R&S AREG800A automotive radar echo generator and the R&S QAT100 antenna array generate “extremely short distances” for the artificial objects, and therefore enables realistic autonomous braking tests with the smallest distance possible, claimed Rohde & Schwarz. 

The radar test system can be used for radar object simulation, from single sensor tests to 360 degree environments, covering 76 to 81GHz for automotive radar sensors. Its scalability and adaptability allow a range of ADAS traffic scenarios to be electronically generated along the whole testing lifecycle.

It also enables tests currently performed in real-world test drives to be relocated to the lab, enabling errors to be detected at an early stage and delivering significant cost savings.

The R&S AREG800A automotive radar echo generator operates as a backend and the R&S QAT100 antenna array acts as a frontend in the systems which can be used in benchtop development, hardware-in-the-loop and vehicle-in-the-loop. For production, the R&S AREG800A automotive radar echo generator operates as a backend and the R&S AREG8-24/81S/D antenna is a frontend. 

The AREG800A is claimed to provide a higher instantaneous bandwidth to improve the distance resolution. With the mmW remote frontends R&S AREG8-81S/D, the instantaneous bandwidth will be extended from 4.0 to 5GHz, offering a future proof solution so that the users can measure their automotive radars using a higher bandwidth.

A new feature for near object range allows minimum distance of one or more artificial objects to be reduced down to the airgap value of the radar under test.

For the R&S QAT100 a new option is R&S QAT-B1 Enhanced Flatness. It contains a detailed characterisation of each antenna of the QAT frontends. With this option, the accuracy of the amplitude flatness of all antennas is improved when operated with R&S AREG800A.

http://www.rohde-schwarz.com

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Second generation DC/DC converter targets e-mobility

The second generation of 4kW liquid cooled DC/DC converters from Bel Power Solutions, the 700DNG40-24-8, creates DC voltages in hybrid and electric vehicles suitable to power low voltage accessories and replacing a traditional alternator.

The converter is smaller than its predecessor, the 700DNC40-24-8G, and operates at a wider input voltage range from 450 to 900V DC to deliver up to 4000W of output power. The compact design weighs just 4.5kg, making it suitable for confined spaces in a variety of deployments in construction, mining, bus and trucking, along with marine and ground support equipment.

The 700DNG40-24-8 has high efficiency of up to 95 per cent and is reliable with low output voltage noise and excellent dynamic response to load/input changes, said Bel Fuse. The 700DNG40-24-8 converter can be operated in parallel with up to eight units, and includes optional UDS functionality, CAN FD and cybersecurity. 

The 700DNG40-24-8 DC/DC converter is available immediately. It will be exhibited at the Battery Show North America in Novi, Michigan (12 to 14 September) on the company’s booth #936.

It is available through distributors, Digikey and Mouser.

Bel designs, manufactures and markets a broad array of products that includes circuit protection, connectors, cable assemblies, discrete components, magnetics and power supplies. The company operates facilities around the world.

http://www.belfuse.com

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Sibros partners with iWave for in-vehicle embedded intelligence

Over the air (OTA) software and management tools by Sibros will be built into iWave Systems’ rugged telematics device to enable embedded intelligence in-vehicle applications for automotive, industrial, off-road and heavy-duty vehicles.

The partnership will accelerate development of connected services and offerings for mobility from development and manufacturing to field operations and end-of-life.

“This is a step forward in improving the safety, functionality, and success of software-defined vehicles in the US,” said Hemant Sikaria, CEO and co-founder at Sibros. “Sibros and iWave have a shared vision for driving the shift toward connecting and managing software and data for every vehicle across its lifecycle. We are looking forward to working with iWave to innovate new services for OEMs to push the bounds of possibility for the industry.”

OEMs working with Sibros-enabled iWave products will be able to log vehicle data from any electronics control unit (ECU) for insights into product performance. They will also be able to deploy safety-certified OTA software and firmware updates to any domain controller and dispatch safe and secure remote diagnostic commands to any vehicle or fleet.

“Telematics and OTA solutions hold unparalleled importance in software-defined vehicles,” said Abdullah Khan, director of engineering at iWave Systems. Software-defined vehicles are built with more intelligence on the edge with the need for robust data collection and firmware update mechanisms,” he continued, adding that the partnership will “empower OEMs in this fast-changing digital automotive environment”.

iWave enables the future of connected mobility with an extensive portfolio of telematics control units, telematics gateways, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) solutions, and protocol stacks. The embedded computing and edge solutions allow automakers to harness vehicle data and build fleet intelligence.

Sibros and iWave’s combined solution will meet international standards for safety, security, and data privacy including ISO 26262 (ASIL-D rated), ISO 21434, WP.29 R155 and R156, and GDPR.

Sibros powers the connected vehicle ecosystem with its Deep Connected Platform for full life cycle data, software, and diagnostics management in one vertically integrated system. Deep Connected Platform supports any vehicle architecture – from internal combustion engine, hybrid, electric vehicle to fuel cell – while also meeting rigorous safety, security, and compliance standards. By combining powerful automotive software and data management tools in a vehicle-to-cloud platform, Sibros empowers OEMs to quickly bring up dozens of new connected vehicles use cases to improve product quality, safety, and performance from the factory to the field. 

iWave is an embedded system engineering company, specialising in the design and manufacturing of telematics control units, telematics gateways and connected automotive solutions. The company has a strategic focus on the automotive vertical market and thereby empowers automotive OEMs with edge computing platforms, telematics solutions and ODM design services. 

iWave says it is driven by the mission to be the trusted embedded tech partner to companies across the globe. 

http://www.iwavesystems.com

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Drive stack expands Lattice Semiconductor’s software portfolio 

A software stack to accelerate automotive application development is available from Lattice Semiconductor. According to the company, it enables infotainment connectivity and processing, flexible ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), sensor bridging and processing and low power zonal bridging applications for driver, cabin, and vehicle monitoring.

“The automotive industry is rapidly evolving and cars are getting smarter than ever with new technological advancements, notably with zonal architectures requiring varied sensors and displays across vehicle models. Now more than ever, manufacturers need solutions that enable them to innovate while maintaining flexibility for future updates,” said Bob O’Donnell, president and chief analyst, TECHnalysis Research. 

“Combining comprehensive software solutions from the start in [an] application design process is critical for time-to-market acceleration,” said Esam Elashmawi, chief strategy and marketing officer at Lattice Semiconductor. This is the company’s sixth software application-specific solution stack to deliver advanced automotive application features based on its low power FPGAs.

The initial release of Lattice Drive offers advanced display connectivity and processing and enables multi-resolution scaling and supports display sizes up to 4K and supports DisplayPort up to HBR 3 at 8.1Gbits per second per lane. It also provides image/video enhancement with a scalable full array local dimming and multiple display connectivity. The stack allows for bridging multiple displays, providing up to 1.5X faster DisplayPort interface than competitive devices in similar class. 

It also offers efficient data processing and enables the ability to process or co-process data to offload the CPU with up to 75 per cent lower power than competitive devices in a similar class

The Lattice Drive solution stack provides comprehensive application-specific solutions that combine reference platforms and designs, demos, IP building blocks, and FPGA design tools to accelerate customer application development and time-to-market. 

This is the latest stack in the Lattice solution stacks portfolio which includes Lattice sensAI (for AI applications), Lattice mVision (for embedded vision) Lattice Automate (for factory automation) and Lattice Sentry with platform firmware resiliency root of trust and Lattice ORAN for 5G ORAN deployment.

Lattice Semiconductor specialises is low power programmable devices. It works with customers working in networks, from the edge to the cloud, as well as in communications, computing, industrial, automotive and consumer markets. 

http://www.latticesemi.com

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