HighTec supports ST’s Stellar SR6x automotive MCU family  

Authorised ST partner, HighTec has announced that its Eclipse-based multi-architecture and multi-core compiler suite now supports ST Microelectronics’ latest Stellar 32-bit microcontroller series, the SR6x, for automotive software development.

HighTec’s compiler suite already supports the SPC5x 32-bit microcontroller family from STMicroelectronics.

The HighTec C/C++ compiler and its standard libraries are qualified according to ISO 26262 ASIL D. The associated qualification packages accelerate the development of safe automotive applications and could lead to the era of the software-defined vehicle. In its support for the Stellar SR6x family, HighTec will also offer its certified micro kernel real time operating system (RTOS) PXROS-HR, for data protection, functional safety for automotive applications, said the company.

ST’s Stellar SR6x family of 32-bit microcontrollers includes multiple series to address a range of automotive applications, such as zone and domain controllers that simplify in-vehicle wiring to support the transition to software-defined platforms. There is also support for central gateways, body integration controllers, drivetrain and motion control processors, and electric vehicle battery management. Stellar SR6x MCUs are based on up to six Arm Cortex-R52 cores with lockstep and split/lock capability. This ensures performance, real time processing and freedom from interference while running multiple applications in parallel, said HighTec.

The 32-bit automotive MCUs embed an EVITA-compliant, ISO 21434-compliant hardware security module (HSM) for cybersecurity protection. They also meet the requirements of security levels up to ASIL D, according to ISO 26262. A hypervisor enables the management of multiple virtual machines without interference, said Hightec. For over the air software updates, the memory architecture enables the duplication of the NVM (non-volatile memory) to eliminate downtime and the need to allocate extra memory.

The HighTec C/C++ compiler is based on the open-source technology LLVM.

In addition to the compiler and the real-time operating system, automotive developers can obtain other ST automotive software components from HighTec. These include MCAL, components for safety development such as CST (CoreSelfTest), IST (InstructionSelfTest), and an MCAL qualification package for ISO 26262-compliant software development, as well as other security components such as HSMs.

HighTec’s support team provides development and consulting services regarding performance optimisation, functional safety, porting from single core to multi-core systems and in AutoSAR environments.

http://www.hightec-rt.com

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Renesas unveils family of automotive radar transceivers with high accuracy and low power consumption

Renesas Electronics Corporation is entering the automotive radar market with the introduction of a 4×4-channel, 76-81GHz transceiver designed to meet the requirements of ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and Level 3 and higher autonomous driving applications. 

Renesas will incorporate the new RAA270205 high-definition radar transceiver into its growing sensor fusion portfolio, which combines radar, vision systems, and other sensing modalities.

Designed in co-operation with Steradian Semiconductors Private Limited, which Renesas acquired earlier this year, the new transceiver MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) is especially suited for imaging radar, long-range forward-looking radar and 4D radar, but can also be used for corner and central-processing radar architectures, the so-called ‘satellite’ automotive radar systems, said the company. Equipped with 4Tx and 4Rx channels, the RAA270205 supports up to 16 MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) channels. It can be cascaded to enable higher channel count and better radar resolution.

The RAA270205 features up to 5GHz of bandwidth and a 112.5MSPS ADC (analog-to-digital converter) sampling rate that it claims is nearly three times faster than those of competing devices. Power consumption of 1.2W is 50 per cent lower than that of comparable transceivers and it delivers a noise figure of 9dB, which is 3dB less than other radar transceivers, it says. Its chirp rate of up to 300MHz/microAs improves radar resolution and object detection.

“Today’s radar transceiver MMICs must achieve higher definition to support the high-accuracy requirements of ADAS and autonomous driving safety platforms,” said Vivek Bhan, senior vice-president and deputy general manager of Renesas’ automotive solution business unit“Working in close collaboration with Steradian, which brings deep radar design expertise, we are expanding our sensor fusion offerings with a focus on functional safety and low power consumption to help our customers lower their development costs and improve time to market.”

Renesas plans to combine the RAA270205 transceiver with other compatible devices from its portfolio to support automotive radar systems. These combinations will include the satellite radar system for AD/ADAS, which will be available in Q2/2023. 

 The RAA270205 will be available in 1Q/2023 in sample quantities, with commercial production planned for 2024. The transceiver is available in a small, easy-to-integrate eWLB (embedded wafer-level ball-grid array) package, measuring 7.6×5.6mm. It will be fully compliant with automotive industry requirements such as IATF 16949, AEC-Q100 Grade2 and ASIL B. 

Visit Renesas at electronica 2022, Hall B4, 179

https://renesas.com

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ASIL B PMIC powers automotive camera applications

Providing universal power for automotive cameras, the RAA271082 is a versatile ISO-26262 compliant multi-rail power IC with a primary high voltage synchronous buck regulator, two secondary low voltage synchronous buck regulators, and a low voltage LDO regulator. The IC from Renesas offers four over-voltage and under-voltage (OV/UV) monitors, I2C communications, a configurable general purpose I/O pin and a dedicated reset output/fault indicator. To meet ASIL B metrics, the RAA271082 includes a second independent reference for OV/UV monitors, built-in self-test at power-up, independent OV/UV monitoring, and continuous CRC error checking on internal registers and I2C communications. 

The integrated RAA271082 is a companion for Renesas’ automotive high-definition link (AHL) technology that enables car manufacturers to deliver high-definition video using inexpensive cables and connectors. The PMIC simplifies power supply design for automotive camera applications requiring functional safety compliance, modules that include surround view/satellite, rear view, driver monitor and e-mirrors. The RAA271082 supports the power requirements of almost any combination of image sensor, image signal processor (ISP) and encoder technology, while also supporting direct-from-battery as well as power-over coax supply.    

The RAA271082’s integration and comprehensive safety features make it suitable for 16- and 32-bit automotive MCUs in a variety of applications, advised Renesas.

The RAA271082 is available today, along with the RTKA271082DE0000BU evaluation board. 

Renesas Electronics combines expertise in embedded processing, analogue, power, and connectivity to deliver semiconductor solutions in the automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT market sectors.

http://www.renesas.com

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ADXpress redefines vehicle connectivity, says Inova Semiconductors

Architecture to enable data transmission in vehicles to a completely new dimension has been presented by Inova Semiconductors. The ADXpress, Automotive Data Express, transmits all raw sensor data via sensor-specific, virtual data paths with deterministic latency to one or more evaluation units. The sensors can be connected to an ADXpress node via PCI Express, Ethernet or SPI, whereby the data transfers are currently carried out electrically with 30Gbits per second or with optical media, with 4 x 24Gbits per second. The data rate is essentially only limited by the physical layer medium and the capability of the technology node.

ADXpress replaces the familiar point-to-point or point-to-repeater concepts with more integrable and flexible topologies, said Inova Semiconductors. This also opens up new possibilities in all aspects of sensor data fusion for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD). The number of displays that can be controlled and maximum resolutions will continue to increase significantly,” said Roland Neumann, CTO of Inova Semiconductor.

The ADXpress technology bundles different data paths on a serial 30Gbits per second data link (already used in APIX, the Automotive Pixel Link from Inova Semiconductors). ADXpress is a universal mass data transport system that electrically transmits any type of data – whether pixel, Ethernet or sensor data from camera, lidar and radar. This opens up new possibilities for network architecture and topologies including new approaches to the implementation of video interfaces, for example via PCI Express.

ADXpress technology is based on virtual data paths, which are realised by transmitting data cells of constant size. All cells take the same path through the network. Unlike IP (Internet Protocol), where a packet can reach its destination via a different path than previous and subsequent packets, ADXpress latency and jitter are constant on a virtual path. Virtual data paths based on data cells have the great advantage that multiplexing, repeating and duplicating can take place on the layer processing the data cells independently of the service. Particularly with multiplexing, it is possible to control or steer the bandwidth allocation and the latency of the individual data paths. The 128 virtual data paths of ADXpress only consume bandwidth when user data is being transmitted

Generic application adaptation units for burst and stream data implemented in hardware enable software-free packaging and de-packaging of continuous (radar, lidar, video) or burst-oriented data (PCI Express, Ethernet, SPI) into a uniform cell format with ADXpress. This allows burst and stream data to be combined with particularly low latency, explained Inova Semiconductors. This, in turn, enables simultaneous bundling of a large number of interfaces across multiple functional units due to the bi-directional structure of ADXpress – in any direction and with any input and output points. These features enable universal network topologies that can be adapted to any conceivable interface.

Inova Semiconductors will present the ADXpress concept at electronica 2022 in Munich (15 to 18 November) at the Inova Semiconductors stand in Hall B4-301.

https://inova-semiconductors.de/main.html

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