IAR Systems supports Si-Five RISC-V for automotive

Support for SiFive’s automotive products by IAR Systems continues with the IAR Embedded Workbench for RISC-V for the SiFive Automotive E6-A and S7-A series. These processors address automotive applications such as infotainment, connectivity and ADAS. 

The development toolchain helps embedded software developers make full use of the energy efficiency, simplicity, security and flexibility that RISC-V offers, said IAR Systems.

RISC-V uses a single instruction set architecture (ISA) across all product offerings which increases code portability and can contribute to reduced cost and time-to-market for automotive applications. The SiFive automotive processor families feature options that enable both area and performance optimisation for different integrity levels such as ASIL B, ASIL D or mixed criticalities with split-lock, in line with ISO26262. 

SiFive’s E6-A series is aimed at a variety of real-time, 32-bit applications, from system control to hardware security modules (HSMs) and safety islands, and of course standalone in microcontrollers. The S7-A series is a 64-bit, high-performance real-time core for SoCs with performant safety islands, requiring both low latency interrupt support and the same 64-bit memory space visibility as the main application CPUs.

IAR Embedded Workbench for RISC-V is a complete development toolchain including the IAR C/C++ Compiler and comprehensive debugger. Customers can generate compact-sized code for automotive applications because the tools come with a comprehensive safety offering. The functional safety edition of IAR Embedded Workbench for RISC-V is certified by TÜV SÜD according to the requirements of functional safety standards including ISO 26262 and IEC 61508. To ensure code quality for automotive applications, the seamlessly integrated C-STAT tool for static code analysis proves code alignment with industry standards like MISRA C:2012, MISRA C++:2008 and MISRA C:2004.

“IAR Systems is a proactive member of the RISC-V community. Our close relationship with SiFive enables us to provide support for their latest CPU IP”, said Anders Holmberg, CTO of IAR Systems. 

Customers using IAR Embedded Workbench for RISC-V benefit from IAR Systems’ guaranteed support for the sold version for the duration of the support contract, validated service packs, and regular reports of known deviations and problems. 

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Taiwan Semiconductor offers alternative source for automotive-grade LDO regulators

Integrated AEC-Q100 qualified low dropout regulators (LDOs) require minimal external parts count and are offered in four configurations in heat-spreading SOP-8EP and TSSOP-14EP packages by Taiwan Semiconductor.

The TQL8xx family offers manufacturers a reliable alternative source for the critical linear regulators used in battery-driven automotive functions, including dashboard, cluster, climate control, fuel pump and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The regulators are suited for secondary supply applications where a regulated output is essential during very low-cranking voltage conditions. 

They are designed for stability in automotive battery-connect applications. They maintain two per cent accuracy over a wide range of input voltages and a full operating temperature range of -40 to +125 degrees C. They are offered in models with fixed outputs of 3.3V or 5.V and feature typical dropout voltages of 70 to 80mV at IO=100mA.  

The TQL8xx family’s four package configurations are the SOP-8EP package with ignition enable pin (only), the SOP-8EP-package with enable, reset and watchdog output; and reset threshold adjustment, the TSSOP-14EP package with enable, reset and watchdog output and reset threshold adjustment, finally there is the TSSOP-14EP package with enable, watchdog monitor input; watchdog output, reset threshold adjustment and program timing adjustment.

The AEC-qualifies devices are manufactured in-house and provide a viable alternate source for high-demand devices, commented Sam Wang, Taiwan Semiconductor’s vice president, products. 

Available design resources include comprehensive datasheets and spice models for each component in the series.

Taiwan Semiconductor’s expanded product portfolio includes trench Schottky’s, MOSFETs, power transistors, LED driver ICs, analogue ICs and ESD protection devices. Production facilities are located in China and Taiwan. They are fully compliant with current automotive and environmental standards such as IATF16949, ISO9001 and ISO14001.

Taiwan Semiconductor products are used in an array of applications in the electronics industry including automotive, computer, consumer, industrial, telecomms and photovoltaic. 

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NXP releases RFCMOS radar transceivers for ADAS and AD

Second generation radar transceivers from NXP are now available for ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and AD (autonomous driving). The TEF82xx series of 77GHz RFCMOS radar transceivers is optimised for fast chirp modulation, and supports short-, medium- and long-range radar applications, including cascaded high-resolution imaging radar. 

It enables 360 degree sensing for critical safety applications, including automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert and automated parking.

Radar is used for sensing in passenger vehicles’ ADAS but also in MaaS (mobility as a service) applications, says NXP. Fully autonomous driving will demand higher RF performance for distances beyond 300m, as well as at finer resolutions down to sub-degree level to accurately detect, separate and classify smaller objects. Used with NXP’s scalable family of S32R radar processors, NXP said the TEF82xx RFCMOS radar transceivers are able to deliver the fine angular resolution, processing power, and ranges, required for production-ready imaging radar solutions.

The RFCMOS transceivers have three transmitters, four receivers, ADC conversion, phase rotator and low phase noise VCOs (voltage controlled oscillators). It also includes built-in safety monitors and external interface capability for MIPI-CSI2 and LVDS and complies with ISO26262 and ASIL Level B standards.

NXP has doubled RF performance compared with the first generation devices, with improvements such as a +6dB phase noise improvement, output power of 14dBm at phase noise of -95dBc/Hz and a receiver noise figure of 11.5dB. TEF82xx transceivers use a compact eWLB package with exposed die, which optimises heat transfer to meet demanding thermal conditions, even at elevated ambient temperatures. A particularly short chirp return time of just four microseconds reduces power on time to reduce sensor power consumption. It also allows chirps to be spaced more closely in time which increases speed estimation capabilities.

Developers can easily build and optimise applications using the radar algorithm library offered by the automotive-grade radar software development kit (RSDK) without having to spend time manually fine-tuning accelerator software. There is also a large ecosystem of compilers, development environments, MCALs, and both free and commercial RTOS support.

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SiC based modules increase range, with faster charging for EVs

Automotive silicon-carbide (SiC) -based power modules, the AMP32 series, have been developed by onsemi for on-board chargers. The modules, claimed the company, enable faster charging and increased range for all types of electrical vehicles.

The three APM32 SiC-based power modules feature transfer moulded technology and are intended for use in on-board charging and high voltage (HV) DC/DC conversion in all types of electric vehicles (xEV). The modules are specifically designed for high-power 11 to 22kW on-board chargers.

Each module exhibits low conduction and switching losses, said onsemi, “best in class thermal resistance” and high voltage isolation to deal with 800V bus voltage. The enhanced efficiency and lower heat generation allow one OBC to charge the EV faster and increase its operating range, claimed the company.

The modules allow designers to meet charging efficiency and space goals, said onsemi. “By adopting the pre-configured modular format, designers are able to configure their designs faster, with significantly lower time to market and design risk,” said Fabio Necco, vice president and general manager, automotive power solutions at onsemi.

Each APM32 module is serialised for full traceability. The modules can operate with junction temperatures (Tj) up to 175°C, for reliable operation even in challenging, space-constrained automotive applications.

Two modules, the NVXK2TR40WXT and NVXK2TR80WDT, are configured in H-bridge topology with a breakdown (V(BR)DSS) capability of 1200V, ensuring suitability for high voltage battery stacks. They are designed to be used in the OBC and HV DC/DC conversion stages. The third module, the NVXK2KR80WDT, is configured in Vienna rectifier topology and used in the power factor correction (PFC) stage of the OBC. 

All three modules are housed in a compact dual inline package (DIP), which is claimed to ensure low module resistance. The top cool and isolated features meet stringent automotive industry standards, the creepage and clearance distances meet IEC 60664-1 and IEC 60950-1. Additionally, the modules are qualified to AEC-Q101 and AQG 324.

The company also announced that it will introduce a six-pack and full-bridge modules. 

http://www.onsemi.com

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