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Microchip offers ISO 26262-compliant, AUTOSAR-ready DSCs

Tue, Jun 07, 2022

Digital signal controllers (DSCs) from Microchip Technology support AUTOSAR, OS, MCAL drivers and functional safety for automotive designs.

The addition to Microchip’s dsPIC33C DSCs portfolio, is the ISO 26262-compliant dsPIC33CK1024MP7xx family. The latest DSCs cover the large memory segment with 1Mbyte flash to enable applications running automotive software like AUTOSAR, OS, MCAL drivers, ISO 26262 functional safety diagnostics and security libraries. The dsPIC33 DSCs also includes a central processing unit (CPU) with deterministic response and specialised peripherals for general automotive, advanced sensing and control, digital power and motor control applications.

The dsPIC33C DSCs enable accelerated development and a high level of system optimisation while reducing total system cost, claimed Microchip. They have been developed in response to OEMs experiencing increasing application complexity and the need for AUTOSAR, ISO 26262 functional safety-compliant and secure solutions for electric and autonomous vehicles.

“The AUTOSAR-ready dsPIC33C DSCs enable designers to achieve a high level of system optimisation by implementing AUTOSAR-based applications, functional safety goals and security use cases in a single microcontroller while meeting robust automotive application requirements,” said Joe Thomsen, vice president of the MCU16 business unit at Microchip Technology.

By adopting AUTOSAR-ready devices, designers can improve risk and complexity management while decreasing development time through reusability. Customers who have previously designed bare metal or non-AUTOSAR automotive applications and are now adopting AUTOSAR can scale up by staying within the dsPIC33C DSC ecosystem, pointed out the company. The AUTOSAR ecosystem for the dsPIC33C DSCs includes MICROSAR Classic from Vector, KSAR OS from KPIT Technologies and ASPICE- and ASIL B-compliant MCAL drivers from Microchip.

Microchip has expanded its functional safety packages that include FMEDA reports, safety manuals and diagnostic libraries to cover the ISO 26262-compliant dsPIC33CK1024MP7xx DSCs. These AUTOSAR-ready dsPIC33C DSCs, used together with Microchip’s TA100 CryptoAutomotive security ICs, enable the implementation of robust security in automotive designs.

Software and tools from Microchip Technology include certified MPLAB XC16 compiler functional safety licenses, MPLAB X IDE (integrated development environment), MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC), programming and debugging tools for dsPIC33C DSCs, ISO 26262- and ASPICE-compliant MCAL drivers for dsPIC33C DSCs, ISO 26262 functional safety packages for dsPIC33C DSCs and software libraries and reference code for security use cases. Third-party software includes MICROSAR Classic from Vector and KSAR OS from KPIT Technologies. Third-party hardware tools include TRACE32 debugger from Lauterbach.

http://www.microchip.com

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Low voltage 3A buck converter provides wide input range for vehicle interiors

Tue, May 17, 2022

Automotive-compliant synchronous buck converters announced by Diodes are intended for high power density automotive designs, for example in vehicle telematics, ADAS, power and infotainment systems and instrumentation clusters.

The AP61300Q and AP61302Q synchronous buck converters are 3A-rated and have a wide input voltage range of 2.4 to 5.5V.

Incorporated into each buck converter is a 70mOhm, high side power MOSFET and a 50mOhm low side power MOSFET. Together, said Diodes, they deliver high efficiency step down DC/DC conversion. They also support fast switching speeds allowing smaller accompanying passives to be specified, reducing the overall bill of materials (BoM) and saving space, confirmed the company.

Depending on the load conditions, the AP61300Q and AP61302Q can be configured to pulse frequency modulation (PFM) or pulse width modulation (PWM) operating modes (using the enable pin). The quiescent current (IQ) of 19 microA, when in PFM mode, allows them to maintain elevated efficiencies even in light load situations. The low drop out (LDO) mode permits output voltage regulation to be maintained when the input voltage comes close to the V out voltage.

The constant on-time (COT) control functionality of both the AP61300Q and AP61302Q feature, rapid transient response, easy loop stabilisation and low output voltage ripple with only minimal external components required. Diodes explained that less PCB area is needed which contributes to a reduction in overall production costs.

The AP61300Q and AP61302Q are supplied in SOT563 packages. Both are AEC-Q100 Grade 1 qualified, PPAP-capable and manufactured in IATF 16949-certified facilities.

Diodes supplies semiconductor products to customers in the consumer electronics, computing, communications, industrial and automotive markets. Its portfolio includes discrete, analogue and mixed-signal products together with packaging technology to meet customers’ needs. The company has a broad range of application-specific products, sales teams and operations in 31 sites around the world, including engineering, testing, manufacturing, and customer services.

http://www.diodes.com

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Solid state digital beam steering technology is automotive-grade

Thu, May 12, 2022

Digital beam steering for lidar smart sensors has been announced by LeddarTech. LeddarSteer is designed for smart sensor developers and Tier 1 / Tier-2 automotive suppliers.

Digital beam steering refers to changing the direction of laser pulses in a lidar system. A stack of alternating liquid crystal cells and polarisation gratings enables light to be steered at different angles and at a specific wavelength in order to augment a lidar field of view.

LeddarSteer digital beam steering offers benefits such as software-controlled, on the fly adjustment, noted LeddarTech. It also allows for frame by frame adjustment, a pre-set or customised configuration, voltage controlled steering and is claimed to be easy to set up and interface with systems. It is also compatible with a range of lidar architectures and enables one lidar to address multiple use cases.

It is also field of view adjustable to accommodate a range of driver actions, such as turns, lane changes and slopes. Therefore, the same lidar can be used for motorway/highway and city driving.

Another benefit, said LeddarTech is that the resulting reduction in the number of sensors, contributes to bill of materials savings. In addition, said the company, the automotive-grade solid state technology results in a significantly higher MTBF (mean time between failures).

LeddarSteer can be seamlessly integrated into an existing lidar to expand the field of view or it can be integrated into a new lidar development. It provides an enhanced signal to noise ratio by concentrating laser power on a small region of interest while reducing the size, cost and complexity of lidar components whilst maintaining or increasing the pixel count and resolution.

According to LeddarTech CEO, Charles Boulanger: “LeddarSteer is the only digital beam steering smart component designed for mass production with the flexibility, reliability, cost, size and performance required by the most demanding 3D sensing applications and supported by standard automotive manufacturing process”.

Founded in 2007, LeddarTech is an environmental sensing company that enables customers to solve critical sensing, fusion and perception challenges across the entire value chain. Its portfolio includes LeddarVision, a raw data sensor fusion and perception platform that generates a comprehensive 3D environmental model from a variety of sensor types and configurations. LeddarTech also supports lidar manufacturers and Tier-1 / Tier- 2 automotive suppliers with LeddarSteer digital beam steering and the LeddarEngine, which is built on the company’s Leddar technology employing patented signal acquisition and processing techniques to generate a richer and cleaner return signal at a lower cost.

The LeddarEngine comprises a highly integrated, scalable lidar SoC and software combination.

The company is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge automotive and mobility remote-sensing applications, with over 120 patents granted or applied for, enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

http://www.leddartech.com

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Global shutter image sensor simplifies driver monitoring system design

Mon, May 09, 2022

Using 3D chip technology, STMicroelectronics has developed the VB56G4A, global-shutter sensor for vehicle driver monitoring safety systems.

It is the company’s second generation automotive global-shutter image sensor. Driver monitoring systems (DMS) continually watch the driver’s head movements to recognise signs of drowsiness and distraction for vehicle systems to generate safety warnings.

Global-shutter sensor offers big advantages over rolling-shutter imagers. By simultaneously exposing all pixels to the image, a global-shutter sensor allows simple synchronisation with near infra red (NIR) illumination, improving the illumination-subsystem power budget.

The VB56G4A sensor achieves high quantum efficiency (QE), reaching 24 per cent at 940nm NIR wavelength, with linear dynamic range up to 60dB. This enables a simple low-power, non-visible LED emitter to provide adequate illumination for the sensor. Operating outside the visible spectrum also ensures consistent response in day or night driving and in bright or overcast conditions, said ST

The sensor’s high QE, combined with a pixel size of just 2.6 micron, helps optimise total power consumption and camera size. In addition, integrated automatic exposure control eases use and simplifies the application software design by minimising system interaction with the sensor.

The sensor also provides flexible operating modes that help optimise system features and performance. These include programmable sequences of four-frame contexts, illumination control outputs synchronised with sensor integration periods, an input for an external frame-start signal, automatic dark calibration, dynamic defective-pixel correction, image cropping, and a mirror / flip-image readout.

External connections include eight programmable general-purpose I/O (GPIO) pins and a dual-lane MIPI CSI-2 transmitter interface operating up to 1.5 Gbits per lane. The sensor can operate at up to 88 frames per second (fps) at full resolution and typical power consumption is 145mW at 60 fps.

It is estimated that around 95 per cent of driving accidents result from human error leading to the introduction of legislation in Europe that DMS will be mandatory in all new car models from 2024 and for existing models in 2026. In Europe, there were nearly 19,000 accident fatalities in 20201 and twice as many in the US, leading the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to recommend DMS for all semi-autonomous vehicles.

“Drivers may not realize that they are unsafe to drive due to tiredness or distraction. DMS removes uncertainty by detecting the problem automatically, which protects all occupants as well as others traveling on the road,” said Eric Aussedat, executive vice president, imaging sub-group general manager, STMicroelectronics. The VB56G4A is sensitive and compact to simplify DMS hardware and reduce overall system cost, he added.

The VB56G4A global shutter sensor uses ST’s 3D-stacked back-side illuminated (BSI-3D) image sensors. These are more sensitive, smaller, and more reliable than conventional front-side illuminated (FSI) sensors typically used in DMS, said the company.

ST is supplying samples of the sensor to lead customers now and mass production is scheduled for the beginning of 2023 for adoption in model year 2024 vehicles.

http://www.st.com

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Microchip offers ISO 26262-compliant, AUTOSAR-ready DSCs

Low voltage 3A buck converter provides wide input range for vehicle interiors

Solid state digital beam steering technology is automotive-grade

Global shutter image sensor simplifies driver monitoring system design

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