Aurelion validates autonomous vehicle sensors in virtual test drives

High resolution visualisation in the Aurelion sensor simulation suite allows functions for autonomous driving to be tested and validated. Developed by dSpace, it can be operated either in the cloud or locally. It generates photo-realistic images in real time for camera simulation. It uses ray tracing to create an exact environment for radar and lidar simulation. Developers can use Aurelion to validate algorithms for autonomous driving by means of simulation during virtual test drives, long before a prototype hits the road, advised dSpace.

The simulation can be used throughout all phases of the development process, for example, software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, or simultaneous validation in the cloud. Aurelion supports the development of functionalities and training data based on AI, including neural network training and testing. 

A powerful 3-D rendering engine, high-precision dSpace simulation models and realistic 3-D assets, such as pedestrians or vehicles, enable accurate simulation of sensors, environments, weather conditions, light conditions (day, night), and materials, said dSpace. Developers can simulate a wide range of scenarios and test corner cases that very rarely occur in real test drives.

Aurelion draws on an extensive library of sensor models that is always updated, said the company, allowing new sensors to be replicated in simulation solutions long before they are launched on the market. dSpace has entered into co-operation agreements with leading sensor manufacturers and is continuously expanding its collaboration with developers of camera, lidar, and radar technologies. There is also the option of integrating third-party sensor models.

Aurelion bundles functionalities from dSpace MotionDesk and SensorSim into one single product, and also provides extended functionalities and more precision in the field of sensor simulation. In combination with other dSpace tools, such as the ASM simulation models, the VEOS simulation platform, and ModelDesk for parameterisation, dSpace said it provides an end-to-end solution for testing and validating the autonomous vehicle stack. 

dSpace provides simulation and validation solutions worldwide for developing connected, autonomous, and electrically powered vehicles. The company’s range is used by automotive manufacturers and their suppliers to test the software and hardware components in new vehicles before a new model is allowed on the road. As well as vehicle development, the company works with engineers in aerospace and industrial automation. 

The company is headquartered in Paderborn, Germany and serves customers through regional dSpace companies in the USA, the UK, France, Japan, China, Croatia, and South Korea.

http://www.dspace.de

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Tasking SmartCode environment supports Aurix microcontrollers

Developers focusing on the Aurix TC4x microcontroller family by Infineon can use Tasking’s SmartCode software development environment. 

The microcontroller family provides an upward migration path for the Aurix TC3x family. It features the next-generation TriCore 1.8 and scalable accelerators, including the parallel processing unit (PPU) as well as a single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) digital signal processor (DSP) to meet the requirements of various AI topologies, says Infineon.

The Aurix TC4x family supports developers in a range of automotive applications, including the future functional integration of domain- and zone-based E/E architectures. The microcontroller family can be used in electromobility and automated driving. 

The Tasking SmartCode supports both the next-generation Aurix TriCore v1.8 instruction set and the PPU AI accelerator. According to Tasking, SmartCode is the only productive development environment with compiler that supports all architectures in the Aurix TC4x (TriCore compiler, SCR compiler, GTM compiler and PPU compiler).

Tasking SmartCode is also suitable for the development of software in safety-critical applications in accordance with ISO26262 up to ASIL D. It also meets the cybersecurity requirements of the new ISO/SAE 21434:2021 standard. Tasking offers users the associated safety/security manual so that no additional costs are incurred for tool qualification.

According to Infineon’s senior vice president, Automotive Microcontroller, Thomas Böhm: “With Tasking’s comprehensive software development tools, our customers can optimise system performance and qualify their systems quickly and cost-effectively for an ASIL-D safety concept”.

Tasking Germany provides embedded software development tools. It is headquartered in Munich, Germany. 

Its development tools are used by automotive manufacturers and the world’s largest Tier 1 supplier to realise high-performance applications in safety-critical areas.  

Volume production of the Aurix TC4x series is planned for the end of 2024. Samples of the TC49x were received by lead customers in 2022. The first productive version of Tasking SmartCode is available now.

http://www.tasking.com

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Allegro advances autonomous vehicles with GMR sensor

Believed to be the first high-resolution giant magnetoresistance (GMR) wheel speed and distance sensor, the A19360 will help vehicle manufacurers achieve levels 3, 4 and 5 automation in passenger vehicles, says Allegro Microsystems.

The A19360 wheel speed and distance sensor provides the signal resolution and reliability required for advanced levels of automation in passenger vehicles and mobility-as-a-service applications, continued the company.

According to a recent report by consulting firm, Strategy, the first passenger vehicles with level 3 (conditional automation) capabilities should be generally available by the end of 2022, and level 4 (high automation) capabilities available in people-mover applications by 2025. By 2030, vehicles incorporating levels 3, 4 and 5 (full automation) capabilities are expected to make up 20% of the total market in Europe, 12% in the US, and 11% in China. 

The A19360 sensor is designed for SAE J3016 levels of automation 3, 4 and 5, and helps to safely enable features such as park assist, fully autonomous valet parking and traffic jam assistance with 4x better positional measurement. It can even improve autopilot functionality and low-speed control in dense environments, claims the company.

The A19360 provides high-resolution information to automotive systems by generating extra output events per magnetic cycle with a protocol that’s compatible with electronic control units (ECUs). Automated and autonomous vehicles require superior wheel rotation information for accurate low-speed control. 

The A19360’s eight-event per magnetic cycle mode provides an increment for every approximately 5mm of tyre roll. It also includes a four-event per magnetic cycle mode that doubles the number of outputs per magnetic cycle (compared to a normal wheel speed sensor). This allows designers to halve the number of poles on in-wheel ring magnets to save costs or increase the air gap while still obtaining the same number of increments per revolution. 

The A19360 was developed for ISO 26262 ASIL B(D), and is built on Allegro’s monolithic GMR technology with low jitter and large air gap capabilities. The company’s SolidSpeed Digital Architecture is claimed to provide the widest dynamic range of operating air gap and highly adaptive performance that eliminates flatlining due to thermal drift and system dynamics.

 

The A19360 is available in a two-pin SIP package (suffix UB) that is lead- (Pb) free, with tin lead frame plating. The UB package includes an IC and protection capacitor integrated into a single over-moulded package, with an additional moulded lead-stabilising bar for robust shipping and ease of assembly. 

http://www.allegromicro.com

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ADAS introduces depth perception

Depth perception can be added to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) says Light, as the company introduces its Clarity depth perception platform, based on Cadence’s Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP.

The next-generation ADAS provides long range, high resolution depth perception using industry standard cameras. The Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP provides real time data processing, ensuring low latency, high bandwidth transmission of high-resolution output, said the company.

Light says its ADAS enables machines to see better than humans by using two or more cameras, novel calibration and signal processing to provide “unprecedented depth quality across the camera’s field of view”. Integrating the Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP enables up to 10 times faster processing of measured depth compared to a quad-core CPU, improving real time accuracy and reliability, reported Light. The configurable and extensible Vision Q7 DSP is accompanied by optimised computer vision libraries, optional accelerators and toolchains that efficiently handle workloads. Light implemented its proprietary multi-view depth perception algorithms via custom instructions using the Tensilica Instruction Extension (TIE) language, which resulted in an additional four-fold performance improvement with three times the area / power savings, claimed Cadence.

Meeting functional safety requirements with full ISO 26262 compliance with ASIL-D is crucial in ADAS. The Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP certified IP is available with certified toolchains, libraries and a streamlined failure modes, effects and diagnostic analysis (FMEDA) flow.

“Light’s solution enables machines to see better than humans, and a key part of that is processing that information quickly enough to allow the machine to react to the world around it,” said Dave Grannan, CEO of Light. “Integrating the Cadence Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP provides us with enhanced signal processing capabilities at low power with low latency . . . helping us to provide accurate and reliable measured depth for future ADAS systems. Additionally, integrating ISO 26262-certified IP such as the Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP is critical when designing automotive-grade solutions,” he added.

Cadence applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers deliver electronic products from chips to boards to systems for the most dynamic market applications, including consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, industrial and healthcare. 

Light is pioneering real-time 3D perception to redefine how vehicles see the world. The company’s breakthroughs in computational imaging with multi-camera calibration and advanced signal processing provide accurate depth at both near and far distances in real time. 

http://www.light.co 

http://www.cadence.com

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