Automotive

For hands-free smartphone car access, NXP, the BMW Group and Continental are working together to develop new automotive uses, based on NXP’s new automotive ultra wideband (UWB) IC.

The NXP NCJ29D5 is the first of a new generation of UWB ICs designed specifically for the demands of the global automotive industry. Together, with NXP connectivity and security solutions, such as Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC) and Secure Element (SE), it enables true secure hands-free smart access, says NXP, and supports standardisation in vehicle connectivity.

UWB provides precise, secure, real-time localisation capabilities, superior to other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, explains NXP. The technology is designed to give spatial awareness to UWB-equipped cars, mobiles and other smart devices, to enable cars to know exactly where the users are, for smartphone-based car access with the same level of convenience as key fobs. Users can open and start cars, while leaving their phones in their pockets or bags, and enjoy secure remote parking via smartphone. The UWB IC maximises protection against car theft through relay attacks.

The three partners and others are jointly working on UWB implementations through the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and IEEE, and combining vehicle, mobile and consumer devices. Efforts for standardisation aim to enable a global standard for hands-free smart access and other automotive localisation, based on UWB.

Commenting on the ubiquity of smartphones, Dr Olaf Müller, head of development digital access functions, BMW Group, said: “We are convinced that the smartphone-based comfort access is just the beginning of a series of innovative vehicle-related UWB use cases.”

For Philippe Fournet-Fayat, director at Continental AG for car access systems: “To deliver new use cases, such as smartphone access and remote parking requires the ultra-precise real-time localisation capabilities of UWB.”

As well as smart access and remote parking, NXP’s automotive UWB targets short range radar, smartphone valet parking, electric vehicle charging, drive through payment and the car-as-a-key for seamlessly access garage door/parking.

http://www.nxp.com/UWB

Two high-speed, automotive-compliant voltage translators for use in environments with ambient temperatures up to 125 degrees C are available from Diodes. The PI4ULS5V108Q and PI4ULS5V202Q are designed for use in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), infotainment, and telematics equipment.

Both shifters are compatible with either push-pull or open-drain connections. They have bi-directional flexibility with automatic direction sensing simplifies level shifting between bus interfaces, such as SMBus, PMBus, or I2C devices, by eliminating any requirement for a direction-control signal.

The eight-channel PI4ULS5V108Q performs up-translation at up to 100MHz and down-translation at over 100MHz. This performance makes it suitable for use in high data-rate interfaces, says the Diodes. Designers can ensure fast exchanges across SPI or other interfaces, with no limitation due to level shifting. This enables data transfers between system-on-chip (SoC) and peripheral components to be executed with optimum efficiency.

The PI4ULS5V202Q is a two-channel translator with internal 10kOhm pull-up resistors, allowing direct connection to interfaces with open-drain topology, such as I2C ports. The large maximum voltage-translation range of 1.2 to 5.5V enables the device to work with a variety of I2C chips and circuit designs. The PI4ULS5V202Q’s high-speed, one-shot detectors at the IC inputs result in fast rise and fall times. The PI4ULS5V202Q is able to support data rates of up to 20Mbits per second.

Both devices are AEC-Q100 grade 1 qualified, for automotive use and PPAP (production part approval process) -capable. They are in production at IATF 16949 certified sites.

The PI4ULS5V108Q is available now in the TSSOP-20 package and the PI4ULS5V202Q is offered in the MSOP-8 package.

Diodes manufactures and supplies application specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic, analogue, and mixed-signal semiconductor markets. Diodes serves the consumer electronics, computing, communications, industrial, and automotive markets. Products include diodes, rectifiers, transistors, MOSFETs, protection devices, function-specific arrays, single gate logic, amplifiers and comparators, Hall-effect and temperature sensors, power management devices, including LED drivers, AC/DC converters and controllers, DC/DC switching and linear voltage regulators, and voltage references along with special function devices, such as USB power switches, load switches, voltage supervisors, and motor controllers. Diodes also has timing, connectivity, switching, and signal integrity solutions for high-speed signals.

http://www.diodes.com