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Functionally safe positioning hardware-software model minimises time to market

Wed, Oct 11, 2023

Pre-certified to ISO-26262/ASIL-B, u-safe is end-to-end positioning hardware-software by u-blox and based on market-proven safe components which have been extensively tested in autonomous driving conditions, said u-blox. It can be seamlessly integrated into future-proof advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) architectures, which “significantly” minimising time to market, said the company.
The model for vehicle positioning is designed to accelerate the adoption of autonomous vehicles. It uses components that are proven in automotive driver navigation systems to offer Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs driver automated and assistance systems in, for example, ADAS Level 3 and above applications requiring high integrity and functional safety features. In addition, ADAS Level 2+ applications can also benefit from u-safe, said u-blox, to ensure that these systems are future proof and ready for a transition into higher levels of automation.
u-blox claimed to be the only supplier in the market today to offer a functional-safety-and-SOTIF compliant safe end-to-end positioning solution combining proprietary hardware with customised software and correction service. The company said u-safe is simplifying the automotive supply chain for customers working on ADAS up to SAE Level 5.
Integrated into ADAS and autonomous driving stacks, u-safe represents an additional layer of safety by offering functional safety (ISO-26262 standard), high integrity and trustworthy positioning for automated and autonomous driving markets.

u-blox said u-safe ensures ASIL-B GNSS localisation for sophisticated safe automotive systems. It incorporates u-blox’s ninth generation GNSS technology platform with A9 ASIL-B chipset and module, PointSafe which uses GMV’s high accuracy and safe correction service and on-board safe position engine, the u-blox Thingstream IoT platform, as well as customised integration support.
u-safe follows the recently announced partnership with GMV, which specialises in navigation for connected and autonomous vehicles. u-blox and GMV joined forces to pioneer functional safety with market-proven components to bring functional safe E2E positioning solutions to the automotive industry for mass-market applications.
u-blox operates in positioning and wireless communication in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. The company has a broad portfolio of chips, modules, and secure data services and connectivity. The company headquarters are in Thalwil, Switzerland, with offices in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
http://www.u-blox.com

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NXP opens up S32K3 automotive microcontrollers to AWS cloud services

Tue, Oct 10, 2023

NXP Semiconductor has integrated Amazon Web Services (AWS) into its S32K3 automotive microcontroller series for body, zone control, and electrification applications.

The S32K3, S32Z/E, S32G2 and S32G3 enable new in-vehicle and secure cloud services. Using FreeRTOS libraries supporting AWS IoT Core, NXP’s S32K3 with integrated cloud connectivity speeds up the development time for software-defined vehicles (SDVs) to securely connect to the cloud and deliver vehicle data-driven insights and services and over-the-air (OTA) updates, claimed NXP. The software libraries also enable seamless connectivity between the S32K3 and devices running AWS IoT Greengrass.

AWS IoT services have been integrated with NXP’s S32G vehicle network processor for service-oriented gateways since 2020. The NXP S32 devices’ software with AWS cloud solution supports a range of communication technologies and can be used with wireless connectivity technologies like 4G/5G cellular and Wi-Fi. Now NXP S32K3 devices can connect directly to AWS cloud services or a more powerful S32G device using AWS cloud services such as AWS IoT Core, AWS IoT Greengrass or AWS IoT FleetWise.

Extending AWS connectivity to S32K3 gives automotive OEMs the flexibility to build AWS cloud connectivity into their vehicles regardless of the vehicle architecture used and supports the vehicle architecture transition. This includes architectures in which the S32K3 acts primarily as an end node or zonal controller and supplements an S32G vehicle network processor, as well as configurations with multiple S32K devices without an S32G processor, with at least one S32K3 acting as a gateway to access AWS cloud services.

The combination of NXP’s S32 vehicle compute platform and AWS cloud connectivity is appropriate for different mobility types. For example, the direct connection of the S32K3 devices to the cloud is suitable for smaller vehicles such as electric bicycles and scooters, where the S32K3 acts as the aggregator or main controller.

The NXP S32K3 devices are scalable, low power Arm Cortex-M series-based microcontrollers that are AEC-Q100 qualified with advanced safety and security and software support for automotive and industrial ASIL B/D applications in body, zone control and electrification. There is a dedicated hardware security engine (HSE) and A/B swap capability and OTA firmware updates to the S32K3 are secure and protected, said NXP. The devices are supported by a minimum of 15 years of product longevity and a comprehensive, third-party software and tools ecosystem.

Access to and processing of real time, vehicle wide data with secure access to cloud services and machine learning can enable intelligent vehicles that continually improve with OTA updates. This can provide insights into vehicle performance and health, driver behaviour and traffic patterns for automotive manufacturers while consumers can extend the longevity of their vehicles and add features. NXP suggested one example could be that data collected and analysed can lead to new revenue streams with services such as usage-based insurance.

http://www.nxp.com

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Space computing reference design provides high speed data connectivity

Thu, Oct 05, 2023

Based on Microchip Technology’s radiation-tolerant GbE PHYs, the QLS1046-Space reference design has been developed by Teledyne e2v to provide high speed data connectivity in space applications.

The space computing reference design was presented at EDHPC 2023 (European Data Handling & Data Processing Conference, October 2-6, 2023 in Juan-Les-Pins, France) and enables high speed data routing in space applications.

It features Teledyne e2v’s radiation tolerant Qormino QLS1046-Space processing platform and data communication technology from Microchip. The radiation-tolerant design delivers robust, high performance processing, with enhanced sub-system connectivity capabilities. The QLS1046-Space has 30,000 DMIPS computing capability via the quad Arm Cortex-A72 cores and four to 8Gbyte of high speed DDR4 and multiple high speed interfaces. The architecture can process and route large incoming data rates from various sources, including telecommunication RF front ends, high resolution image sensors, radars, and other processing devices in the spacecraft.

The GbE interfaces ensure high-speed connectivity, supported by Microchip’s radiation tolerant Ethernet PHYs, claimed Teledyne e2v. The space computing reference design uses the VSC8541RT PHY to offer two RGMII links, and the VSC8574RT to offer two SGMII interfaces. The four Gigabit Ethernet connections could be ported up to seven Ethernet interfaces by exploiting all high speed interfaces available for high speed transfers between the QSL1046-Space and the other devices placed on different accompanying boards within the satellite or spacecraft. Target use cases include Earth observation, satcom applications, defence in space and space debris monitoring.

“In the vast majority of cases, modern space hardware will have a decentralised architecture. Normally communication between the constituent subsystems relies on 10 to100Mbit data transfer rates, explained Thomas Porches, application engineer at Teledyne e2v. “Greater levels of functional sophistication are now being incorporated for purposes like advanced telecommunication schemes, real time image processing, AI-driven analysis, and navigation.

“By working with Microchip, we’ve been able to significantly boost the interfacing capabilities for designs using the QLS1046-Space, leading to accelerated speeds plus extended propagation range. Consequently, they are completely aligned with what space customers are now demanding for edge computing applications.”

Staff from both Teledyne e2v and Microchip will present papers relating to their involvement in edge-located processing and inter-board communication for space deployments at the conference.

http://www.teledyne.com

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Qualcomm launches next-generation XR and AR platforms

Wed, Oct 04, 2023

Two spatial computing platforms called Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 have been introduced by Qualcomm to enable the next generation of mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR) devices and smart glasses.

Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 brings premium MR and VR technology into a single chip architecture for immersive experiences in thinner and more comfortable headsets, that do not require an external battery pack.

It is engineered to deliver a lag-free experience with immersive sound blending virtual content with the user’s physical surroundings and transition seamlessly between MR and VR experiences.

Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform is designed with power optimisations for sleek, lightweight smart glasses that enable the user to capture, share or live-stream hands-free, directly from the glasses. On-device AI enables personal assistant experiences such as audio quality enhancement, visual search and real-time translation. There is also support for a visual heads-up display to enable content consumption, including video, that blend seamlessly in the users’ field of view.

The platforms were developed in close collaboration with Meta and will commercially debut on Meta devices in 2023. The Meta Quest 3 will be powered by Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Platform, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses collection will be powered by Snapdragon AR1 Platform. Other manufacturers are expected to follow next year.

“At Meta, we’re focused on developing the technologies of the future in mixed reality and smart glasses, as well as the foundational innovations that will one day power our vision for AR glasses,” said Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, Meta’s CTO and Head of Reality Labs.

“The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and Snapdragon AR1 platforms are the latest purpose-built processors that are designed to power the next generation of MR and VR devices and sleek smart glasses for all,” said Hugo Swart, vice president and GM of XR, Qualcomm Technologies. “The commercial debut of these two platforms with Meta is a further step forward in realizing our joint vision – unlocking premium, all-in-one XR devices and smart glasses that are affordable to users around the globe.”

http://www.qualcomm.com

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Functionally safe positioning hardware-software model minimises time to market

NXP opens up S32K3 automotive microcontrollers to AWS cloud services

Space computing reference design provides high speed data connectivity

Qualcomm launches next-generation XR and AR platforms

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