Sector News Archives - Page 250 of 622 - SmartCitiesElectronics.com

Sensor software library supports multiple dynamic objects

Fri, Mar 11, 2022

Sensor fusion specialist, Baselabs, has released the latest version of its modular, ISO 26262-certified software library for the development of data fusion systems for automated driving functions. Baselabs Create Embedded 8 supports distinct models for different types of dynamic objects in its software development kit (SDK).

Developers of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) control units can obtain, for example, a constant velocity model for pedestrians and a constant curvature model for vehicles. If an object is not yet assigned to a class, for example during initialisation, multiple hypotheses with different models can be created. Multiple-model support increases the reliability of predicting movements of different object classes, claimed Baselabs. As a result, the measurement association and the overall performance of sensor fusion are significantly improved.

The Baselabs Create Embedded data fusion library provides sensor fusion algorithms for combining data from radar, camera, and lidar sensors. Developers can configure the data fusion of sensors from a range of manufacturers with graphical support and generate a consistent object list of the vehicle environment. This list serves as an input for downstream algorithms and ADAS functions.

The library offers self-contained C code for engine control units (ECUs) such as Infineon Aurix or Arm Cortex, for example, and is safety-certified to ASIL B.

The height models can be pre-set and there is also the option to use categorical values to better separate objects that are close to each other.

The software reduces maintenance and allows teams to focus on other design areas, said Robin Schubert, CEO of Baselabs. “By licensing the library, development teams can focus on designing differentiating features and reduce time-to-market for their applications. Maintenance efforts for in-house developed software are eliminated.”

Baselabs provides software products to make the development of sensor fusion efficient and scalable. It is partner for automotive manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. The company was founded in 2012 and is in shared ownership by its four founders and Vector Informatik and is thus strategically independent of any OEM, Tier 1, or sensor supplier in the market

https://www.baselabs.de/object-fusion/baselabs-create-embedded

> Read More

SIL3-certified software is released for RA and RX microcontrollers

Thu, Mar 10, 2022

Functional safety software that meets the IEC 61508 standard for Renesas Electronics’ RA and RX families of microcontrollers (MCUs) are now available. Renesas offers IEC 61508 SIL3-certified self-test software for both Arm Cortex-M23 and -M33-based MCUs. Renesas also announced the IEC 61508 SIL3 certified PROFIsafe Application Software for RX MCUs. Renesas added that it is the industry’s first semiconductor supplier to offer these hardware-software solutions.

When building a safety critical system using an MCU, it is required to provide device-level diagnostics. With Renesas’ SIL3 certified Self-Test Software, customers can leverage IEC 61508 certifications for the MCUs CPU, ROM and RAM when certifying the overall system. Renesas Self-Test Software kit currently supports Arm Cortex-M23 and -M33-based RA2, RA4, and RA6 series MCUs.

To address the need for safe network communication in applications that use industrial Ethernet, Renesas introduced the PROFIsafe Application Software. The SIL3-certified PROFIsafe Application Software Kit realises PROFIsafe functionalities on ProfiNet slave devices and eliminates the certification step for network communications. It works with Renesas’ certified SIL3 System Software kit for RX MCUs. The PROFIsafe Application Software supports RX200, RX600 and RX700 series MCUs. Self-Test Software is already available for RX MCUs.

Both the Self-test Software for the RA Family and the PROFIsafe Application Software for the RX Family have been certified by TÜV Rheinland.

Both the IEC 61508 SIL3-certified Self-Test software kit and PROFIsafe Application Software kit are available today. In addition, Renesas offers reference documentation, an evaluation board for the RX family, and an IEC 61508 Certification Kit for RX compilers.

Renesas Electronics delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices. It produces microcontrollers, analogue, power and SoC products, for a broad range of automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT applications.

http://www.renesas.com

> Read More

Rad-hard ICs are for cost-conscious satellites, says ST

Thu, Mar 10, 2022

Radiation-hardened (rad-hard) components by STMicroelectronics help low earth orbit (LEO) satellites expand communication and earth observation services. ST said it is simplifying the design and volume production of the new generation of reliable small, inexpensive satellites to deliver services like earth observation and broadband internet from LEOs.

The new series of rad-hard power analogue and logic ICs are supplied in inexpensive plastic packages. The initial nine devices have been released and include a data converter, a voltage regulator, an LVDS transceiver, a line driver, and five logic gates that are used throughout systems like power generation and distribution, on-board computers, telemetry star trackers, and transceivers.

The nine parts are the LEO3910 2A adjustable low-dropout voltage regulator, the LEOAD128 eight-channel, 1Mssample per second 12-bit ADC, the LEOLVDSRD 400Mbits per second LVDS driver-receiver, LEOAC00 quad two-input NAND gate, LEOAC14 hex inverter with Schmitt-trigger input, LEOA244 octal bus buffer with tri-state outputs, LEOAC74 dual D-type flip-flop, LEOAC08 quad two-input AND gate and LEOAC32 quad two inputs OR gates.

The LEO rad-hard plastic parts are ready to use in ‘New Space’ applications, with optimised qualification and production flows and economies of scale. They require no additional qualification or up-screening from their users, and therefore eliminate significant cost and risk, ST confirmed.

The series ensures a radiation hardness match to the LEO mission profile, with a total ionisation dose immunity up to 50krad(Si), high immunity to total non ionising dose and single event latch-up (SEL) immunity up to 62.5MeV.cm²/mg. The parts are assembled on the same production line used for ST’s AEC-Q100 automotive-qualified ICs.

The parts outgassing is characterised to ensure it stays within the commonly accepted limits of New Space. External terminations’ finishing ensures the absence of whiskers in space, while being compatible with both leaded (Pb) and pure tin mounting processes as well as REACH-compliant.

ST said it continue to grow the series adding more functions in the coming months to further expand designers’ choices.

http://www.st.com

> Read More

R-Car V4H SoC achieves deep learning for automated driving

Wed, Mar 09, 2022

For central processing in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving systems, the R-Car V4H SoC achieves deep learning up to to 34 tera operations per second (TOPS). This equips it for high speed image recognition and processing surrounding objects using automotive cameras, radar and lidar, said Renesas Electronics.

The R-Car V4H allows customers to develop cost-competitive, single-chip, ADAS electric control units (ECUs), said Renesas. It combines IP and hardware optimisation, to support driving systems appropriate for automated driving levels 2+ and 3, which are responsible for managing the highest volume of processing, including full NCAP 2025 support. The R-Car V4H also supports surround view and automatic parking functions with 3D visualisation effects such as realistic rendering.

The SoC development process targets ASIL D systematic capability for all safety relevant IP for ISO 26262 functional safety. The signal processing portion of the R-Car V4H is expected to achieve ASIL B and D metrics for the real time domain.

Renesas provides a dedicated power management for the R-Car V4H based around the RAA271041 pre-regulator and the RAA271005 power management IC (PMIC). This enables a power supply for the R-Car V4H and peripheral memories from the 12V supply of the vehicle battery at low power operation while targeting ASIL D compliance for systematic and random hardware faults with a low bill of materials cost, confirmed Renesas.

An R-Car V4H software development kit (SDK) is available for initial device evaluation, and software development including deep learning. The SDK offers full functionality for machine learning development, and optimisation of embedded systems for performance, power efficiency, and functional safety. Complete simulation models are available. The software is operating system-agnostic, pointed out Renesas. When developing from scratch, Fixstars’ Genesis platform enables engineers to evaluate R-Car from anywhere via their cloud solution and can provide CNN benchmark results.

The SoC has four Arm Cortex-A76 cores operating at 1.8Ghz for a total of 49kDMIPS of general compute, three lockstep Arm Cortex-R52 cores at 1.4Ghz, for a total of 9kDMIPS to support ASIL D real time operation and eliminate the need for external microcontrollers. There is also dedicated deep learning and computer vision IP, and image signal processor (ISP) with parallel processing for machine and human vision, image renderer (IMR) for fisheye distortion correction or other mathematical operation and an AXM-8-256 GPU operating at 600MHz, for a total of over 150 GFLOPS. There are also dedicated automotive interfaces (CAN, Ethernet AVB, TSN and FlexRay) and two fourth generation PCIe interfaces.

Samples of the R-Car V4H SoC are available now, with mass production scheduled for the second quarter of 2024.

http://www.renesas.com

> Read More

Sensor software library supports multiple dynamic objects

SIL3-certified software is released for RA and RX microcontrollers

Rad-hard ICs are for cost-conscious satellites, says ST

R-Car V4H SoC achieves deep learning for automated driving

About Smart Cities