Smart Cities

Texas Instruments has introduced new integrated automotive chips to enable safer, more immersive driving experiences at any vehicle price point. TI’s AWRL6844 60GHz mmWave radar sensor supports occupancy monitoring for seat belt reminder systems, child presence detection and intrusion detection with a single chip running edge AI algorithms, enabling a safer driving environment. With TI’s next-generation audio DSP core, the AM275x-Q1 MCUs and AM62D-Q1 processors make premium audio features more affordable. Paired with TI’s latest analog products, including the TAS6754-Q1 Class-D audio amplifier, engineers can take advantage of a complete audio amplifier system offering.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are gradually designing in more sensors to enhance the in-vehicle experience and meet evolving safety standards. TI’s edge AI-enabled AWRL6844 60GHz mmWave radar sensor enables engineers to incorporate three in-cabin sensing features to replace multiple sensor technologies, such as in-seat weight mats and ultrasonic sensors, lowering total implementation costs by an average of US$20 per vehicle.

The AWRL6844 integrates four transmitters and four receivers, enabling high-resolution sensing data at an optimised cost for OEMs. This data feeds into application-specific AI-driven algorithms on a customisable on-chip hardware accelerator and DSP, improving decision-making accuracy and reducing processing time. The edge intelligence capabilities of the AWRL6844 sensor that help improve the driving experience include these examples:

• While driving, it supports occupant detection and localisation with 98% accuracy to enable seat belt reminders.
• After parking, it monitors for unattended children in the vehicle, using neural networks that detect micro-movements in real time with over 90% classification accuracy. This direct sensing capability enables OEMs to meet 2025 European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) design requirements.
• When parked, it adapts to different environments through intelligent scanning, reducing false intrusion detection alerts caused by car shaking and external movement.

As driver expectations grow for elevated in-cabin experiences across vehicle models, OEMs aim to offer premium audio while minimising design complexity and system cost. AM275x-Q1 MCUs and AM62D-Q1 processors reduce the number of components required for an automotive audio amplifier system by integrating TI’s vector-based C7x DSP core, Arm cores, memory, audio networking and a hardware security module into a single, functional safety-capable SoC. The C7x core, coupled with a matrix multiply accelerator, together form a neural processing unit that processes both traditional and edge AI-based audio algorithms. These automotive audio SoCs are scalable, allowing designers to meet memory and performance needs, from entry-level to high-end systems, with minimal redesign and investment.

TI’s next-generation C7x DSP core achieves more than four times the processing performance of other audio DSPs, allowing audio engineers to manage multiple features within a single core. AM275x-Q1 MCUs and AM62D-Q1 processors enable immersive audio inside the cabin with features such as spatial audio, active noise cancellation, sound synthesis and advanced vehicle networking, including Audio Video Bridging over Ethernet.

To further optimise their automotive audio designs, engineers can use TI’s TAS6754-Q1 audio amplifier with innovative 1L modulation technology to deliver class-leading audio performance and power consumption, with half the number of inductors compared to existing Class-D amplifiers. The TAS67xx-Q1 family of devices, which integrates real-time load diagnostics required by OEMs, helps engineers simplify designs, decrease costs, and increase efficiency without sacrificing audio quality.

https://www.TI.com