Smart Cities

LIN interface sensor signal conditioner reduces BoM for EVs/HEVs

Fri, Jul 10, 2020

An integrated LIN interface sensor signal conditioner, the ZSSC4132, is claimed to deliver best in class performance in a compact form factor for us in climate control systems for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

The automotive pressure sensor has an integrated, certified LIN v2.2a interface and backwards compatibility to LIN v1.3, v2.0 and v2.1. The single-package sensor signal conditioner (SSC) can be configured for nearly all resistive bridge sensors, says Renesas. Slave node position detection feature at the LIN bus allows the SSC to assign a unique ID to the device

It has integrated LIN PHY, AEC-Q100Grade 0 qualifications and is in a small package footprint suitable for automotive sensor modules where space and budgets are limited.

The availability of a LIN-certified sensor enables OEMS to easily and cost-effectively scale HVAC system development for mid-range to high endEVs and HEVs, said Christian Wolf, vice president, Automotive Sensor Business Division at Renesas.

The ZSSC4132 combines 12 to 14bit ADC resolution and analogue front end (AFE) technology for enhanced sensor signal conditioning as well as digital calibration to reduce the noise sensitivity and deliver accuracy to ±0.5 per cent for pressure and temperature readings from -40 to +150 degrees C, claims Renesas. The SSC’s integration reduces overall bill of material (BoM) requirements by minimising the need for external components. Its digital calibration feature allows customers to minimise calibration efforts, further reducing overall system costs, added the company.

 It also include over-voltage and reverse-polarity protection circuitry, electromagnetic compatibility and multiple diagnostic features.

The ZSSC4132 is available now in a 4.0 x 4.0mm, 24-lead QFN package. An evaluation kit for the ZSSC4132 is also available.

Renesas Electronics provides embedded design with semiconductors that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live. The company specialises in microcontrollers, analogy, power and SoC products intended for a broad range of automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT applications.

http://renesas.com

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Cohda and u-blox partner for V2X to progress vehicle safety

Fri, Jul 10, 2020

Partners u-blox and Cohda Wireless have announced a vehicle to everything (V2X) solution based on the former’s UBX-P3 DSRC/802.11p V2X chip and the latter’s V2X software stack.

The u-blox UBX-P3 chip enables wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. It has now been enhanced with Cohda’s hardware-agnostic software applications, providing 360 degree awareness and detecting hidden threats beyond anything a driver or on-board sensors can see, says Cohda. Its V2X software is used in GM and VW production vehicles.

The partnership is expected to be of interest to tier ones, OEMs and road authority suppliers.

According to Cohda’s chief engineer, Fabien Cure, to progress vehicle safety, OEMs need to produce vehicles that have embedded V2X wireless communication technology as standard. “Likewise, cities around the world are preparing for the introduction of wide scale co-operative intelligent transport systems,” he said.

Porting Cohda’s V2X software stack onto the UBX-P3 chip enables a swift integration into automotive platforms, said Herbert Blaser, senior director, Product Center Short Range Radio at u-blox.

Cohda’s software products are applied in more than 60 per cent of all V2X field trials in the world today in compliance with US Federal Communications Commission and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standards.

“When we connect vehicles to each other and to roadside infrastructure, we are creating an intelligent and integrated road transport system that has the potential to reduce road accidents simply because the technology is capable of things humans aren’t,” added Cure.     

u‑blox provides positioning and wireless communication in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets to allow people, vehicles and machines determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short range networks. The company has a broad portfolio of chips, modules and secure data services and connectivity.

Cohda Wireless develops connected vehicles and connected autonomous vehicle software. Its technology connects vehicles with infrastructure and pedestrians to make streets, cities and working environments safer, smarter and greener.

Its software enables autonomous vehicles to connect with other vehicles and with smart city infrastructure, from vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-pedestrian to avoid accidents, reduce congestion and be more efficient.

Cohda is headquartered in Australia and has offices in Europe, China and the USA.    

http://www.u-blox.com

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Cohda and u-blox partner for V2X to progress vehicle safety

Fri, Jul 10, 2020

Partners u-blox and Cohda Wireless have announced a vehicle to everything (V2X) solution based on the former’s UBX-P3 DSRC/802.11p V2X chip and the latter’s V2X software stack.

The u-blox UBX-P3 chip enables wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. It has now been enhanced with Cohda’s hardware-agnostic software applications, providing 360 degree awareness and detecting hidden threats beyond anything a driver or on-board sensors can see, says Cohda. Its V2X software is used in GM and VW production vehicles.

The partnership is expected to be of interest to tier ones, OEMs and road authority suppliers.

According to Cohda’s chief engineer, Fabien Cure, to progress vehicle safety, OEMs need to produce vehicles that have embedded V2X wireless communication technology as standard. “Likewise, cities around the world are preparing for the introduction of wide scale co-operative intelligent transport systems,” he said.

Porting Cohda’s V2X software stack onto the UBX-P3 chip enables a swift integration into automotive platforms, said Herbert Blaser, senior director, Product Center Short Range Radio at u-blox.

Cohda’s software products are applied in more than 60 per cent of all V2X field trials in the world today in compliance with US Federal Communications Commission and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standards.

“When we connect vehicles to each other and to roadside infrastructure, we are creating an intelligent and integrated road transport system that has the potential to reduce road accidents simply because the technology is capable of things humans aren’t,” added Cure.     

u‑blox provides positioning and wireless communication in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets to allow people, vehicles and machines determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short range networks. The company has a broad portfolio of chips, modules and secure data services and connectivity.

Cohda Wireless develops connected vehicles and connected autonomous vehicle software. Its technology connects vehicles with infrastructure and pedestrians to make streets, cities and working environments safer, smarter and greener.

Its software enables autonomous vehicles to connect with other vehicles and with smart city infrastructure, from vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-pedestrian to avoid accidents, reduce congestion and be more efficient.

Cohda is headquartered in Australia and has offices in Europe, China and the USA.    

http://www.u-blox.com

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GPU IP advances ADAS with safety-critical graphics, says Imagination

Fri, Jul 10, 2020

Claimed to be the most advanced automotive GPU IP created to date and the industry’s first licensable IP that is ISO 26262-capable, XS has been announced by Imagination Technologies.

The XS GPU for automotive will enable ADAS acceleration and – being ISO 26262-capable – safety-critical graphics workloads, says the company.

Safety critical graphics and compute capabilities are required for surround view, digital dashboards and ADAS. The XS design employs a new safety architecture with mechanisms for compute and graphics delivering up to two times higher performance for critical workloads. The result is rich, high-performance graphics that are functionally safe, says Imagination.

According to the company, the XS class is the industry’s first GPU class designed for safety-critical graphics applications (i.e., where the GPU is responsible for critical tasks such as digital dashboards, surround view and camera systems).

As the industry’s first ISO 26262-capable GPU IP, OEMs, Tier 1s and semiconductor vendors can integrate the IP confident that ISO 26262 is achieved, adds Imagination.

The safety architecture contains patent pending technology that enables Imagination to secure and verify the correct execution and delivery of data from the GPU to meet functional safety requirements. XS includes hardware mechanisms that carry out safety-critical workloads across compute and graphics.

 The architecture incorporates new capabilities and safety mechanisms, such as Tile Region Protection, in addition to existing features such as virtualisation. These hardware features mean they can be employed without a performance penalty.

This a significant step forward for automotive GPUs and autonomous vehicles.”

Imagination supplies GPUs for automotive SoCs for use in digital dashboards, surround view and infotainment systems. The UK-based company creates silicon and software IP based on graphics, compute, vision and AI and connectivity technologies.

In 2017, Imagination Technologies was acquired by Canyon Bridge, a global private equity investment fund.

http://www.imgtec.com

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