[futuremobile2025]

Hardware meets software to secure connected cars

The wake-up call delivered by car hackers like Charlie Miller has put the automotive industry into a proactive mode on how to secure increasingly connected vehicles. And the quest for sophisticated security solutions for connected cars is opening new venues for collaboration between chipmakers and software vendors.

Take, for instance, BlackBerry’s QNX Hypervisor 2.0 software platform that Qualcomm has adopted in its Snapdragon™ 820Am automotive SoCs for the instrument cluster and infotainment systems. What QNX Hypervisor 2.0 does is partition and isolate the safety-critical subsystems from non-safety-critical subsystems.

So even if a car hacker is able to access the infotainment system through a non-critical ECU, he won’t be able to access safety-critical areas like steering, brakes, or engine via car’s digital instrument cluster.

QNX Hypervisor allows automotive chipsets to run concurrent operating systems in order to separate safety-critical environments from non-critical environments.

The Hypervisor 2.0 is based on BlackBerry’s QNX SDP 7.0 64-bit embedded operating system. It’s a real-time Type 1 Hypervisor platform that creates virtual software containers, which in turn, isolate any hiccup or breach in vehicle’s functional domain. So it doesn’t impact or create vulnerabilities in other domains of the car.

Another notable collaboration addressing security challenges in connected cars involves NXP and Argus Cyber Security. NXP has integrated Argus’ Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS) into its MPC5748G microcontrollers.

The IDPS software employs deep packet inspection (DPI) algorithms to enable automotive chips detect and prevent advanced cyber-attacks in real-time. Argus’ software solution is AUTOSAR compliant and offers over-the-air (OTA) updates.

These collaborations are a testament that no one company can manage the task of securing connected cars. And that hardware and software components go hand-in-hand to prevent security breaches in the cars of the future.

[futuremobile2025]

Components consolidation around power systems marks EV uptake

Volvo’s landmark announcement about ceasing the production of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2019 negates the common perception among industry observers that electric vehicles (EVs) lack consumer interest.

The Swedish automaker has vowed to produce only three types of electric vehicles from 2019 onward: mild electric vehicles featuring 48-volt system, Twin Engine a.k.a. plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and fully electric vehicles.

Another vital sign in favor of automotive electrification comes from Taiwan where IT players are known for sensing the industry drift way ahead of time. Taiwan’s electronic manufacturers are now aggressively pursuing opportunities in electric vehicles, providing products ranging from motherboards to power modules to cooling plates.

The U.S. component suppliers like Dana are also joining the vehicle electrification fray by developing IGBT module and battery cooling technologies. Dana has recently showcased products such as cold plates and sub-cooled loop radiators for EV and HEV power systems.

Dana has made available a variety of EV/HEV solutions including battery cooling plates and chillers. 

 The company claims that its cooling plates ensure thermal resistance to prevent IGBT chips from overheating and possible failure. These IGBT solutions also facilitate low coolant conductivity levels by minimizing contamination.

Next, AVX, a passive components supplier, has unveiled two power film capacitors that have been specially designed for DC-link circuits between rectifiers and inverters in electric and hybrid vehicles.

AVX’s power film capacitors protect high-power-density inverters in EVs/HEVs.

AVX’s power film capacitors protect high-power-density inverters in EVs/HEVs.

The FHC1 and FHC2 Series capacitors work in conjunction with IGBT modules to smooth and filter current and voltage variations across the DC bus and thus prevent ripple currents from reaching back to the power source.

The myriad of solutions built around power systems for electric and hybrid vehicles from a wide array of suppliers is another sign that winds are changing in favor of vehicle electrification. And Volvo’s pledge to say goodbye to internal combustion just affirms the rapid evolution of electrical systems in cars.

[futuremobile2025]

EV battery management: Handle with care...and intelligence

Charging and discharging an electric vehicle (EV) battery requires caution; EV batteries contain the energy equivalent of a small explosive, after all. Over-voltage or under-voltage conditions can lead to thermal runaways that could cause battery failure serious enough to injure passengers.

The challenge is balancing the need for optimal battery performance and life with safety. Clearly, the battery management system (BMS) has to incorporate a high degree of intelligence, in addition to monitoring components and power conversion stages.

Typically, the monitored operating parameters are precisely and quickly routed to higher-order, intelligent battery management controllers (BMCs) that can detect potential hazards and take pre-emptive corrective action, such as shutting down a battery cell that is overheating. Also calculated from monitored data: The state-of charge (SOC) of the battery, which is used to determine the remaining charge and, thus, the available range of travel; and state-of-health (SOH), which provides important insight into the operating conditions of the battery so that its remaining lifespan can be projected and the appropriate maintenance procedures recommended.

All this intelligence requires serious computing horsepower. Microcontrollers have to adjust to changing properties of batteries, respond quickly to overvoltage conditions and – in on-board charging — run computationally intensive algorithms.

The white paper, “Intelligent battery management and charging for electric vehicles” explores the challenges to designing power systems that can be adapted to a wide variety of batteries, in different types of vehicles

[futuremobile2025]

Automotive vision: The IP guys get in on the act

ARM’s Mali-C71 image signal processor (ISP) is making waves in the automotive space where the DSP-core duo of Tensilica and CEVA have been active players in embedding computer vision into ADAS system-on-chip (SoC) designs. The question is: Will ARM – in its quest to extend its dominance into a new application space– swamp their boats? To some extent that will depend on which of the three solutions is technologically superior

ARM fields the first automotive-grade ISP at a time when the number of cameras in vehicles is rising, and sensor fusion technologies are getting better every day. The Mali-C71 vision processor is heavily focused on two critical requirements in ADAS and autonomous car applications: dynamic range and reliability.

Dynamic range plays a vital role in detecting all elements of the scene that camera captures while reliability is intertwined with critical automotive features such as ASIL compliance and functional safety. The Mali-C71 processor boasts ultra-wide dynamic range (UWDR) of 24 stops while it processes camera pixels and removes undesired elements like noise.

Here, it’s worth mentioning that the best-quality DSLR cameras feature around 15 stops. Next, Mali-C71 facilitates low latency and advanced error detection using more than 300 dedicated fault detection circuits and features system-level certifications that include ISO 26262, ASIL D, and IEC 61508 SIL3.

Mali-C71 also puts the image sensor data through 15 stages of refinement and correction before showing the image on display. That’s twice as many stages as in smartphone ISPs; it’s even higher than DSLR camera designs.

Figure 1. This is how Mali-C71 simultaneously runs vision engine and renders an image on display via a single pipeline.

What’s new about Mali-C71

ARM’s new ISP simultaneously generates data that can be rendered on display while it processes the data for use by the computer vision engine. For that, it creates a single piece of hardware IP that carries out two functions via a single imaging pipeline (Figure 1).

However, unlike ARM’s Mali-C71 ISP, which takes photonic data from the image sensor and processes the raw pixels into high-quality images for display, the current vision processor solutions from Tensilica and CEVA take a different approach.

For instance, Tensilica’s C5 vision processor (Figure 2) first enhances input from the camera with computational imaging algorithms, and then neural network-based recognition algorithms perform object detection and recognition.

It accelerates all neural network computational layers and frees up the main vision/imaging DSP to run image enhancement applications independently while the C5 vision DSP runs inference tasks.

Figure 2. Tensilica’s C5 vision processor runs all neural network layers in the DSP itself.

The C5 core—unveiled earlier this year—is optimized for ADAS, radar, lidar, and sensor fusion applications via high-availability neural network computation capabilities. The vision processor is based on a specialized DSP with an instruction set that reduces the cycle count of the major embedded vision algorithms.

Tensilica C5 vs. CEVA XM6

CEVA claims that unlike Tensilica’s software-based approach for handling neural networks, it has adopted more of a hardware-software approach that responds faster and consumes less power.

In other words, it has attached a hardware accelerator to imaging DSP while splitting the neural network code between running some network layers on the DSP and offloading convolutional layers to the accelerator.

CEVA has recently licensed its imaging and vision platform to ON Semiconductor for ADAS applications. The IP supplier claims that its fifth-generation vision processor—XM6 shown in Figure 3—boosts the performance of ADAS applications by 3x as compared to the predecessor XM4 vision processor.

Figure 3. The CEVA XM6 vision processor performs 512 MACs per second with its convolutional neural network (CNN) accelerator.

Boosting clarity and ensuring reliability are insatiable demands for automotive camera systems. In comparison to other embedded applications, automotive vision needs processors of considerable computational capabilities. The fact that we have a new player in the embedded vision processor space proves that the semiconductor IP players aren’t daunted by the challenge.

[futuremobile2025]

Software-defined radio SoCs remaking car infotainment

BY MAJEED AHMAD

Infotainment—the unsung hero of automotive electronics—is continuously making strides while more chic technologies like ADAS and automated driving are stealing most of the headlines. A single piece of infotainment hardware covering multiple broadcast radio requirements simplifies the design, lowers the cost, and shrinks the size of the head unit.

Car infotainment is still a major differentiator amid a strong consumer demand. So what’s driving this change in vehicle infotainment design? It’s the software-defined radio (SDR) technology and the single-chip solutions that it’s enabling to incorporate multiple radio broadcast standards around the globe.

The SDR capability allows infotainment system-on-chips (SoCs) to support multiple analog and digital broadcast standards such as AM/FM, DAB+, DRM(+) and HD.

Two product announcements made earlier this year clearly mark this shift in automotive radio design. NXP’s SAF4000 RF CMOS chipset boasts a fully integrated SDR that replaces the multi-chip infotainment design with an ultra-compact hardware device.

That, according to NXP, allows automotive designers to replace a large PCB and six different ICs with a single-chip infotainment solution. NXP also claims that its multi-standard radio processor with integrated audio delivers up to 60 percent power and space savings in head unit designs.

Software-defined radio or SDR is also the centerpiece of the remote radio tuner architecture from Maxim Integrated that eliminates the need for a dedicated baseband processor for each radio broadcast standard. Simply change the software in the MAX2175 tuner chip and support any radio broadcast standard.

The switching between analog and digital radio standards via software on a single piece of hardware just affirms the SDR promise. Luca De Ambroggi, principal analyst for automotive ICs at IHS Markit, says that this flexibility makes the software-defined approach crucial in automotive electronics. Tags: car infotainment, radio tuner, SDR, RF CMOS

[futuremobile2025]

Flexing its technology muscle, TI plays a strong hand in automotive radar

BY PATRICK MANNION

By integrating a variety of RF, analog and digital components (including DSP and MCU) onto a single CMOS chip, Texas Instruments has staked a claim to all automotive radar applications, both outside and inside the vehicle.

Primary automotive radar applications can be broadly grouped into corner radars and front radars. Corner radars (rear and front) are typically short-range radar sensors that can be used for blind-spot detection (BSD), lane-change assist (LCA) and front/rear cross-traffic alert (F/RCTA), while front radars are typically mid- and long-range radars responsible for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control (ACC).

TI’s AWR mmWave (77- to 81-GHz ) sensor portfolio for automotive scales from a long-range front radar, the AWR1243 transceiver (used in conjunction with the TDA3x processor), to the AWR 1642 single-chip radar for short range applications. There’s also the AWR1443 single-chip radar for diverse proximity-sensing applications such as door/trunk opener, ground clearance measurement and in-cabin applications such as occupancy sensing and gesture-based control.

TI’s announcement represents an accelerating shift in the industry toward the 77-GHz frequency band – from 24 GHz — due to emerging regulatory requirements, as well as the larger bandwidth availability, smaller sensor size and performance advantages. Compared to 24 GHz, the use of 76–81 GHz for these applications enables high-range resolution (up to 4 cm range resolution is possible) and higher-velocity resolution (which is important for parking-assist applications), and also results in a smaller form factor for the antennas, which is a significant advantage.

For sure, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been getting much attention for ADAS and autonomous vehicles, often with the assumption that it will replace radar in many instances because of its accuracy and falling cost. However, radar does have inherent advantages: It is unaffected by lighting conditions; it is relatively unaffected by fog, rain or snow; it’s RF so it can “see” through and around objects; and from an aesthetic point of view they can be hidden behind bumpers or doors, unlike LiDAR, or sonar (Figure 1).

While LiDAR technology has been advancing rapidly, so too has radar. Early in 2016, NXP made a splash at CES with the announcement of what was the smallest, single-chip 77-GHz radar transceiver. It measured 7.5 x 7.5 mm, was designed for short-range radar applications, and at the time of the announcement NXP claimed high resolution, but did not have figures on hand to support the claim. It is being field tested by Google engineers and in radar specialist Hella’s automotive CompactRadar solution.

Resolution claims for NXP’s product are still unavailable. Still, TI claims its sensor portfolio delivers “up to three times more accurate sensing than current mmWave solutions on the market.”

Regardless, the key point at that time was that the NXP device operated at 77 GHz, using RFCMOS. Traditionally, compound semiconductor material such as silicon germanium (SiGe) had been the go-to technology for adequate performance at millimeter wave bands (30 GHz to 300 GHz). However, CMOS is cheaper and also allows for potentially higher levels of integration and lower power consumption. Still, SiGe does have size and performance advantages at these higher frequencies, as well as high temperature tolerance, which has benefits as devices get closer to the engine block. These are just some of the reasons Infineon Technologies uses SiG for the front end of its own 76- to 77-GHz automotive radar solution for long-range applications like adaptive cruise control and collision warning, which recognize objects at a range of up to 250 meters.

TI’s radar ICs are designed around the use of linear frequency-modulation, continuous-wave (FMCW) radar, with multiple receive/transmit antennas for beamforming for more accurate range resolution. However, with FMCW, range resolution also depends upon the sweep bandwidth of the chirp: a sweep bandwidth of 300 MHz can resolve down to 0.5 meters; a 1-GHz sweep can resolve to 15 cm; and a 4-GHz sweep bandwidth can give a range resolution as low as 3.75 (Figure 3).

The resolution of a given solution of course depends upon other factors, including distance and relative speed, but according to TI, the sensor series can detect at ranges of up to 300 meters, resolve down to 50 µm, and work at velocities of up to 300 km/hr.  They occupy a footprint of 10.4 mm2 and consume as little as 150 mW. Built-in, self-test (BIST) f allows the AWR1x series to meet ISO 26262, automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) B.

While TI has not released information on the cost of the ICs, it does have a $299 EVM specific to each version for the series to help designers get started.

With the AWR1x series, designers can cost-effectively, and with a single platform, design for applications all the way from 3D ranging and pedestrian detection at 300 meters, down to more localized, short-range detection applications, such as detecting when an opening door is about to hit another car or wall.

The applications are many, but the single, scalable platform, with low-cost, highly integrated solutions and software support, make them possible (Chart).

Chart: Using a mix-and-match module approach, the AWR1443 radar front end, AWR1443 ultra-high-resolution, single-chip radar, and AWR1642 low-power single-chip radar can be combined to allow switching from short- to medium- and long-range radar and proximity detection. (Image source: Texas Instruments.)

[futuremobile2025]

V2X communications: A pointless wait for 5G?

V2X communications — the ability of a vehicle to communicate with another, or with ambient infrastructure – could vastly enhance transportation safety if deployed on a mass scale. But it remains an unfulfilled dream because there isn’t a universal agreement on communications protocols.

There are two leading contenders for such a communications standard: Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) and Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology that leverages the commercial cellular network and field equipment managed by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), whose founding members include Ericsson, Intel, Huawei, Nokia, Qualcomm, Audi, BMW Group and Daimler AG, is lobbying for C-V2X, claiming superior capabilities over DSRC, on more than one front.

DSRC is championed by the US NHSTA which estimates that safety applications enabled by V2X could eliminate or mitigate the severity of up to 80 percent of non-impaired crashes, including crashes at intersections or while changing lanes.

DSRC is based on the IEEE 802.11p standard, which defines enhancements to IEEE’s 802.11 standards (the basis of Wi-Fi) to support wireless access in vehicles. In Europe, 802.11p serves as a basis for the ITS-G5 standard, supporting the GeoNetworking protocol for V2X communications.

According to its adherents, IEEE 802.11p was designed with every V2X application in mind and with the most stringent performance specifications. IEEE 802.11p operates in the 5.9 GHz band that was set aside for V2X in 1999 by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The standard, approved in 2009, has been extensively field-tested in several prototypes under the supervision of the Department of Transportation.

Obviously, for V2X to be effective, it has to be universally installed – on cars and on infrastructure.

Recognizing this reality, the NHSTA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in December 2016 that would mandate V2V communications on all new light-duty vehicles.  The proposal includes V2V communication performance requirements predicated on the use of on-board DSRC devices to exchange two-way Basic Safety Messages (BSM) about a vehicle’s speed, heading, brake status, and other information with nearby vehicles.

The public-comment period for the proposed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard rulemaking closed in mid April. What will happen next is unclear, says a mid-May report in EE Times, “since the promulgation of a clear V2V mandate has stagnated with the slow pace of nominations by the Trump administration. Many cabinet agencies – including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – remain stuck in staffing limbo.“

What is clear, however, is that the proposed rule making effort is hotly contested

The C-V2X camp claims that DSRC is dead on arrival. It argues that today’s extensive cellular networks could be upgraded to the next generation of wireless technology, while DSRC relies on roadside units that are not ubiquitously deployed in the U.S. “As soon as 5G and its corresponding highly reliable, low-latency mission critical services are available for V2X applications, ADAS and CAD will be significantly enhanced” according to a whitepaper commissioned by 5GAA.

For its part, the DSRC side maintains that its approach is simple and fast; since the communication link between vehicles and infrastructure is short lived, there is no need to establish a so-called basic service set, with the associated authentication procedures, before exchanging data. The IEEE 802.11p amendment defines a way to effect this data exchange.

(Many of the comments to the rule-making proposal echo this one from Verizon, as reported in RCR Wireless News, “NHSTA should not prescribe specific technology that must be deployed to meet its proposed mandate, since limiting possible solutions to a specific type of spectrum or technology will unnecessarily hamstring innovation.” BMW, too, “urge(s) the agency to consider rewriting the requirements of this rule to be performance-oriented and technology neutral.”)

But, the most trenchant argument in favor of DSRC comes from Cisco. In its comments on the NHSTA proposal, Cisco points out that DSRC is “the only mature communication option that meets the latency requirements to support vehicle communication based crash avoidance.”

That DSRC is indeed the “only mature communications option” is clear: It works reliably (in field trials it has been repeatedly demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Department of Transportation); the costs are well defined since components exist; the DSRC functionality would simply be part of a standard infotainment package sold and maintained by the automotive OEM. Unlike a cellular approach, there would be no subscription fee

Meanwhile, product development for DSRC continues apace. Several chip companies, including Autotalks, NXP and Renesas have announced 802.11p-compliant products.

And, just two months ago, the world’s third largest automaker provided the biggest endorsement yet of DSRC. General Motors’ Cadillac division introduced the first production vehicle – the 2017 CTS — capable of V2V communications. Cadillac claims that the CTS system, which happens to be based on DSRC, can handle 1000 message per second from vehicles up to nearly 1,000 feet apart.  Cadillac uses a Delphi-supplied module running application software developed by Cohda Wireless on NXP Semiconductors’ IEEE 802.11p chipset.

True that, at the moment, a Cadillac can only communicate with another similarly equipped Cadillac. But this represents the first large-scale experiment in V2X.

Perhaps even more importantly, Cadillac’s coup demonstrates that DSRC is here, now.

In contrast, there is general agreement that current versions of cellular can only address basic V2X use-cases, but not safety-while-driving, which needs extremely low latency. Next generation 5G cellular may be the Holy Grail, promising manifold benefits but given the fact that the specification has not even gelled yet, it remains a distant hope.

[futuremobile2025]

Renault to sell electricity from recycled EV batteries

By:Richard Wallace

Renault-Nissan, the strategic partnership between France’s automobile manufacturer Renault and Japan’s Nissan, is working with energy storage specialist The Mobility House to develop a ‘mega battery’ built from new or used electric car batteries. The move has the potential to effectively reduce the ownership cost of electric vehicles (EV) by creating a secondary recycling market for used lithium-ion batteries that might otherwise be scrapped.

The Renault-Nissan mega battery is a power plant that will generate enough electricity for 120,000 homes, or supplement a gas- or coal-fired power station in meeting peak electricity demand on the grid, according to the Reuters article below.

EV competitor Tesla is building what it terms a ‘Gigafactory‘ with Japanese partners, including Panasonic. The objective is to produce high volumes of batteries at lower cost by using economies of scale, innovative manufacturing, and reduction of waste – all optimized under one factory roof. The Gigafactory will be powered by renewable energy sources with the goal of achieving net zero energy.

The Renault-Nissan power storage plant will function as one huge battery, while Tesla’s is a manufacturing plant that makes large numbers of  Li-ion batteries for electric cars. Like rival Tesla’s energy storage business, the Renault-Nissan move underscores its desire to cultivate a second-hand battery market while encouraging the development of energy infrastructure that works for electric cars.

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Renault to sell electricity from recycled EV batteries

The new battery of the Renault electric car Z.E. is displayed on media day at the Paris auto show, in Paris, France, September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

By Christoph Steitz and Edward Taylor

Reuters

Renault-Nissan is drawing up plans to build a 100 megawatt power storage plant in Europe, sources told Reuters, hoping to give electric car batteries a second life in a project that could eventually compete with utility companies.

Like rival Tesla’s energy storage business, the Renault-Nissan move underscores its desire to cultivate a second-hand battery market while encouraging the development of energy infrastructure that works for electric cars.

The Renault-Nissan alliance plant, which has yet to be built, would be big enough to power 120,000 homes, or supplant the role of a gas- or coal-fired power station in meeting peak electricity demand on the grid, the sources said.

Rather than generating power, a storage plant charges up in times of excess supply and sells electricity back to the grid when needed. Proponents say such plants can play a key role in smoothing out unpredictable wind and solar power generation.

Renault-Nissan is working in partnership with energy storage specialist The Mobility House on the mega battery which would be assembled from new or used electric car batteries, one of the sources said.

“We’re working with The Mobility House on several programs including a major energy storage project that is currently still in the study phase,” Renault spokeswoman Celine Farissier said, declining to give further details.

Makers of electric cars stand to benefit from the creation of a market for used lithium-ion batteries that can no longer power vehicles to drive far enough. Higher second-hand battery values could help bring down the cost of electric cars and mega batteries are one avenue for recycling the power cells.

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The powertrain opportunity is reshaping relationships between chipmakers and their automotive customers

The electrification of the powertrain – at all levels — is a bonanza for semiconductor companies. From micro hybrids, where 48 V systems are accommodating the need for more on-board power, to all-electric vehicles with batteries capable of delivering many hundreds of volts, semiconductors play a vital role.

On average, cars with conventional internal combustion engines today contain semiconductors worth some $350. In electric and hybrid vehicles, the semiconductor content easily doubles — not only because of additional electronic controls for the drive motors but also for battery management and lighting. Lighting? Yes, because electric vehicles need to maximize efficiency anywhere they can, they are typically equipped with LED exterior and interior lighting, which, in turn, requires electronic LED drivers based on power electronic devices.

And, because vehicle characteristics increasingly depend on the performance of the semiconductor components, relationships along the supply chain are changing: “A decade ago, from the perspective of the automotive industry, semiconductors used to be nothing else but a component that had to be bought at the best possible price. Today, the awareness is growing within engineering departments of the automotive industry that semiconductors lay the foundation for achieving the strategically important properties of the vehicles,” says Gerd Teepe, marketing director of semiconductor manufacturer Globalfoundries. This realization has led to innovation partnerships between carmakers and semiconductor vendors. For instance, Daimler is cooperating with Qualcomm in the development of the wireless charging technology for electric vehicles. Volkswagen recently entered an innovation partnership with Infineon. Audi’s “Progressive Semiconductor Program” (PSCP) addresses semiconductors across all disciplines of automotive electronics. Members of the program are, among others, Renesas and STMicroelectronics.

While electromobility is not the sole focus of these partnerships, it is inconceivable without them;  – OEMs, tier-one suppliers, and semiconductor manufacturers are collaborating closely on motors, electromechanical components, energy storage and control systems that together make up an electric car. Robert Bosch for instance, itself a large semiconductor manufacturer albeit only for its captive demand, has launched a business unit exclusively dedicated to electromobility. Currently, Bosch’s engineers are busy readying the electric powertrain for the mass market. “We increase the efficiency of the drive system, for example by integrating gearbox, power electronics and motor in an electrical axis,” explains Bosch spokesman Florian Flaig. “Currently, a drive train for electric or hybrid vehicles consists of individual components. In the future, the Bosch electric drive system will combine transmission, electric machine and power electronics in a compact housing.” The goal is reducing the complexity of the electric drive and making the drivetrain considerably cheaper, more compact and more efficient.

Nevertheless, as yet there is no such thing as one standard drive concept for electric vehicles. From a centrally located single-motor drive to separate motors driving the front and the rear axle to wheel hub drives, each approach is currently designed into the next generation of vehicles. Bosch competitor Schaeffler Technologies, for example, developed a wheel hub drive along with R&D partner Ford Motor Company – one motor for each wheel. “There are several benefits benefit of this approach”, a Schaeffler spokesperson explains. “The entire technological content of the drive – including power electronics – is integrated into one compact design. This gives car designers the freedom to rethink the entire vehicle. Since no more space is wasted for the engine compartment, such a car would be very compact yet spacious”.

What gives the car designer the freedom to rethink the vehicle may create headaches for the electronic design engineer. Wheel hub drives are rather challenging in terms of cooling – after all, they inherently have a particularly high energy density and at the same time fewer options to remove the heat. Schaeffler claims to have solved the problem –  a solution made possible only by the latest generation of power semiconductors.

Currently, semiconductors to drive such motors mostly are high-voltage IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistor) or MOSFETs. Voltages of motor designs today typically range from 600 VDC to 800 VDC. “But we see a trend towards higher DC link voltages, therefore our latest automotive IGBT generation is designed for 750 V and 1200 V”, says Stephan Zizala, Vice President and General Manager of Infineon’s automotive division. To enable higher power densities, the company’s power modules come in a special package that enables double-sided cooling. According to Zizala, this allows designers to reduce the inverter volume by up to 20%.

For even higher power densities, the industry is betting on new materials such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) or, farther down the line, Gallium Nitride (GaN). Infineon’s Zizala believes that for the next five to ten years, conventional IGBTs and MOSFETs will continue to be the dominant semiconductor for electric drive trains. Starting around 2021, SiC will be used for high-end battery vehicles at a larger scale. SiC is expected to bring significant improvements in power density, resulting in up to 80% reduction of the inverter size – mostly driven by higher efficiency and thus less waste heat. This efficiency gain also has an impact on the battery: It will allow a battery downsizing of 5%, Zizala said.

For the time being, Infineon’s focus in SiC development aims at achieving the same reliability level as today’s IGBTs and MOSFETs. The broader introduction of GaN is expected to follow significantly later “because of known and unknown reliability issues,” as Zizala puts it.

Much like Infineon, other semiconductor vendors are currently exploring the potential of SiC and GaN devices. ON Semiconductor, for example, will be ready to offer SiC MOSFETs already in 2017. Competitor Rohm is already introducing its third generation of SiC devices. The company integrates real-world experiences to further advance this technology through cooperation with the Formula E racing team Venturi. “The insights we are gaining today in Formula E will be applied in the production of electric series cars tomorrow,” says Alessandro Maggioni, technical marketing manager at Rohm. The use of gallium nitride is currently under investigation, but the Rohm expert does not yet regard this material as suitable for car applications.

[futuremobile2025]

Korea plans K-City, world’s largest test bed for self-driving cars

South Korea is famous for high-tech cities, starting with the ancient capital Seoul, a high tech magnet for global innovation, and more recently, the $35-billion-dollar Songdo City project, built from the ground up on reclaimed land near the Yellow Sea, billed as a model for smart cities around the globe.

A major automobile maker –and user– South Korea is now going all out in its efforts to embrace self-driving cars, planning a new urban center, K-City, that will feature bus lanes, freeways and autonomous parking zones, and everything a self-driving car might encounter. The idea is an enhancement of Michigan’s 32-acre Mcity, designed to create a real-world, off-highway, proving ground for self-driving technology.

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Korea is building a ‘city’ for self-driving cars

Steve Dent, @stevetdent

South Korea will soon open an 88 acre facility with everything an autonomous car might encounter, including expressways, parking areas and bus-only lanes, according to the Korea Business Times. First announced last year, it will be the world’s largest, dwarfing Michigan’s 32-acre Mcity facility that it’s reportedly based on. The idea is to let companies test self-driving tech in a repeatable way, without the hard-to-get permits normally required to test vehicles on Korea’s public roads.

South Korea produces some of the world’s most popular cars, but is well behind other nations in allowing self-driving vehicles on its streets. Despite that, it recently announced the ambitious goal to produce Level 3 vehicles (fully autonomous with a driver backup) by 2020.

The nation started issuing permits for testing on public streets last year starting with eight vehicles. Recently, it gave Samsung a new permit, allowing it to test its own self-driving platform, consisting of sensors and computing systems but not a vehicle. South Korea’s largest automaker, Hyundai, is also building self-driving tech that requires less computing horsepower than other systems, but so far it has been testing the tech in the US.

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[futuremobile2025]

Futuremobile: Who will prevail in the battle over the “eyes?”

The “rotating coffee cans” atop Google’s autonomous vehicles were once symbolic of the future of driving. They are now quickly becoming quaint artifacts of a bygone era as low-cost LiDAR technologies emerge and more integrated approaches to object sensing start to take priority.

The highly contentious patent-infringement lawsuit between Waymo, Google’s autonomous vehicle group, and Uber, emphasizes what’s at stake, while at the same time distracting from the rapid pace of LiDAR technology development from startups and established companies alike.

When they first emerged in 2005, Velodyne’s 3D, real-time light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors were a welcome answer to the shortfalls of radar and cameras. By measuring the time of flight (ToF) from the laser to an object and back to the photodetector, and knowing the speed of light, LiDAR systems can precisely calculate distance, down to the centimeter, or less (Figure 1).

Figure 1. LiDAR uses the time-of-flight of optical pulses to calculate range to an accuracy of 2 cm at up to 200 m. (Image source: Delphi)

On the other hand, radar uses RF waves and makes sense of the reflected waves. It doesn’t depend on being able to “see” in the visible spectrum, so it works regardless of weather or lighting conditions. It can also see around objects, using the right algorithms and with enough processing horsepower. However, it suffers from poor resolution so it has difficulty distinguishing between objects, and it can’t detect color.

Cameras and the computer vision algorithms behind them are excellent at reading signs, seeing people and tracking roads and lane markings, but typically cannot detect range and are easily blinded. That said, using two or more camera lenses, 3D information can be extracted for ranging, and vision algorithms and detectors are getting better at managing lighting extremes

For its core design, Velodyne combined multiple lasers and photodetectors (up to 64 in the high-end HDL-64E) with associated optics to get a vertical field of view (FoV) that’s now 26.8˚ to 40˚. However, to get a full 360˚ horizontal view of the surroundings, Velodyne developed the distinct “can” which houses the optics and electronics, sitting atop a rotating platform. The lasers, detectors, and algorithms provide accurate 3D images of up to 1.3 million data points per second the mechanical rotation provides the 360˚ view. The HDL-64E has a range of 100 to 120 m and a horizontal resolution (frequency of rotation and refresh) of up to 20 Hz.

On the downside, the system costs up $75,000, weighs 33 lb, and consumes 60 W.

LiDAR gets affordable Though the cost of Velodyne’s approach continues to come down, and Velodyne is introducing smaller versions, a fundamentally more cost-effective, lighter and more aesthetic approach to LiDAR is needed. In that regard, Velodyne is playing catch up to a flotilla of startups, including Waymo, which was spun out of Alphabet and is now part of Google’s self-driving car project.

Other startups include Israel’s Innoviz Technologies, which has promised to bring a $100 solid-state LiDAR to market by 2018. In the meantime, Quanergy Systems has already introduced the $250 S3, a solid-state, phased-array LiDAR that measures 9 x 6 x 6 centimeters (Figure 2).

The overall goal is to move from a bulky, mechanical system to a smaller, more discrete version of LiDAR based on bulk solid-state or fiber-based lasers. As Quanergy has shown, these have now become powerful and efficient enough to be considered for low-cost, low-power automotive applications.1 By moving to the solid state, the problem of mechanical moving parts is eliminated and reliability increases, and while that has always been the case, the improved performance of solid state devices now makes it a viable option.

Quanergy specifies a maximum range of 150 m at 8% reflectivity, and it generates 0.5 million data points per second. At 100 m, the distance accuracy is +/- 5 cm. The FoV for Quanergy’s solution is 120˚, both horizontally and vertically. To get 360˚ visibility, multiple S3s will be needed. Assuming four systems, one at each corner of the vehicle, the total cost is $1000 for a system provides more data points than Velodyne’s but costs a lot less.

Quanergy has partnered with Delphi, a Tier 1 automotive supplier, which has also invested in the company. Valeo SA, another supplier, is using LeddarTech Inc.’s proprietary algorithms and ASIC to provide a LiDAR solution to Audi for the A8 in 2019 and 2020.

Unlike Quanergy, LeddarTech is focused on processing in the digital domain, before the signal is sent out and after it’s received. It uses proprietary techniques to expand the sampling rate and resolution of the sampled signal and recovers the distance for every object in its field of view. While LeddarTech does supply related optics to get a project moving, its focus is on the processing: optics can be sourced elsewhere.

Israel’s Innoviz Technologies is a startup that has already announced the $100 InnovizOne, a high-definition solid-state LiDAR (HD SSL) measuring 5 x 5 x 5 cm. It is a full system and has key performance specifications that include a range of 200 m, a depth accuracy of <2 cm, a FoV of 100˚ horizontal and 25˚ vertical, and a resolution of >6 Mpixels/s at a frame rate of 25 fps. The company expects to be in production by 2018.

Another startup getting a lot of attention is Luminar Technologies, led by Austin Russell, a young, 22-year-old applied-physics prodigy. The company has already demonstrated a “hyper-accurate” LiDAR design with a range of over 200 m at <10% reflectivity (Figure 3).

The rate of development of competition in LiDAR, particularly for autonomous vehicles, clearly took Velodyne by surprise. While it has introduced its own version of a solid-state LiDAR in April, it’s own website still states that,

“Solid State approaches are experimental, and in the early stages of research. Especially for distance measurements above 20 meters with meaningful field of views, no proven concept has been offered as a commercial solution, and it is doubtful any will emerge in the near future due to challenges based on the fundamental laws of physics. Future sensors would be only directional, and therefore multiple sensors would be needed for a full surround view if this technology ever matures to a commercially useful level.”

LiDAR innovation is moving so fast that even marketing and site editors can’t keep up. The company’s solid-state Velarray LiDAR measures 125 x 50 x 55 mm, has a 120˚ x 35˚ FoV, and a range of 200 m. The intent of the system to enable advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), a much-needed feature now, even as cars move toward full autonomy.

The competition for Velodyne isn’t just from startups. MicroVision, for example, is turning its microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) expertise toward LiDAR. See a demonstration on YouTube. One of the engineers at Velodyne, Kevin Watson, actually left the company to join MicroVision to develop what he calls, “…that Holy Grail of a sensor.” Also, Continental AG is getting to launch hi-res Flash LiDAR technology that relies upon a single pulse to acquire an image.

As the lawsuit between Waymo and Uber progresses, more details on Waymo’s technology have been revealed, including that it relies upon fiber laser technology, which uses the fiber itself to amplify the optical signal. While the technology itself isn’t new and is already widely used commercially for discrete ranging systems, its use in autonomous vehicles is only beginning. The case between Waymo and Uber is more about how it’s being implemented.

The paths to low-cost eyes While Velodyne paved the path to all-seeing eyes for autonomous vehicles, it’s becoming clear that the way forward is less about a singly perfect LiDAR and more about finding a lower-cost LiDAR system that can be integrated with cameras, radar, and other sensors. No one sensing technology can accomplish what’s needed, and for autonomous vehicles to progress, all options must be considered and integrated to provide a complete picture.

From a strictly LiDAR point of view, the winners will those that have the contacts and distribution channels within the very relationship-dependent automotive supply chain. The various architectures being offered by startups and established companies do offer clear distinctions, from digital-only processing to full systems. From MEMS to solid-state, to Flash LiDAR and fiber lasers, the options are many, but the odds are that many startups will be bought up by established players who will do well by focusing on the integration of LiDAR with other sensing options.

Reference:

1: https://esto.nasa.gov/files/Lidar_TechStrategy_%202016.pdf

[futuremobile2025]

An ascendant Infineon is poised to dominate the powertrain

“Anticipated growth in sales of hybrid and electric vehicles in the next few years will spur power semiconductor sales to climb by CAGR 9.6 percent from 2015 to 2022 across all vehicles, taking Powertrain’s market share up to 54 percent of the total market, according to the report.  Discrete IGBT power transistors account for most of Powertrain power semiconductor revenue, but increased integration of discretes into modules will cause IGBT power module sales to increase at a much faster rate.”

Surely that forecast from IHS is music to Infineon’s ears. But it’s only confirmation. Infineon’s been on it for a while.

The German chipmaker is already a leader in automotive power semiconductors by a wide margin over fellow European chipmaker ST Microelectronics. And, if the most recent quarterly report is an early indicator, Infineon is revving its engines. Its acquisition of International Rectifier is beginning to show results and it’s shrugged off the failed attempt to acquire silicon carbide (SiC) pioneer, Wolfspeed, from Cree.

Just last week it cranked up volume production on the next generation power component– a full-SiC module announced during PCIM 2016. That’s a leap of faith. Infineon is betting – though it’s a pretty safe bet – that despite a slowdown in overall vehicle sales, demand for plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles (xEV) will continue to rise. These vehicles are chock full of power electronics – most of which are currently based on silicon. However, the latest xEV designs call for advances in efficiency and power density. SiC is emerging as the material of choice to overcome the performance plateau of silicon because of its low switching losses, high temperature capability and high switching frequency.

Said CEO Reinhard Ploss on a recent conference call with analysts, “We started sampling our first trench silicon carbide MOSFET and full silicon carbide modules to select customers last fall. Just from this first project, we see a revenue potential of a low triple-digit million euro amount over the next years. We are confident that a growing share of this potential will turn into future business. We are very much on track to bring the best silicon carbide MOSFET design to the market. This is not only what we believe, but also what we hear from our customer who have tested the samples.”

Infineon has propelled itself to number one in automotive power semiconductors, worldwide, on the strength of a broad technology portfolio that allows customers to choose the best solution– silicon carbide, CoolMOS, or IGBT — on the high-performance to low-cost spectrum.

The company’s power expertise in silicon, SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) is complemented by innovative packaging and gate driver solutions. Infineon is leveraging this expertise, developed over five decades of experience in both high-voltage components and automotive semiconductors to bring SiC to automobiles.

Nevertheless, says Ploss, “Today, by far, the majority (I would say ‘by far’ means nearly complete) of market demand is on the IGBT side.”

Helmut Gassel, chief merchandising office, expands on that: “We recorded $750 million worth of design wins in IGBTs last fiscal year. Obviously, these design wins are turning into business now. So, when you look at silicon carbide and automotive, the first applications will be on the onboard charger side, because space is at a premium there.”

But that poses an interesting dilemma for Infineon: Its IGBT business isn’t chump change. “We are right now roughly at a triple million euro figure already growing 60% year-over-year,” says Gassel,

Does silicon carbide pose a cannibalistic threat to the IGBT business?

“This is a difficult one,” says Ploss, “Of course, we see a certain replacement of our IGBT business for silicon carbide.” Silicon carbide has obvious benefits but the devices are – for now – significantly more expensive than standard IGBTs.

But Infineon’s campaign to bring silicon carbide to the automobile won’t be a walk in the park: Old competitors and new are lurking.

ST Microelectronics CEO, Carlo Bozzotti, predicts that SiC will be an important contributor to revenues in the second half of 2017, “We see an acceleration of design wins on silicon carbide products.”

ST Micro sees two “spearhead” applications: The inverter and the system that drives the electric motor. “And our proposition here, of course, is to start replacing IGBT with our SiC Power MOS.” ST Micro has allowed that it has scored a major automotive design win for SiC Power MOS in China

And then there’s Rohm Semiconductor of Kyoto, Japan. At Electronica last year, Rohm demonstrated its third generation of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. Rohm claims that it was first to mass produce SiC MOSFETs in 2010, and the first – in 2012 — to mass produce full-SiC power modules that integrate power semiconductor elements composed entirely of silicon carbide. Rohm also lays claim to the first mass produced trench-type SiC MOSFETs. Compared with planar gate-type SiC MOSFETs, the new generation of SiC MOSFETs reduces ON-resistance by 50% across the entire temperature range and input capacitance by 35% in the same chip size.

Meanwhile, there are the SiC specialists who are leapfrogging previous generations of power transistors. The aforementioned Wolfspeed recently claimed an industry first: An all-SiC 1.2kV power module that passes the harsh environment qualification test for simultaneous high-humidity, high-temperature and high-voltage conditions.

But for now, there are few clouds on Infineon’s horizon. “I think our excellent position for high voltage devices – may it be CoolMOS, may it be silicon carbide or may it be standard IGBT — puts us into a position where we can choose either high performance or cost performance,” says Ploss,

[futuremobile2025]

Can Sebastian Thrun create legions of engineers qualified to design autonomous vehicles?

Sebastian Thrun led the development of the Google self-driving car. Now he wants to teach you how to be a self-driving car engineer — in nine months.

Thrun, whose day job is Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, also founded Udacity, the online tech educator (Thrun calls it the “new University of Silicon Valley”) famous for the concept of the “nanodegree,” a 6 – 12 month program, designed to teach programming skills needed for entry-level positions in industry.

One of Udacity’s newest offerings is the Self-Driving Car Engineer Nanodegree. Almost anyone with an intermediate-level knowledge of Python and C++ (plus basic college math and physics) can be potentially certified as a Self-Driving Car Engineer. It takes nine months and $800, working for 20 hours or so per week.  “Almost anyone,” because there were 11,000 applicants for 250 spots in the first such course.

Udacity created the curriculum in collaboration with industry partners at the vanguard of autonomous vehicle development: Mercedes-Benz, Nvidia and Uber ATG. Course topics include: Deep Learning; controllers; computer vision; vehicle kinematics; sensor fusion and automotive hardware. Participants even get to run code on an actual autonomous vehicle.

According to Udacity, “Program graduates will be uniquely prepared for a wide variety of roles in the autonomous vehicle industry. These include System Software Engineer, Deep Learning Engineer, Vehicle Software Engineer, Localization and Mapping Engineer, Autonomous Driving Engineer, Autopilot Engineer, Sensor Fusion Engineer, Visual Perception Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, and Motion Planning Engineer.”

The first class has yet to graduate, but early indications are promising. Already, Chrysler has indicated that it wants to hire 40 graduates, according to Thrun, and Bosch is “looking forward to tapping Udacity’s qualified candidate pipeline.”

In discussions on Quora, participants in Udacity’s program, while generally expressing satisfaction with the course material, particularly lauded the challenging homework projects and the self-discipline that group learning imposes.  “This is different from simply going on the web and learning things because, in this latter case, there is neither motivation nor organization,” said one. Another said “It is about surrounding yourself with a learning intensive environment that also consists of these external sources, the highly responsive student body/mentors (on Slack, Facebook, Confluence etc.) and the projects required to complete the course. The projects can ideally be mentioned on resumes and during interviews for potential jobs in the future.”

Emboldened by success, Udacity is now accepting applications for the self-driving car engineer course starting July 2017.

[futuremobile2025]

Does Infineon’s MEMS lidar portend a quantum leap for ADAS?

The light detection and ranging sensor, or lidar, acting in concert with camera and radar, is emerging as the key constituent of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that enable semi- or fully-automated cars. Unlike radars, which lack resolution, and vision cameras, which can’t see at night and in bad weather, lidars use pulsed lasers to track the environment around cars with greater precision.

But, how to make lidars affordable for high-volume car OEMs? And, make them compact and robust as well? Remember the most distinctive feature on the roof of Google’s self-driving cars? That device from Velodyne used a revolving array of lasers and optical sensors and cost nearly $75,000.

The next generation of lidars miniaturized the bulky roof-top sensors while bringing down the cost to around $8,000. But that was still too pricey for carmakers. Finally, at the CES 2016, the Silicon Valley startup Quanergy vowed to offer a lidar for less than $250, prompting similar announcements from Velodyne and Israeli upstart Innoviz.

Enter solid-state lidars.

Infineon’s recent acquisition of Innoluce, a Philips spin-off, provides some clues on the anatomy of solid-state lidars. Innoluce shrinks lidars by replacing the highly-precise mechanical scanning mirrors with MEMS micro-mirrors.

That significantly brings down the cost, improves temperature stability and lowers sensitivity to vibrations. The miniature laser scanning module from Innoluce, consisting of tiny MEMS mirrors and an ASIC that controls these mirrors, is used to direct laser beams.

Lidars are going to be crucial for self-driving cars in identifying roadblocks, traffic signs, pavement markings and other roadside conditions. So it’s a welcome relief for car OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers that solid-state lidars promise lower costs in smaller and more rugged packages.

Both Quanergy and Velodyne are expected to unveil solid-state lidars later this year.

[futuremobile2025]

Farming (r)evolution Agricultural robots bring precision to farms of the future

The technology for driverless agricultural machinery and 24‑hour autonomous operations such as seeding, planting and tillage is at hand, and spreading fast.

Leading European and US agricultural machinery companies have launched prototypes of fully autonomous cabless and driverless tractors fitted with GPS‑guided steering and sensors including radar, laser and Light Imaging, Detection and Ranging (Lidar). The raw sensor data can be used to create an accurate terrain map of both indoor and outdoor environments, while onboard video cameras enhance safety by detecting and avoiding stationary or moving obstacles. Autonomous tractors can also work with other manned machinery.

Large tractors are efficient on larger farms, but smaller electric‑powered mobile robots offer much better opportunities for improving productivity on small and medium‑sized farms according to Professor Simon Blackmore, Director of the National Centre for Precision Farming (NCPF) and Head of Engineering at Harper Adams University in the UK.

“In 20 years, robotics will have revolutionized agriculture”, he predicts, noting that it’s not technology that’s slowing adoption, but rather regulations, high sensor costs and a lack of trust on the part of farmers.

Farming (r)evolutionAgricultural robots bring precision to farms of the future

By Peter Feuilherade

http://robohub.org/

The market for agricultural robots has the opportunity for significant expansion: the farming world needs to increase global production whilst it also faces challenges such as reduced availability and the rising costs of farm labour.

Many advances in electric self‑driving car technology and robotics are transferring across to industrial and commercial vehicles, which account for some 60% of the value of the overall electric vehicle market.

In agriculture, the widening use over the next decade of autonomous hybrid or fully electric tractors, robotic machinery and drones could increase farm efficiency and revolutionize how food is produced.

Although some of the technology in farming robots is similar to that of autonomous vehicles, it differs in that operations such as planting seeds, picking vegetables or fruits and localized application of pesticides have individual sensing, manipulation and processing requirements.

Factors promoting the take‑up of agricultural robotics include the promise of increased productivity and efficiency, falling costs of self‑driving technology, reduced availability and rising costs of farm labour and the need to produce more food for a growing global population while crop yields fall in many regions as a result of climate change.

Tractors in transition to electric propulsion

Self‑driving kits, allowing tractors with GPS assistance to follow pre‑programmed routes on large farms, became available some 20 years ago. Nowadays most high‑end tractors are equipped with driverless technology, which is also compatible with combine harvesters. Using GPS, operators can guide tractors and combines to within 30 cm of any plotted location, resulting in more rows in fields and increasing productivity per acre/hectare. More than 300 000 tractors equipped with auto‑steer or tractor guidance were sold in 2016, according to market research company IDTechEx.

Leading European and US agricultural machinery companies have launched prototypes of fully autonomous cabless and driverless tractors fitted with GPS‑guided steering and sensors including radar, laser and Light Imaging, Detection and Ranging (Lidar). The raw sensor data can be used to create an accurate terrain map of both indoor and outdoor environments, while onboard video cameras enhance safety by detecting and avoiding stationary or moving obstacles. Autonomous tractors can also work with other manned machinery.

The standardization work of numerous IEC Technical Committee (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs) contributes significantly to the performance of cameras and sensing technology used in driverless tractors and other autonomous agricultural machinery. International Standards prepared by IEC TC 47: Semiconductor devices, IEC SC 47E: Discrete semiconductor devices, and IEC SC 47F: Microelectromechanical systems, enable manufacturers to build more reliable and efficient sensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). IEC TC 56: Dependability, covers the reliability of electronic components and equipment.

The technology for driverless agricultural machinery will allow 24‑hour autonomous operations such as seeding, planting and tillage to take place. It can enable farmers to address concerns about shortages of agricultural labour, while also increasing productivity and efficiency. IDTechEx notes that delays in the large‑scale market introduction of unmanned autonomous tractors are attributable primarily to regulation, high sensor costs and a lack of trust on the part of farmers, not too technical issues.

Tractors are also making the transition to electric propulsion. A prototype fully‑electric tractor unveiled by a leading US manufacturer earlier this year is equipped with two independent 150 kW electric motors for a total power output of up to 300 kW (402 hp). It is powered by a 130 kWh battery pack and can run for four hours on a three-hour charge.

In the transitional stage to fully‑electric tractors, kits are available to transform diesel‑engine machines into diesel‑electric tractors fitted with generators. In addition, a drivetrain that replaces the transmission, differential and axles with four electric wheel motors provides precise control of the drive tyres.

The range of commercially-available electrically‑powered agricultural vehicles extends beyond tractors to self‑propelled feed mixers and wheeled loaders, all with zero emissions, minimal noise and smooth driving characteristics.

Several IEC TCs and SCs draw up International Standards for the electronic systems, sensors, motors and batteries used in the driverless technology found in electric‑powered autonomous vehicles.

More

[futuremobile2025]

IBM seeks unique role in autonomous vehicles: Boosting consumer confidence

Automakers and their technology suppliers may be jostling for pole position in the race to bring self-driving cars to market, but their customers are wary. That is the conclusion of a major study by the premier arbiter of customer satisfaction and product quality. “In most cases, as technology concepts get closer to becoming reality, consumer curiosity and acceptance increase,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction and HMI research at J.D. Power. “With autonomous vehicles, we see a pattern where trust drives interest in the technology and right now, the level of trust is declining.” (It’s actually a generational issue: The study found that Gen Y – born between 1977 and 1994 — was the least concerned about the safety issue; not surprising, given its well documented affinity for technology.)

That’s where IBM sees an opening for itself.

Recently, the company was granted patents focused on improving autonomous vehicle safety through a machine learning system that can dynamically shift control of an autonomous vehicle between a human driver and a vehicle control processor as it senses a potential emergency.

U.S. Patent #9,566,986: “Controlling driving modes of self-driving vehicles,” is based on IBM’s research into biological cognition and behavior generation in the brain. IBM inventors have devised a cognitive model and technique that uses sensors and artificial intelligence “to dynamically determine potential safety concerns and control whether self-driving vehicles are operated autonomously or by relinquishing control to a human driver.”

IBM claims that in case of an “operational anomaly” such as dangerous road conditions, or even brake failure, the system determines whether the human driver or vehicle processor is better equipped to handle the situation and acts accordingly. If the system determines that the vehicle control processor is better able to handle the anomaly, the vehicle switches to autonomous mode, overriding any actions by the driver.

“IBM has been inventing, patenting and innovating new technologies for the automotive industry for decades,” says James Kozloski, Manager, Computational Neuroscience and Multiscale Brain Modeling, at IBM Research.

The question, of course, remains: Does a technology, so advanced that it seems “indistinguishable from magic,” (to paraphrase the science fiction author, Arthur C. Clarke) help engender greater consumer trust?

[futuremobile2025]

Cypress claims inside track in automotive body electronics

“We will win where we focus,” says Cypress Semiconductor president and CEO Hassane El-Khoury. And, one of the areas his company has been focusing on is body electronics in automobiles. Cypress sees an inflection point in body electronics amid the rising tide of in-vehicle networking.

While ADAS and autonomous car technologies are stealing all the headlines, body electronics has been enjoying a strong consumer demand for new vehicle designs across the board. That’s because it improves the comfort of vehicle occupants while making cars safer and smarter.

Body electronics—anything in the vehicle cabin, including HVAC, side mirrors, etc.—provides control functions, implements diagnostics and safety features, and manages power to facilitate features like power windows, sliding doors, seat controllers, and smart keyless entry.

Buttressed by its acquisitions, such as Spansion and Broadcom’s IoT division, Cypress is now the top supplier of components for instrument cluster with 40 percent of market share. And now the chipmaker is aiming to earn a leading position in the next-generation body electronics platforms.

But how will Cypress stand out from the rest of the pack in body electronics? Connectivity is going to be a key differentiator. Cypress says that seven out of the top eight automotive OEMs employ the integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth solutions that are based on its Traveo automotive MCUs and other PSoCs.

Secure connections at low power

Cypress’ renewed confidence can also be attributed to a major design win.

German powerhouse, Continental AG, the top Tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry, recently picked the Traveo™ II II family of automotive MCUs for body electronics products that include central body control modules, sunroof control units, seat control units, smartphone terminals, and wireless power charging units.

Connectivity is raising the bar for body electronics, and, according to Cypress, the multicore Traveo II microcontroller, based on ARM® Cortex®-M7 and -M4 cores, handles the connectivity requirements using advanced peripherals that support the CAN-FD, Ethernet and FlexRay communication protocols.

Moreover, to prevent cars from being hacked, a critical demand in the increasingly connected automobile body electronics, the MCUs feature the enhanced Secure Hardware Extension (eSHE) support to safeguard connections to ECUs.

Power is another vital consideration in body electronics and the Traveo MCUs ensure low power consumption with a deep sleep mode. The Traveo II microcontrollers will start sampling in the second half of 2017.