In embedded chips and connected car news tips this week are Tesla Motors, SoundHound, Mentor Graphics, Octo Telematics, Automobility LA, ATS, Waylens, IBM, Infinenon, Arteris, Toshiba, INRIX, Valens, STMicroelectronics, Omnitracs and STW Technic.
Glass Roofs for Tesla
Tesla Motors announced a new all glass roof feature based on the technology used in solar roof panels. The glass roof is expected on the Tesla 3. Meanwhile the Model S has add an all glass roof option for the Model S for an open expansive cabin feel. The option is in production and will be in showrooms in the next few week.
Octo Telematics’ Drones for Accident Recovery & More
Octo Telematics, launched Octo Drone Box, the first telematics solution for business and leisure drones, providing real-time data transmission to the Octo Data Centre through 4G connectivity.
As well as providing valuable data for drone management in terms of crashes, maintenance and air traffic control, drone telematics can also assist in road traffic accident recovery and claims management by being first on the scene of an accident and validating data from multiple source.
One More Week Until AutoMobility LA
There’s still time for industry insiders to register for Automobility LA. There will several new car announcements and new technology on display. The event formerly called the Connected Car Expo is still accepting registration. AUTO Connected Car readers who register for AutoMobility LA can use the coupon code ACCN2016 to save $200 off the AutoMobility Conference. The conference features more than fifty thought leaders across 20-sessions, including four highly-anticipated keynotes.
SoundHound for OverDryve
SoundHound Inc., voice recognition and artificial intelligence technologies, announced that it has licensed its Houndify voice-enabling conversational intelligence developer platform to Rand McNally for its revolutionary connected car device, OverDryve™. Houndify software will allow users to input destinations in OverDryve’s navigation application with their voice, saving users time and protecting them from distractions while driving.
Mentor Graphics Expands Linux for AMD
Mentor Graphics Corporation announced the availability of expanded processor support from the Mentor Embedded Linux development platform for the third generation of AMD’s Embedded G-Series system-on-chip (SoC) portfolio. The AMD Embedded G-Series Family of devices (formerly codenamed: “Prairie Falcon”) supports high-speed graphics and computing performance without compromising energy efficiency. The Mentor Embedded Linux (MEL) platform is based on the open source Yocto™ Project-based Linux distribution which Mentor then complements with commercial testing, value-added capabilities, security vulnerability patches, development tools, and world-class support.
AMD embedded customers can download the updated Mentor Embedded Linux Lite and Sourcery CodeBench Lite tools to quickly build, from source, a customized Linux-based platform based on technology from the Yocto Project.
ATS Debuted ATS Garage wit OTA Updates
ATS Advanced Telematic Systems, a German automotive-focused software company specializing in open source and open standards based software solutions for the mobility industry debuted ATS Garage at TU-Automotive Europe 2016 in Munich. ATS Garage is the first automotive-grade SaaS platform that is open source and specifically designed for the mobility market. It provides OEM labs, SMEs, research facilities and new mobility startups with free access to read-to-use, cloud-based software services. The closed beta version of ATS Garage, which is now open for registration (http://www.atsgarage.com), offers a complete over-the-air software and firmware update management system (OTA).
ATS Garage is a living product that will continue to develop and expand its scope according to future needs and technologies. At the outset, ATS Garage is providing a complete over-the-air (OTA) update service, enabling software and firmware updates for connected devices. The service is based on the open source solution GENIVI SOTA, which was commissioned by GENIVI and developed by ATS..
Waylens GO! Track-Only Feature
Waylens, Inc., the automotive camera company, announced the latest feature available on its Horizon camera system – GO!. The new, track-only feature allows drivers to virtually compare 0 – 30 MPH and 0 – 60 MPH acceleration times with any car and driver on any certified track around the world.
IBM Flash Storage
IBM announced new hybrid cloud all-flash storage solutions developed to modernize and transform storage deployments, providing a strong bridge to the development of cognitive applications. These new solutions and software allow clients to store their valuable data where it makes the best business sense.
IBM Spectrum Storage Suite addresses the often rigid economics of data management through the opportunity to test new hybrid cloud and cognitive applications at no additional charge and by reducing software costs up to 40 percent when compared with a non-integrated solution.
Infinenon Power PROFET
Infineon launched Power PROFET, a new ultra-low ohmic smart high-side switch family. These protected switches offer the lowest on-resistance and the highest energy capability on the market. They enable the replacement of electromechanical relays and fuses in power distribution and junction boxes up to 40A DC.
Today, the vehicle’s power architecture is strongly restricted by the intrinsic limitations of relays and fuses. They are too bulky, often in need of replacement and some of their functionalities are rather limited. Their switching cycle capability, for example, is only about 200,000. Power PROFET switches address these issues and bring multiple benefits. They offer more than 1,000,000 switching cycles. Also, they replace within one single device many components from the existing system, such as relays, fuses, relay drivers, cables and connectors. This allows new mounting locations and, therefore, enables the next generation of decentralized power architectures.
Infineon 1EDN EiceDRIVER TM family
Infineon also introduced the 1EDN EiceDRIVER TM family. This 1-channel low-side gate driver IC is a perfect fit to drive MOSFETs, IGBTs as well as GaN power devices. Its pin-out and packages are fully compatible to the industry standard which eases the drop-in replacement for existing designs. Applications which can leverage the outstanding performance of the driver IC include telecom and industrial SMPS, DC-DC converters, PFC in electrical vehicle charging stations as well as industrial applications such as AC power tools, UPS, air conditioning and fans. The new family also supports wireless charging applications.
Compared to other 1-channel low-side gate driver ICs, the 1EDN EiceDRIVER family from Infineon leads the industry in low internal power consumption. The low-ohmic output stages translate into a higher efficiency of more than 30 percent. This allows for additional design flexibility and driving more power devices whilst staying within the thermal budget.
New Infineon Transceivers
With its TLE925x CAN FD transceivers, Infineon Technologies makes data exchange up to 30 times faster than today. The TLE925x reaches transmission speeds of up to 5 Mbit/s. Compared to the classical CAN transceivers with a maximum of 8 byte, the CAN FD transceivers such as TLE925x can send a payload of up to 64 byte per message. This opens up the possibility to check the transmitted data for consistency in the transmitting control unit and to sign it with a 21-bit checksum instead of the 17-bit possible so far. Longer checksums ensure reliable communication between the control units. This makes it possible to better secure data transmission in the vehicle without the application software becoming more complex in the electronic control unit.
Arteris IP Licensed by Toshiba for ADAS
Arteris Inc., the innovative supplier of silicon-proven commercial system-on-chip (SoC) interconnect IP,announced that Toshiba has licensed Arteris Ncore Cache Coherent Interconnect IP for use in its image recognition processors for ADAS applications.
Toshiba’s image recognition processors are highly integrated systems, with many processing engines and image processing accelerators working in parallel. The Toshiba design team chose Ncore cache coherent interconnect IP because of its unparalleled configurability, allowing the team to create a highly optimized cache coherent system that maximizes performance while minimizing die area and power consumption. In addition, the use of the Arteris FlexNoC Resilience Package allowed the Toshiba design team to create a novel hardware architecture that maximizes SoC functional safety at a minimum cost to die area.
Toshiba Launces 160A Power MOSFET
Toshiba Electronics Europe has launched a new 100V, 160A power MOSFET that delivers a tighter threshold voltage (Vth) specification than previous devices. A tighter threshold voltage specification is very important in switching applications and the TK160F10N1L offers min/max Vth of 2.5V/3.5V versus its predecessor’s 2V/4V range.
The new MOSFET is ideal for automotive power switching applications. In these designs its tighter Vth specification could contribute to a dead time reduction in half-/H-/B6-bridge schemes. This is because the max Vth difference between low-side MOSFET and high-side MOSFET is smaller.
INRIX Traffic in Volvos
INRIX, Inc., the world leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, announced that INRIX Traffic will be integrated globally into the Volvo V40, V40 Cross Country, S60, V60 and XC60. INRIX real-time traffic is already available worldwide across the 90-series vehicle lineup.
Starting this month, Volvo Cars around the world will be equipped with INRIX real-time and predictive traffic flow information for routes, travel times, and alerts to accidents and incidents on over five million miles of roads. INRIX Traffic incorporates information from its network of more than 300 million connected vehicles and devices in over 40 countries.
In November 2015, INRIX was selected as the global traffic provider Volvo Sensus Connect, an innovative on-board infotainment and navigation solution that allows drivers to discover new places, stream their favorite music and much more.
Valens and STMicroelectronics Partner for Connected Cars
Valens and STMicroelectronics announced their collaboration to bring HDBaseT Automotive into the next-generation of connected cars. The highly efficient technology optimizes in-vehicle connectivity by enabling the transmission of reliable 6Gbps high-throughput infotainment, road safety, and automotive-control content over a low-cost infrastructure with near-zero latency.
Valens, as the inventor of HDBaseT and founder of the HDBaseT Alliance, brings the technology and expertise to accomplish the goal of commercializing HDBaseT-enabled vehicles. STMicroelectronics will contribute its extensive design and manufacturing experience and know-how in compliance with the strict automotive quality and reliability requirements.
Omnitracs’ Roadnet Telematics
Omnitracs, LLC, the global pioneer of fleet management solutions to transportation and logistics companies, today announced that two flagship solutions for scalable, easy-to-deploy telematics and compliance have new capabilities that can now benefit a wider number of industries using a variety of vehicle classes, to allow fleets of all sizes to realize greater benefits from real-time asset tracking and data-based fleet visibility.
Geared especially toward short-haul fleets, Omnitracs Roadnet Telematics provides company fleet managers a big picture view that allows them to optimize fuel consumption, reduce maintenance costs, maximize productivity and identify under-utilized assets, reducing costs associated with out-of-service vehicles by up to 25%. Its unique accelerometer technology offers highly sensitive detection of maneuvers in any direction, including high speed, harsh breaking, rapid acceleration, and even backing into a loading dock. In-cab alarms alert drivers to risky driving behaviors, providing them with real-time feedback that allows them to immediately address the practices that put them at risk.
STW Technic TC1
STW Technic, a premier manufacturer of mobile controllers and measurement technology, today announced the launch of their new TC1 controller. The TC1 is the latest in the line of Telematics Controllers from STW for off highway mobile applications. The TC1 offers 3 communication variations while continuing to support features common with STW’s other telematics controllers such as free programmability, wide software support and the possibility to easily connect with STW’s IoT platforms, VDS, VDSR and “machines.cloud”
The three variations of the ESX-TC1 take into account the different communication characteristics in different applications. The ESX-TC1 displays its strengths as an on-board data logger in the communication of controls and sensor data using the CAN bus. CANOpen, SAE J1939 and CAN freestyle communications are supported.
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