Strategy Analytics‘ report,”Automotive Microcontrollers: Market Demand and Product Directions,” predicts that 32-bit devices will account for 58% of the $7.6 billion automotive MCU market by 2015 and that high-end MCUs will be key enablers of future emissions-controlling powertrain technology, advanced safety and driver assistance systems, and multimedia entertainment products. So that‘s what Freescale focused on at Convergence 2008:
Freescale FlexRay and BMW
Freescale‘s FlexRay controller technology was first implemented last year in the BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle, which was the first standard-production vehicle to use the FlexRay protocol. The Integrated Chassis Management (ICM) system in the BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe, which manages the vehicle‘s drivetrain and suspension functions, uses two 32-bit Freescale Power Architecture MCUs. As with the X5, Freescale FlexRay controller technology is used in BMW‘s optional Adaptive Drive, which allows drivers to select a sporting or a more comfortable ride with the press of a button.
For cost-sensitive body electronics applications that have outgrown 8-bit MCUs, NEC Electronics is offering a new 36-member family of 16-bit devices in its F Series, which also includes 8- and 32-bit versions. The 78K0R/Fx3 MCUs, for window, seat, and door modules, and HVAC systems, are based on NEC‘s 78K0R core, but use a three-stage pipeline architecture that achieves a CPU clock speed of 24MHz, and executes 15 Dhrystone MIPS.
Memory configurations range from 24kB to 256kB. Dual operating data flash memory (simultaneous code execution and internal EEPROM emulation) helps reduce memory access time, among other potential benefits. Other features include an expanded instruction set (25 more); CAN support, and LIN support with automatic baud rate detection and enhanced timer functionality.
OmniVision announced at Convergence 2008 that it has begun volume shipments of its ¼-inch OV7710 (color) and OV7211 (b/w) VGA CMOS CameraChip sensors to automotive customers. Of course it declined to say which ones, or to specify display-based and/or signal processing applications beyond mentioning its “dual static overlay function enabling on-screen reference frames and guiding systems for rear view and parking assist cameras. “
Senior product marketing manager Inayat Khajasha said the company has design wins for lane departure warning and forward looking cameras, a video event recorder, blind spot detection, 360° view, rear-view, and occupant sensing for airbag deployment. Prospects are evaluating OmniVision products for automatic headlight dimming and bending; front, rear, and side view sensing for park assist, and adaptive cruise control, where radar and lidar are more common. Khajasha said OmniVision is working on sensors to prevent windows and sunroofs from closing on tiny fingers, and “forgotten baby” sensors.
Also in the works, due to ship next March, are OmniVision‘s single-chip high dynamic range (HDR) sensors, the OV10620 (color) and OV10121 (b/w). Both offer automatic adaptation in low and high contrast settings.
The MathWorks chose Convergence 2008 to announce Simulink Fixed Point version 6, which supports 128-bit (versus 32-bit) word lengths among other enhancements. According to Wensi Jin, automotive marketing manager for both North America and the Asia Pacific region, the application is designed to do the non-creative, repetitive, heavy lifting - including code generation - involved in converting floating point models to run on typically less costly fixed point processors. It‘s also said to create more efficient workflows in less time.
“Silicon space is getting more diverse,” Jin says. “It‘s no longer a case of choosing between a micro and a DSP. New ECUs have a lot of silicon options, and (Simulink Fixed Point version 6) supports design engineers deciding what goes on a micro and what goes on a DSP.”
Jin adds, referring to 128-bit support, “When hardware moves, design tools have to also. Otherwise you don‘t get the advantage of the hardware.” The new version works with floating point designs built in
Simulink, Stateflow, Embedded MATLAB functions, Signal Processing Blockset, and Video and Image Processing Blockset. It‘s available for Microsoft Windows, Solaris, Linux, and Macintosh platforms. Prices start at $1k.
Renesas (www.renesas.com) attracted some 300 customers and partners to its first Developers Conference, held in San Diego. More than 80 technical sessions were scheduled, with topics including CAN and FlexRay connectivity.
It used the conference to debut a system-on-chip, the SH77721, that it said is the first product in a new SH-NaviJ series. Microprocessor marketing manager Paul Sykes described the SH-NaviJ as a new SuperH processor tailored for low-end through mid-range car information terminals, including small portable navigation devices and dashboard-mounted car navigation systems.
Renesas‘ SH-Navi processors are being used in many high-end nav system designs, according to Sykes, and the new SoC leverages the same basic architecture and bus structure, CPU, graphics processor, and IP. The SH77721 lets developers “migrate desirable capabilities downward” into lower-priced mainstream products.
The SH77721 uses a fast (333MHz, 599 MIPS, 2.3 GFLOPS) 32-bit superscalar SH-4A CPU core with cache and a floating point unit (FPU). Software written for devices with SH-4 CPUs can be used as is or repurposed with modifications to shorten development time.
Sykes said on-chip peripheral functions have been selected and fine-tuned for mainstream navigation, and screen displays can rival those of high-end systems. The graphics processor has 2D and 3D drawing capabilities for creating recognizable map objects and distinctive GUI icons. Features include 2D bold-line drawing and anti-aliasing, and 3D triangle drawing and texture mapping. The 3D graphics library has an industry standard interface and API while the 2D library is GDI-Sub compliant with Microsoft’s Windows Automotive 5.0 Service Pack 2.
The SH77721 also features a USB v2.0 High Speed host/function interface, SD card host interface, GPS baseband processing module, FM multiplex decoder, and CAN in-vehicle LAN interface, all to help lower component counts. It operates from -40°C to +85x{02da}C.
The SH77721 is packaged in a 23mm x 23mm, 440-pin BGA, with is less than half the size of the 33mm x 33mm, 520-pin BGA that houses the SH7770. To decrease chip size, the SH77721 has fewer channels for the sound interface, DMAC and SCIF. Also, it can work with just one DDR333-type DDR2 SDRAM chip instead of the four external DDR1 memory chips required by the SH7770 SH-Navi. In addition to a 16-bit DDR2 memory interface, the SH77721 has a 32-bit extension bus for connections to external flash memory or SRAM. Its memory can be shared by various function modules, which minimizes if not eliminates the need for external memory chips.
The SH77721 features on-chip debugging at 333MHz. Development tools include the E10A-USB emulator, and the High-performance Embedded Workshop IDE with C compiler and project management capabilities. A new reference platform is also available. It includes application-oriented peripheral circuits and provides a user-system actual-device verification environment. The SoC is $47 in sample quantities, and should be available in Q4 of 2008.
This blog focuses on issues and trends in the design and deployment of automotive electronics products, including chips, embedded systems, network topologies, standards, and system components for infotainment, telematics, ADAS, and more. It's a forum for engineers at every link in the value chain.
