In connected car news are Infineon, Toyota, Omnivision, Clutch Technologies, Renesas and Thundersoft.
Infineon Tech 48V
Infineon Technologies AG expects significant growth in automotive 48 V systems in the coming years and is expanding its portfolio of suitable power devices. The chip manufacturer is launching new packages for its 80 V and 100 V MOSFETs with OptiMOS™ 5 technology to meet the different requirements of different 48 V applications. In view of the expected increase in demand, Infineon has set up a new manufacturing process to now produce the chips on its line for 300-millimeter thin-wafers in Dresden, Germany.
“In this decade, we will reach the point where the majority of all newly produced cars worldwide have a partially or fully electric powertrain,” said Stephan Zizala, Vice President and General Manager Automotive High Power at Infineon. “According to market research, production of models with 48 V power supply and a mild hybrid drive is likely to increase more than tenfold between 2020 and 2030. In addition to our portfolio for high-voltage systems in battery-electric drives as well as full and plug-in hybrids, we therefore also strengthen our offering for 48 V systems with new devices and expanded supply capacities.”
Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) extends its embedded SIM (eSIM) portfolio with the new OPTIGA™ Connect eSIM solution for mobile consumer devices. This solution fully supports all GSMA standards from 3G to 5G and securely authenticates the device to the subscribed carrier network of choice. It is the perfect match for smartphones, tablets and wearables like smart watches or fitness trackers thanks to its small footprint. Combining hardware and software in an easy to integrate system, Infineon helps manufacturers to develop product designs efficiently by reducing their eSIM integration efforts and time to market.
Based on Infineon’s proven SLC37 security chip, the new OPTIGA Connect solution meets the GSMA’s security requirements and is tested according to Common Criteria CC EAL4+ high. The chip at its core provides a robust and trustworthy vault which is necessary to secure sensitive keys and data against fraudulent use.
Furthermore, the solution fully complies with the latest 5G specifications from the GSMA (SIMAlliance Profile Interoperability 2.3 Spec) and the 3GPP. It supports the profiles of major mobile network providers with Remote SIM Provisioning capabilities and offers up to 1.2 MB of free user memory for network operator profiles, data and additional applications. The ultra-small package size of only 2.9 mm x 2.5 mm x 0.4 mm allows completely new designs, especially for devices where printed circuit board space is of greatest value.
According to the global tech market advisory firm ABI Research, global shipments of eSIM enabled smartphones is expected to propel to over 225 million in 2020. Based on a continuation of eSIM support from leading handset manufacturers and eSIM expansion into other device ranges, ABI expects a minimum of 500 million eSIM capable smartphones to ship globally in 2024.
Portfolio expansion at both ends of the power spectrum
Infineon offers a variety of 80 V and 100 V MOSFETs in OptiMOS 5 technology with very low, scalable on-state resistances down to 1.2 mΩ. For the core applications of a mild hybrid, for example starter generators, battery switches and DC-DC converters, where high power densities are required, Infineon is expanding its TOLx package family. This is based on the established TOLL (TO-Leadless, 10 mm x 12 mm) product for standard copper substrate PCBs and currents up to 300 A.
In addition, the family comprises the TOLG (TO Leads Gullwing Design) package with identical footprint for Insulated Metal Substrates (IMS) with aluminum core. Since the thermal expansion coefficients of copper and aluminium differ, the use of IMS boards under high thermo-mechanical stress leads to increased stress on the soldered connections between package and PCB. In order to mitigate this stress, the TOLG package is equipped with gullwing leads.
New package for top-side cooling
In the next step, Infineon will expand the TOLx family with a third member that is unique among the competition: the TOLT (TO Leads Top-Side Cooling) package. It enables heat dissipation through top-side cooling via the top of the package instead of via the PCB. This allows an increase in power of more than 20 percent and reduces the necessary cooling effort on the board. The start of volume production of TOLT products is planned for 2021.
Next to the TOLx family, Infineon also expands the package portfolio addressing less power-hungry auxiliaries such as fans and pumps that are also increasingly being transferred to the 48 V supply. Completely new are versions in the small S3O8 package (3.3 mm x 3.3 mm) for lower currents up to 40 A. They complement products with the slightly larger SSO8 package (5 mm x 6 mm) for currents up to 100 A that were added to the portfolio recently.
Mild hybrid drives based on a 48 V supply are a fast and cost-effective way for car manufacturers to achieve lower CO 2 fleet emissions . Among other things, they allow a higher recuperation energy compared to a 12 V system and use the energy gained for electrical support of the combustion engine. In addition, a 48 V supply offers performance and efficiency advantages for safety and comfort functions with high current loads, such as stability control or air-conditioning compressors. Depending on the configuration of the drive system and the number of auxiliary units, a mild hybrid can reduce CO 2 emissions by up to 15 percent compared to a pure combustion engine.]]]
Toyota Develops Electrosatic Airless Sprayed Paint
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) has developed a new type of paint atomizer (airless paint atomizer) that uses static electricity instead of air, to replace the conventional air paint atomizers used in the vehicle body painting process. The newly developed airless painter, the first of its kind in the world*, achieves over 95 percent coating efficiency (the amount of paint sprayed versus the amount that actually adheres onto the vehicle body), the highest in the world*, from conventional efficiency of approximately 60 to 70 percent.
By deploying the airless paint atomizer in Toyota Group’s painting process, it is expected that the Group can reduce its CO2 emissions by about 7 percent. In addition, the collection device situated at the bottom of the paint booth (the area where paint is sprayed) can be made more compact. Therefore, it is able to make painting production lines more compact for the future.
Toyota is advancing initiatives to achieve its Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge, one of the targets included in the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 announced in 2015. As part of this effort, it developed the airless paint atomizer and deployed it at both Takaoka and Tsutsumi Plants. Gradual deployment at other plants is planned as well as consideration of deployment among other Toyota Group companies and licensing the technology to other companies.
Conventional air paint atomizer sprayed paint primarily using aerodynamic force, then paint the vehicle body with the atomized particles using an air paint atomizer. For this reason, paint particles are scattered by the air ricocheting off the vehicle body, resulting in a coating efficiency of approximately 60 to 70 percent. By comparison, the new airless paint atomizer uses electricity to sprayed the paint (electrostatic atomization), and the statically charged particles coat in such a way that they gravitate toward the vehicle body (electrostatic painting). Electrostatic atomization and electrostatic painting technologies greatly reduce the number of atomized particles that scatter, thereby achieving a higher coating efficiency.
New technologies that achieve high coating efficiency
- The tip of the airless paint atomizer features a rotating cylindrical head that optimize the amount of paint sprayed
Electrostatic atomization technology is used in beauty treatment devices and other instruments that spray fine amounts of liquid; here, we applied it to vehicle body painting. Specifically, the tip of the paint sprayer is cylindrical. Approximately 600 special grooves are inserted into the tip, which is rotated to create a centrifugal force, inducing the paint to flow into the grooves and atomize through static electricity. In this way, we developed the world’s first technology that paints vehicle bodies with atomized paint particles using static electricity.
- Highly accurate current control that makes close-range painting possible
The unevenness of the vehicle body causes the distance between the cylindrical head and the vehicle body to fluctuate, making the electrical current unstable. However, the airless paint atomizer constantly monitors the variations in current and automatically controls the voltage, maintaining a distance of approximately 10 centimeters between the cylindrical head and the vehicle body. Hence, electrostatic atomization and electrostatic painting under a fixed current is rendered possible, in turn preventing variation in the size of the paint particles―the result is high-quality painting.
OmniVision Second Gen NIR Imaging
OmniVision Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, announced Nyxel® 2—the second generation of its revolutionary near-infrared (NIR) technology for image sensors that operate in low to no ambient light conditions. Despite launching the first generation more than two years ago, competing mass-produced CMOS image sensors are still failing to achieve comparable NIR performance. Meanwhile, OmniVision’s R&D team has continued to refine its novel silicon semiconductor architectures and processes to achieve new records in quantum efficiency (QE), with Nyxel 2 now providing a 25% improvement in the invisible 940nm NIR light spectrum and a 17% bump at the barely visible 850nm NIR wavelength.
These sensitivity improvements enable image sensors to see even better and farther under the same amount of light, further extending the image detection range. Nyxel 2-based camera systems also require fewer LED lights, thus reducing overall power consumption and extending battery life. These added benefits make Nyxel 2 an ideal technology for surveillance systems, automotive in-cabin driving monitoring systems and the burgeoning under-display sensors in mobile devices.
With these refinements, OmniVision’s Nyxel 2 can now achieve 50% QE at 940nm—a 25% improvement over the first generation, as measured using data from a 2.9 micron pixel. At the 850nm NIR wavelength, Nyxel 2 can provide 70% QE, which is not only a 17% improvement over the first generation, but it is now on par with the QE levels of top RGB sensors that operate with visible light. The results of these Nyxel 2 technology improvements are even higher and still unrivaled image quality, greater image detection range, and further reduction in light source requirements for even lower power consumption and extended battery life.
Clutch Technologies API Integration With Synaptiv
Clutch Technologies, the pioneer of subscription and mobility services software for the automotive industry, today announced a new integration with data analytics platform provider Synaptiv to help Jaguar Land Rover dealers simplify and more efficiently manage their loaner fleets and fixed operations business.
Digitizing the loaner car experience is a growing trend among dealers focused on increasing margin in the most profitable part of their business – fixed operations. Clutch is helping dealers in this effort to manage their loaner fleets by eliminating the need for third-party telematics devices. The integration with Synaptiv is one of many technology suppliers Clutch is working with as part of its goal to better streamline the activation of connected cars, while driving down dealer costs to operate their fleets.
Through the Synaptiv collaboration and Clutch’s industry-leading collaborations with Xtime and TSD, the vision of a more intelligent vehicle assignment platform is realized, offering a seamless scheduling experience for consumers and a simplified fleet management process for dealers.
Renesas Sub Wireless Solution
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced that its RL78/G1H-based sub-gigahertz (sub-GHZ) wireless solution has received certification under the Wireless Smart Ubiquitous Network for Field Area Network profile (Wi-SUN FAN) which is one of the communication standards established by the Wi-SUN Alliance (Note 1). This is an addition to Renesas’ existing high-end dual-chip solution comprising RX651 microcontroller (MCU) and RAA604S00 wireless communications IC, expanding the company’s Wi-SUN FAN-compliant portfolio.
The newly certified solution comprises Tessera Technology Inc.’s TK-RLG1H+SB2 evaluation board (Note 2), which incorporates the Renesas 16-bit RL78/G1H MCU with integrated wireless functionality and a Wi-SUN FAN communication control software stack. The wireless solution enables customers to develop Wi-SUN FAN-compliant devices quickly and easily, reducing the time required for certification in the development process by approximately one year.
“Wireless frequencies in the sub-GHz band are relatively unaffected by obstacles such as walls and buildings, which makes it possible to transmit data over longer distances in urban settings, and Wi-SUN FAN is gaining popularity as a wide-area wireless network standard with mesh network support,” said Toru Moriya, Vice President, Emerging Market Business Division at Renesas. “Our certified RL78-based wireless solution will alleviate the development burden associated with sensor network applications such as logistics and infrastructure management, and accelerate the widespread adoption of Wi-SUN FAN to realize smart cities and smart grids.”
In addition to the newly certified RL78 wireless solution, Renesas offers a high-end, dual-chip solution combining the 32-bit RX651 MCU and the RAA604S00 wireless communications IC. This solution was Wi-SUN FAN certified in 2019.
Customers can develop products ranging from gateway applications such as border routers between FAN and wide area network (WAN) to terminal applications such as routers by choosing Renesas’ solutions according to required specifications, such as MCU processing performance, memory capacity, or power efficiency.
By facilitating the implementation of FAN wide-area mesh networks, these solutions allow customers to develop new added-value products in a wide range of applications, including smart meter power usage visualization, smart illumination, sensor management in factories or office buildings, and equipment operation monitoring.
A communication control software for the Wi-SUN certified RL78/G1H solution will be available by September 2020.
Thundersoft Partners with GAC
ThunderSoft (SZ:300496), a world-leading operating system technology provider and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co.,Ltd. Automotive Engineering Institute (GAC R&D Center) announces the establishment of GAC R&D Center – ThunderSoft Joint Innovation Center for Intelligent Vehicle Software (JIC). The two companies will jointly develop a world-class Intelligent Connected Vehicle (ICV) platform, promoting the technological development in ICV areas. A simple and grand signing ceremony is held through online video, WANG Qiujing, president of GAC R&D Center and ZHAO Hongfei, CEO of ThunderSoft sign the agreement on both sides.
GAC R&D Center plays the role as a research hub of GAC Group, and it has mastered the key technologies in electrification, intellectualization, digitization, and emotional design which show its rich R&D experience and strong capabilities. In terms of intelligent connected technology, 4 systems: autopilot, intelligent connectivity, cloud platform, and big data have been created which are based on its self-developed in-car intelligent-connected ecosystem ADiGO.
ThunderSoft leads in intelligent operating system, Kanzi UI engine and design ecosystem, AutoCDK intelligent vision, smart vehicle cockpit solutions and AI technology. It also has full stack capabilities from chips, OS up to the cloud. The two companies will establish a deep and extensive partnership to create a world leading ICV platform. Prospective research will be jointly carried out based on ICV operating system over many aspects, such as in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system, smart vehicle cockpit solutions, AI, intelligent vision, security technology.
ThunderSoft and GAC R&D Center have a solid foundation for cooperation. Since 2016, the two companies have been working on the ICV infotainment system and ecosystem, widely applied in GAC GS4, GS8, Aion S and other main models. The system supports OTA (Over-the-air programming), audio interaction, online/offline navigation and integrated IoV (Internet of Vehicle) services. For the first time, Wechat is functioning in the vehicle which brings convenient driving experience to our customers.
As the software-defined automotive era is coming, most functions are going to carried by software. ICV operating system is fundamental basis of all software, applications, services and business innovation. The JIC will be a new base for software and application innovation, promoting the establishment of ICV ecosystem.
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