In connected car news are: Renesas, Wind River and a Tesla vulnerability.
Renesas Advances 3nm SoC Architecture For SDV Applications
Renesas Electronics Corporation has unveiled a suite of System-on-Chip technologies at ISSCC 2026 designed to anchor next-generation electrical/electronic architectures. The 3nm platform introduces a proprietary chiplet architecture capable of supporting ASIL D functional safety standards. By integrating a RegionID mechanism with standard UCIe interfaces, Renesas enables Freedom from Interference across die-to-die boundaries, achieving transmission speeds of 51.2 GB/s. This interconnect strategy allows for scalable central computing while maintaining the memory management and real-time core access control required for automotive-grade safety.
To address the increasing complexity of software-defined vehicles, the company has implemented a hierarchical clock pulse generator architecture to minimize latency in expanding neural processing units. This design utilizes sub-module level mini-CPGs to meet rigorous timing requirements and ensure zero-defect quality through unified test clock synchronization. Furthermore, the platform incorporates advanced power gating with over 90 domains and a dual-structure power switch system. These power management innovations reduce IR drops by 13% and utilize digital voltage monitoring to enhance aging tolerance, specifically targeting the R-Car X5H SoC for multi-domain ECU integration.
Renesas Debuts 3nm FinFET TCAM at ISSCC 2026
Renesas Electronics Corporation has unveiled a configurable ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) architecture developed on a 3nm FinFET process, targeting the high-density and functional safety requirements of software-defined vehicles (SDV) and edge computing. Presented at ISSCC 2026, the solution employs a hybrid hard- and soft-macro approach supported by a memory compiler to enable granular search key widths of 8–64 bits and entry depths of 32–128. This design flexibility allows for large-scale configurations, such as 256-bit by 4,096 entries, while achieving a memory density of 5.27 Mb/mm².
The architecture incorporates an all-mismatch detection circuit and a two-stage pipelined search mechanism to optimize power consumption. By halting the second search stage when the first stage indicates no potential matches, the system reduces search energy by up to 71.1% in partitioned key configurations. Operating at a 1.7 GHz search clock, the TCAM achieves a figure-of-merit of 53.8, significantly lowering the energy-per-bit metric to 0.167 fJ. This efficiency is critical for managing the heat dissipation and power constraints of next-generation automotive SoCs and ADAS processors.
To meet ISO 26262 functional safety standards, Renesas integrated split odd/even data buses for user data and ECC parity. This physical separation converts potential double-bit soft errors into correctable single-bit errors, bypassing the limitations of standard SECDED ECC in dense bitcell arrays. Additionally, a dedicated SRAM for ECC parity with an independent address decoder enhances error detectability during write operations. These advancements provide the reliability necessary for high-speed data exchange between sensors and processors in autonomous and industrial applications.
Wind River To Demonstrate Edge Ai Convergence At Embedded World 2026
Wind River, an Aptiv company, will exhibit a suite of edge AI transformation technologies at Embedded World 2026 in Nuremberg. The demonstrations focus on establishing an end-to-end foundation for mission-critical edge AI use cases across the aerospace, automotive, and medical sectors. Key exhibits include consolidated edge systems that mix safety-critical and non-safety workloads to optimize SWaP requirements. The company will also showcase the Aptiv Pulse sensor platform, utilizing computer vision and radar fusion to enhance warehouse automation and inventory workflows through distributed intelligence.
The technical showcase extends to cloud-scale embedded quality assurance and generative AI-driven system modeling to accelerate shift-left testing cycles. Wind River will detail its support for CHERI on RISC-V and WebAssembly within safety-critical environments, alongside sessions on orchestrating RTOS and Linux via Kubernetes. Further industrial applications feature AI-cobots operating on local cloud-like edge infrastructure and 5G C-V2X implementations for connected vehicle safety. These solutions emphasize the integration of secure, deterministic operating systems with full-lifecycle orchestration for autonomous system deployment.
Northeastern University Identifies Wireless Stack Vulnerabilities
On February 18, 2026, security researchers from Northeastern University released findings regarding critical vulnerabilities in the wireless connectivity stacks of Tesla Model 3 and Cybertruck units. The research demonstrated how IMSI catching—using localized devices to mimic cellular towers—could allow unauthorized vehicle tracking or denial-of-service attacks on telematics modules. Tesla acknowledged the findings, noting that the vulnerabilities reside within third-party cellular modem stacks rather than the proprietary vehicle software.
The technical disclosure emphasizes that the flaw targets the cellular baseband firmware, specifically how it handles protocol handshakes during cell tower association. By exploiting these low-level communication protocols, researchers were able to intercept unencrypted identifiers and force the vehicle telematics unit into a secondary, less secure state.
While Tesla has clarified that its core vehicle operating system and drive-by-wire functions remain isolated from these modem stacks, the potential for remote persistent tracking of fleet vehicles presents significant privacy implications for high-profile owners and enterprise operators. Tesla is currently working with its tier-one hardware suppliers to deploy over-the-air firmware updates to harden the handshake process and implement more rigorous authentication for base station connections.