A new kind of flash memory is optimized specifically to handle the hostile environment imposed on electronics in vehicular uses. Leland Teschler | Executive Editor You’d have to say the NAND flash memory had an inauspicious beginning. Invented in 1987 by Toshiba, the first NAND flash chip didn’t sell until 1995 when it finally found […]
Automotive
Data injection — Testing autonomous sensors through realistic simulation
Proof that autonomous vehicles are safe to put on the road begins with rigorous models of the sensors that guide them. Holger Krumm | dSPACE GmbH Onboard sensors are critical for autonomous vehicles to navigate the open road, but the real environment is full of obstacles. Everyday interferences such reflective surfaces, whiteout conditions, fog, rain, […]
Bluetooth and the road to a keyless future
Efforts are underway to let smartphones double as car keys. Erik Peters, Dialog Semiconductor From hands-free calling to tire pressure monitoring systems, Bluetooth has revolutionized the way we interact with our vehicles and how the vehicle itself communicates with other technology systems and services. So, what’s next? Improved internet connectivity and other technological advancements have […]
First implementations of Bluetooth-enabled keyless cars reveal a few bugs
The first production vehicle to employ a Bluetooth (actually a BLE) digital key is Tesla’s Model 3. When the owner approaches carrying his or her smartphone equipped with Bluetooth, Model 3s can be set to unlock their doors and trunk automatically, and starting the Model 3 is as simple as shifting out of Park. Nevertheless, […]
Spectrum co-existence challenges in the fully connected car
High-performance RF bandpass filters may hold the key to autonomous vehicle communication without interference. Ali Bawangaonwala | Qorvo, Inc. Continuing advances in technology are making the autonomous vehicle a practical reality, and there is frequent discussion among technologists about Wi-Fi and 5G as enablers of the connected car. Equally important, but less talked about, are […]
How GMR wheel speed sensors help advance vehicle control and braking systems
Giant magnetoresistance sensors are strong candidates for the high-accuracy wheel-speed sensing necessary in autonomous vehicle systems. Christine Graham | Allegro MicroSystems The purpose of a braking system has evolved from simplistic stopping to critical functions in vehicle safety through highly accurate feedback to traction control (TCS) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These advances have […]
Validating correct behavior in ADAS and AV systems
Autonomous vehicles must operate in a world of uncertainties. Validation platforms are now capable of determining whether behavior is correct given complex contextual attributes. David Fritz, Mentor, A Siemens Business There is an interesting dashcam video circulating in the autonomous vehicle (AV) development community of a Tesla-paid test driver coming up on what the driver […]
V2Clueless – Next generation of connected apps?
Leland teschler Executive Editor If you had been watching the Saturday Night Live TV show in mid-January of 2012, you would have seen a skit called the Headz Up App. It was an ad for a fictional app aimed at people so distracted by texting on their smartphone that they were prone to walking cluelessly […]
Configurable mixed-signal ICs optimized for automotive use
A Configurable Mixed-Signal IC (CMIC) for the automotive industry, the SLG46620-A, brings Dialog Semiconductor’s GreenPAK platform to the automotive space, providing lower project costs, an accelerated time to market and unified development flows. This CMIC, along with other members of the GreenPAK family, replace dozens of components in automotive applications to optimize flexibility, footprint and […]
Embedded security: Do you know what you don’t know?
by Lynnette Reese, contributing editor Most of us assume that security comes from the operating system or application software. However, firmware is also at risk, including anything that barely hovers over the physical layer (silicon) in the chip. Embedded security is especially important in blocking seemingly innocuous pathways for hacking, such as in an automotive […]