Nowadays, vehicles manufactured from the assembly line are more like robots with wheels, and the extremely high electronic precision is mainly due to semiconductor technology.As the electronic trend continues, semiconductor companies will play an important role in the field of vehicle design.Therefore, NXP defines a clear and concise system design approach, called "Domain-based Car Architecture."
Domain-based Car Architecture incorporates many features that allow cars to sense, think, and act instead of us while helping to manage complex transactions and support scaling.
Modular integration of multi-functional self-driving
The main architecture area of our self-driving car is shown in Figure 1. The far right three areas (vehicle experience, body and comfort, transmission and vehicle powertrain) have long been part of the vehicle architecture. The two leftmost Areas (links and alternative driving) are new areas of particular relevance to the functions required for automation, and the field-based automotive architecture offers the best degree of autonomy while ensuring the highest levels of safety and security.
Figure 1 Domain-based automotive architecture
Modular functions will help to highlight the functional safety and network security requirements of each subsystem, and simplify the development and deployment of robotics algorithms, and will be more conducive to the expansion of functions in various subsystems.The advantages are mainly as follows:
Easier to optimize
Domain-based automotive architecture brings together and distinguishes similar functions, making it easier to design the right level of safety and security based on the common requirements of each area.
For example, in the area of linking, where the car wants to communicate with the outside world, security is important because the interaction with the outside must be prevented from being tampered with.
On the other hand, in the field of drivelines and vehicle powertrains, the importance of on-line safety is low because the operation in this area is unaffected by external factors, but more importantly in this area is functional safety and reliability since components It must be able to function properly under extreme conditions.
Expansion easier
The modular approach can be more easily expanded in all areas, ranging from basic performance to high-end operations, which means that it is easier to create a range of functions to meet a variety of market requirements, for example, in the car with infotainment Experience areas, economic models may offer fewer options, while luxury models offer more options. Domain-based automotive architecture to provide expansion capabilities in various parts of the car, and thus easier to build compatible and reusable individual building blocks. Make development more efficient and cost-effective, and make the manufacturing process more resilient and responsive.
In addition, Connectivity is a very important area that covers a wide range of operations and manages all the wireless interfaces that connect the car to the outside world. The links are securely deployed seamlessly and gather information from all external interfaces on the vehicle These external interfaces include commonly used interfaces for passengers and their devices such as radios, cell phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), GPS, and newer interfaces that are more closely related to vehicle operation such as V2V, And the car to the outside world (V2X) communication.In the ideal setting, these external interfaces should be installed in a highly integrated smart antenna module, so that you can more easily increase or decrease the interface as needed.
The important requirements in the link area are as follows:
1. Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) -B
Security
Receive stability
4. Coexistence of multi-standard transmission
Various types of sensing with hands to achieve alternative driving
The alternative to driving is to let a car "robot" take over driving. It provides both Sense and Think functions and uses safety measures to ensure proper operation. Instead of driving the most "smart" function in the car, Sensors and Cameras Detects environmental conditions The Sensing component includes radar, video cameras, LiDAR, as well as components for locating and detecting other environmental information The Think component includes condition assessment, route planning, Sensor fusion, safety related algorithms and more.
Currently driving self-drafting cars are basically two steps of adjusting the steering wheel and controlling the throttle and brakes, but no matter what kind of measurement is used, alternative driving areas can do better than humans in these operations. Alternative driving can be faster , Responds more consistently, is not affected by human emotions, and is always in a precautionary state.It also does not drink coffee, eat snacks, talk to other passengers, answer a call, or distracted while performing a task.
To some extent, the alternative driving area is the brain of a car, and just as the human brain does, it gains new knowledge from experience and uses it. "One of the ways to teach autonomous driving a car is to use the cloud online.
For example, when a self-driving car parked in the garage at night, it could be brought online to the cloud and upload data accumulated during the day, which could be integrated with other vehicle data for driving algorithm optimization. "Sleeping cars" can download these New features, to be awakened in the morning, you can use the new features to start a whole new day.
The important requirements for replacing the driving system are as follows:
1.ASIL-D
2. Vehicle certification
Intelligent sensing
4. Cost / appearance specifications / performance trade-offs
Transmission and Vehicle Powertrain
Drives and Vehicle Powertrain Systems are the areas where cars are being controlled by managing the movement and speed.Action cars are actuated based on data entered by the driver or alternative drivers and also based on personal preferences and environmental constraints (such as road conditions) And other factors to modify and improve.
The powertrain is the backbone of a car that has been part of the car since the early days of vehicle design and is part of a conventional combustion engine, electric engine or hybrid engine where powertrain components convert raw fuel into power, For cars driving on the road, this part generally refers to the engine, gearbox, drive shaft, axle and wheels. The operating conditions of the drive system are very poor and are often exposed to high temperatures and near continuous vibrations.
In the automotive industry, power represents the power and torque of movement, and the vehicle powertrain in this area in part supports subsystems such as suspension and steering wheel systems to ensure stability and smooth driving.
This area also includes a wide range of automotive sensor technologies, including sensor technology based on complex MEMS and MR technologies.
The important requirements in the fields of transmission and vehicle powertrain are as follows:
1.ASIL-D
2. Cost / appearance specifications / performance trade-offs
3 software to give individuality and ability to upgrade
4. Data fusion (data from car sensors and driving input data)
The driving environment can be adjusted according to preference
The basic areas of body and comfort meet the basic functions of not only providing driving and passenger support, but also understanding their preferences based on their behavior, which is often the area where passive safety mechanisms (seat belts) and access mechanisms (locks) are managed.
Depending on the car's favorite in-car setting, such as seat-specific location, mirror-specific location, and proper air-conditioning temperature, you can adjust automatically every time you use a car, often relying on traditional automotive electronics , Such as window control and seat adjustment devices, and often translate hardware operations into software operations for easy management and modification.
Sensors, microcontrollers and new lighting technologies work together to create smart lighting features that enhance safety and meet individual preferences.
In exterior lighting, the headlights can be adjusted automatically according to the weather conditions or impending traffic conditions. For interior lighting, the in-car programmable zone is designed to allow passengers to sleep, read or watch videos, and set up a dash board, Car staff to automatically adjust.
Important requirements in the area of body and comfort:
1 can be upgraded features
Low maintenance needs
3. High energy efficiency
4. Monitoring and learning ability
Let the driving environment such as moving living room
The on-vehicle experience allows cars to meet the entertainment, productivity, and well-being needs of everyone in the car, essentially reproducing the same experience as the living room, with seamless access to digital content and enabling drivers to build and manage content It is also an intelligent learning environment that can be adapted to driving preferences.
The software used in this area must be flexible and easy to upgrade, ensuring access to content through any existing hardware infrastructure as well as an advanced, human-machine interface (HMI) that supports voice commands , Gestures, augmented reality, advanced personalization and other functions.
Important requirements in the field of car experience:
1. Over-The-Air (OTA) update
2. Monitoring and learning ability
3. Software upgrades / flexible access to content
4 advanced man-machine interface
Precision vehicle network / gateway integration in all fields
Domain-based car architectures are interconnected through a sophisticated communications network that allows them to operate in tandem and share information in all areas. The in-car network provides links to all aspects of the automotive architecture to ensure that the data is shared with the right bandwidth in a safe and secure manner. Many of the technologies used in in-car networking are the same as today's state-of-the-art IT appliances, including Ethernet networking and security gateways.
In-Vehicle Network (IVN) includes a wide range of traditional automotive technologies such as CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Ethernet and other areas for secure connectivity. IVN enables all areas to share relevant information and works with in-vehicle gateways to ensure correctness Send the car output data.
Onboard Gateway keeps information inside the car and protects it from external access and external attacks Gateways are used to protect the subsystems (firewalls) and keep the subsystems separate to prevent accidental interactions In this way, Systems that emphasize security can be isolated from the operations of other systems, such as infotainment systems, which also ensure that large amounts of data are used in all areas and that they are transmitted reliably and efficiently.
Gateway and car network important requirements:
1.ASIL-D
Security
Receive stability
Low electromagnetic radiation
5. Coexistence of multi-standard transmission
Division of the area to help innovative development
In the definition of field-based automotive architecture, special emphasis is placed on the importance of the three basic concepts of simplicity, reuse, and scalability that guide the entire development process:
Simple
Autonomous vehicles are extremely complex systems, and the complexity of software and in-flight connectivity continues to increase. There are ways to simplify the sensor network, improve security mechanisms, limit software overloads, minimize this complexity, The process is as simple as possible, saving you time, accelerating time-to-market, and dramatically reducing your risk.
. Reuse
We strongly advocate the philosophy of Design-Reuse and try to use the same building blocks in every car area to make it easier to add or subtract functionality and improve design as new technologies emerge.
Specifically, our micro-controller family of products all use the same architecture and software platform to support design reuse principles.Whether it is a radar system, an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for brakes, or an automotive gateway, Our single-chip microcontroller architecture enables you to start with the same basic microcontroller hardware and design with familiar tool groups, IP libraries, and software code.
Scalability
As car companies produce millions of cars each year and dozens of different models for each car class, it can be stressful to be able to respond to requirements and maintain cost-effectiveness in real time. Design and manufacturing processes must be able to deliver both performance and quantity Rapid expansion and staying flexible and flexible are the keys, which means that we have to provide easy-to-install components and provide a range of functional products in the same size, scalable design that conveys our determination to be simple and re-use, reflecting our emphasis on the automotive Manufacturers need to maintain market flexibility.
Domain-based automotive architecture is a logical way to disassemble and reassemble hardware and software components related to vehicle design and is also a way to organize design teams. NXP divides the field to guide internal structures, which helps to focus, condense, To promote the cooperation and technical exchange needed to stimulate innovation.