Samsung Electronics has introduced three of its latest automotive chip solutions: the Exynos Auto T5123 for 5G connectivity, the Exynos Auto V7 for comprehensive in-vehicle infotainment systems and the ASIL-B certified S2VPS01 power management IC (PMIC) for the Auto V series.
“Smarter and more connected automotive technologies for enriched in-vehicle experiences including entertainment, safety and comfort are becoming critical features on the road,” said Jaehong Park, EVP of system LSI custom SOC business at Samsung Electronics.
“With an advanced 5G modem, an AI-enhanced multi-core processor and a market-proven PMIC solution, Samsung is transfusing its expertise in mobile solutions into its automotive lineup and is positioned to expand its presence within the field.”
The Exynos Auto T5123 is a 3GPP Release 15 telematics control unit specifically designed to bring 5G connectivity in both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) modes. Featuring high-speed download of up to 5.1Gbps, it will allow passengers to enjoy a host of new services such as high-definition content streaming and video calls on the go, Samsung states.
To efficiently process large amounts of data transmitted and received through the 5G modem, the T5123 supports a high-speed PCIe (PCI Express) interface and a low-power high-performance LPDDR4x mobile DRAM. In addition, the unit comes with two Cortex-A55 CPU cores and a built-in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) to minimize the use of external ICs and help reduce product development time. The T5123 meets stringent requirements for automotive components and is Automotive Electronics Council-Q100 (AEC-Q100) qualified.
Next up is the Exynos Auto V7, the newest addition to Samsung’s automotive-brand processor lineup, which is designed for in-vehicle infotainment systems. The V7 integrates eight 1.5GHz Arm Cortex-A76 CPU cores and 11 Arm Mali G76 GPU cores. The GPU comes in two separate groups, with three cores in the ‘small’ domain for cluster display and AR-HUD, and eight in the ‘big’ domain for central information display (CID) and others.
Such physical separation allows the GPU to support multiple systems simultaneously and brings safer operation as it keeps one domain from interfering with another. In addition to a powerful CPU and GPU, the V7 is equipped with an NPU for convenient services such as virtual assistance that can process visual and audio data for face, speech or gesture recognition features.
The V7 supports up to four displays and 12 camera inputs that provide information to assist drivers and passengers. Its imaging system provides bad pixel correction, dynamic range compression and geometric distortion correction to provide noiseless and distortion-free images for features like surround view and parking assistance. For immersive in-car entertainment, the chip comes with three HiFi 4 audio processors that deliver excellent audio quality for songs, movies and even games on the go. To run all these features as smoothly as possible, the V7 has up to 32GB of LPDDR4x memory capacity that offers high bandwidth of up to 68.3GB/s).
Samsung says the chip also offers strong data protection through an isolated security processor for crypto operation and provides a hardware key using a one-time programmable (OTP) or physical unclonable function (PUF). Furthermore, for critical functional safety, the Exynos Auto V7 complies with ASIL-B requirements of safety support for a digital cluster and an embedded safety island that detect and manage faults to maintain a safe state with a fault management unit (FMU).
Finally, the S2VPS01 is a PMIC specifically designed and developed for the Exynos Auto V9 and V7. It is Samsung’s first automotive solution produced under the ISO 26262 functional safety process certification that was acquired in 2019, and it also achieved an ASIL-B certification in 2021.
An Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), specified under ISO 26262, ranges from A to D, with D being the highest level. The Level is assigned by analyzing and assessing the severity, exposure and controllability of vehicle operations in a number of environments. To ensure the safety of vehicle systems, ASIL-B compliance is becoming a key requirement for automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers when selecting partners and solutions.
The S2VPS01 regulates and rectifies the flow of electrical power, allowing reliable and robust in-vehicle infotainment system performance. It comprises efficient triple/dual-phase buck converters, and integrates a low-dropout regulator (LDO) and real-time clock (RTC) within the package.
For protection from harsh thermal and electrical conditions, the power IC comes with various protection functions including over voltage protection (OVP), under voltage protection (UVP), short circuit protection (SCP), over current protection (OCP), thermal shut down (TSD), clock monitoring and output stuck checks.
