Redefining The Role Of The GPU In Next-Generation Vehicles

Automotive architectures are experiencing a seismic shift, with the traditional distributed architecture being steadily replaced with a more cost-effective centralized model. Even taken in isolation, this would be a significant driver on the computing needs of next-generation automotive SoCs, but the complexity of the problem is compounded when considered alongside the simultaneous rise of advanced driver assistance systems, software-defined vehicles and dashboard digitization.

At the end of last year, Renesas announced a solution to these challenges: the Renesas R-Car Gen 5 SoC, designed to meet the needs of centralized compute and cross-domain architectures for software-defined vehicle applications, and for high autonomy.  The 3nm SoC features power-efficient technology from Imagination as one of the engines inside the cockpit and infotainment systems.

The integration of the IMG BXS GPU into the R-Car Gen 5 range is a culmination of a long-standing partnership that has shaped a range of graphics solutions to the exacting and ambitious requirements of automotive OEMs.

IMG BXS is effective in translating theoretical performance (TFLOPS) into real-world performance (FPS). Its meticulously developed architecture ensures consistently high task utilization, occupancy and the efficient parallelization of tasks within the GPU. Key elements in the GPU that support this include sizeable register storage to make sure the ALUs are well fed and fixed function blocks within the ALUs to offload specialized workloads from the primary pipelines. All this ensures that the R-Car Gen 5 delivers exceptional graphics performance efficiency.

To deliver a multi-domain architecture with a reliable safety system, each processor within the SoC needs to be ASIL certifiable and have the ability to support multiple operating systems at the same time.

Imagination has two decades’ experience in developing GPU solutions for the safety-critical automotive market. The IMG BXS GPU inside the R-Car Gen 5 was developed with an emphasis on quality by design. It is ASIL-B certifiable and features innovative technologies from Imagination that reduce the performance overheads of achieving ASIL-B. Hardware mechanisms, such as tile region protection and work group protection, are used in place of software test libraries in order to reduce the complexity of application development.

The GPU inside the R-Car Gen 5 can safely power the user interface on the infotainment unit, gaming in the rear-passenger seats and the safety-critical speed information on the digital cockpit all at the same time. Its advanced, hardware-based virtualization technology provides up to eight individual hardware control lanes per GPU, each isolated in memory, enabling different tasks to be submitted to the GPU separately for fully secure multitasking. The virtualization solution is robust enough to handle both safety and non-safety workloads simultaneously, without compromising the integrity of the safety-critical application. In addition, the R-Car Gen 5 offers GPU multi-core support using advanced chiplet integration technology to provide additional flexibility to OEMs and boost total graphics performance.

As the mobile and automotive ecosystems converge, Android is becoming a standard operating system for in-car infotainment systems. Imagination is the original smartphone GPU IP provider and is deeply embedded in the Android ecosystem, with GPUs designed for its requirements, tools for developers, and strong partnerships with game and app creators. Imagination is ready to drive the next generation of in-car experiences based on Android.

Renesas’ R-Car Gen 5 leverages decades of experience to address the computing requirements of next-generation vehicles. Its balance of performance efficiency, ease of development, flexibility and safety will enable a new class of vehicles with advanced autonomy, responsive user interfaces and engaging digital applications. Imagination is delighted to be working with Renesas on this innovative project.