Week in Review: IoT, Security, Autos

IoT/Edge
Achronix teamed up with Bittware to develop a smart accelerator card based on a 7nm FPGA from Achronix. The card is targeted for edge devices, where pre-processing and acceleration of data movement is critical due to the enormous quantity of data being generated by sensors. The strategy is to move the processing closer to the data, rather than processing input from multiple sensors in a single location.

Synopsys uncorked die-to-die PHY IP for ultra-short and extra-short reach connectivity in multi-chip modules. The technology, based on a 7nm process, is aimed at high-performance cloud, AI and networking applications.

Rambus said it had reached speeds of 18Gbps with its new GDDR6 PHY, setting the stage for an inexpensive alternative to HBM for edge and IoT applications. The company also introduced a memory controller, based on technology it acquired with its purchase of Northwest Logic.

Qualcomm Ventures and Energy Impact are major contributors to Series C funding of Particle, a platform for IoT devices, says IoTTechNews. San Francisco-based Particle raised $40 million in Series C for its IoT device deployment platform. The platform includes both software and hardware.

NVIDIA and Ericsson are working together to make a system to help telecom operators build virtual 5G radio access networks (RAN) for faster and more flexible introduction of new AI and IoT services.

Sprint is adding private IoT networks and a narrowband-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) functionality to its Curiosity IoT platform. The Curiosity Private Core has pre-integrated core virtual network functions (VNFs), Edge computing and is access agnostic to help business add new IoT products to the network in local breakouts in remote areas without having to use the main network. “Curiosity IoT was created with the possibility of private networking in mind,” said Ivo Rook, senior vice president of IoT and product development in a press release. “The dedicated, distributed and virtualized core network and operating system allows for the flexibility across all types of customers, including those who have very demanding network needs or operate in hard-to-reach areas.”

Automotive
Numerous attendees of the recent International Congress for Automotive Electronics (ELIV) in Bonn, Germany, told Semiconductor Engineering the general consensus is that there will be at least a five-year delay in rolling out fully autonomous vehicles. The previous anticipated date for commercial delivery of AVs was 2027, but the ability to provide this technology at a price affordable to most consumers, along with the necessary infrastructure, appears increasingly dim in the short term. In fact, there are doubts whether the auto industry will be able to achieve that goal by 2032, particularly in a mixed environment of human-driven and autonomous vehicles. Development will continue of assisted and partial autonomy, particularly on roadways where there is limited access and clear lane demarcation, but it will still be up to drivers to take the wheel on local roads.

Fiat Chrysler and PSA, which owns Peugeot, are joining forces to create the fourth-largest automaker. The two companies announced on Thursday that they plan to create a $50 billion group of which each have a 50 percent share.

NXP’s secure vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology will be on European roads in the Volkswagen Golf. The companies say they are deploying the V2X communication immediately. The Wi-Fi-p is only safe and secure V2X technology capable of immediate volume rollout of the V2X system in the Golf, which is the first volume European car model equipped with V2X, says an NXP press release.

Nidec completed its acquisition of OMRON Automotive Electronics Co. Ltd., from OMRON, in a move that strengthens them for autonomous driving market. Nidec specializes in module products for electric power steering (EPS) motors and electric brake motors. They also make electronic control units (ECUs) and wave radar and camera products for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and are researching electrification products. OMRON Automotive specializes in control products for body control system, ECUs for motor control systems, power control systems, and laser, radar ADAS and driver monitoring, according to Yahoo Finance.

Porsche is adding a manual transmission for diehard fans in its 2020 911 Carrera S and 4S models said Motor1.com.

Tesla is deficient in its repair and customer service areas, says Bloomberg News in part 2 of a study on Tesla’s Model 3. Bloomberg interviewed Model 3 owners and found while they like the battery and charging system, the repair system was slow and overtaxed at times.

Automotive startup company NoTraffic is putting AI into traffic lights for smart intersections. The technology consists of sensors that watch the intersection, collect data, and edge computing inside the signal box for AI inferencing. Through AI, the system can identify the types of traffic, make some traffic automatically a priority, and collect and some data to the cloud for further analysis. The signals can change the signals in reaction to the traffic. The company, part of the Nvidia incubator program, has pilot projects running in the U.S. and will explain its system at the NVIDIA’s GTC DC, Nov. 4-6.