ADAS/AD Master Chip Research: Weaknesses and Disruption in the Integration Trend
L2 vehicles are gaining ground as penetration is over 15%. A rash of L2.5 vehicle launches is drawing near. Mass production of L3 and L4 (limited scenarios) is also around the corner.
The march toward highly automated vehicles requires installation of a large number of environmental sensors, and master chips to offer ever stronger compute and algorithms.
Single type of automotive processors, whatever FPGA/CPU/GPU or ASIC, are not competent enough to meet the needs of highly automated vehicles. SoC (master chip), a fusion of computing elements like CPU, GPU, NPU and ISP, grows a great concern of the competitive market.
In the master chip field, vendors follow different technology roadmaps, and the mainstream solution is heterogeneous fusion of chips of differing types. CPU assumes logical operation and task scheduling; GPU as a universal accelerator undertakes tasks of neural network computing (e.g., CNN) and machine learning, and will work on computing for quite a long time; FPGA as hardware accelerator that is programmable and performs well in sequential machine learning (e.g., RNN/LSTM/reinforcement learning), plays a prominent role in some mature algorithms; ASIC, as fully customized solution with optimal performance and the least power consumption, will become the final option after automated driving algorithms get mature.
Mobileye started with conventional algorithms. EyeQ5 packs 4 modules: CPU, CVP (Computer Vision Processor), DLA (Deep Learning Accelerator) and MA. By size, CPU and CVP remain large. CPU has a big footprint; CVP acts as ASIC designed for a great many conventional computer vision algorithms. Mobileye is renowned for such common algorithms which are well received for low power consumption. DLA which was not written into the initial version of EyeQ5 brochure was added in just later under the market pressure as a small part of the entire chip.
Mobileye had the foresight to sell itself to Intel early for future integration with the chip giant’s CPU and FPGA technology resources. As it is not open enough and its compute still desires to be much improved, EyeQ5 captures just few automaker users, only four (publicized), far less than NVIDIA Xavior.
We suppose that Mobileye has made arduous effort into solving the problem of openness. NXP and Renesas are also stepping up efforts to overcome weaknesses not only by improving API, tool chain and ecosystem but either buying in or acquiring related companies, for example, NXP invested Kalray and Renesas purchased IDT.
As aforementioned, Mobileye’s algorithm solutions are still led by conventional computer vision algorithms and aided by deep learning algorithms, while its largest rival Nvidia focuses on deep learning algorithms.
Xavier has 4 modules: CPU, GPU, DLA (Deep Learning Accelerator) and PVA. GPU has the largest size, followed by CPU; and the two special ASICs play a subsidiary role: one is DLA for reasoning and the other is PVA for accelerating conventional computer vision algorithms.
At NVIDIA GTC 2019, NVIDIA unveiled NVIDIA DRIVE AP2X, a complete Level 2 + automated driving solution encompassing DRIVE AutoPilot software, DRIVE AGX and DRIVE validation tools. To enhance mapping and localization, DRIVE AP2X software will include MapNet, a DNN that identifies lanes and landmarks.
DRIVE AutoPilot homes in on maps and plans a safe, efficient path forward. Drive Works provides an extensive set of tools, reference applications, and documentation for developers. ClearSightNet is part of NVIDIA’s camera-based obstacle perception software, which allows the vehicle to detect camera blindness in real time and performs DNN inference on a live camera feed, evaluating each frame to detect camera blindness.
Still, NVIDIA has a drawback -- high power consumption. Chips of Qualcomm and TI only need air cooling, while those of NVIDIA and Tesla need water cooling, which is a side effect of pursuing strong computing power.
It can be seen from the table above that another heavyweight is Xilinx that has won quite a few automotive clients as well on the strength of its unique FPGA (low power consumption, low latency, and excellent cost performance). Amid ADAS/AD master chips getting integrated, Xilinx does not reconcile itself to a minor role.
In 2018, Xilinx introduced Versal ACAP, a fully software-programmable, heterogeneous compute platform that combines Scalar Engines, Adaptable Engines, and Intelligent Engines. This shows Xilinx’s ambition to transform from a specialist chip vendor into a computing platform provider.
Xilinx’s products have evolved from FPGA to SoC (FPGA that has single hard-core processors on-chip) and MPSoC (FPGA that has multiple hard-core processors on-chip), then to RFSoC (RF-enabled MPSoC) and ACAP (adaptive compute acceleration platform).
In 2019, Xilinx announced Vitis, a unified software platform that makes it easier for developers to use FPGA. Vitis software platform supports heterogeneous system architectures such as Zynq SoC, MPSoC and Versal ACAP. It automatically tailors the Xilinx hardware architecture to the software or algorithmic code for developers without the need for hardware expertise.
Xilinx introducing Vitas and Versal, in a word, aims to gear from a FPGA vendor into a flexible, adaptive computing platform provider.
In the increasingly contested ADAS/AD master chip market, besides Mobileye, NVIDIA and Xilinx that have produced good results, the time-honored automotive chip vendors like NXP and Renesas are endeavoring to jump on the bandwagon. The giants Qualcomm and Huawei from the consumer electronics field make an aggressive foray into the market; Chinese start-ups Horizon Robotics, Black Sesame Technologies and SemiDrive which are availing themselves of the wave of replacing foreign products have brought in some gains.
As integration grows a trend, no one will survive without change. Anything will be possible in an unpredictable future.
In-vehicle Payment and ETC Market Research Report, 2024
Research on in-vehicle payment and ETC: analysis on three major application scenarios of in-vehicle payment
In-vehicle payment refers to users selecting and purchasing goods or services in the car an...
Automotive Audio System Industry Report, 2024
Automotive audio systems in 2024: intensified stacking, and involution on number of hardware and software tuning
Sales of vehicle models equipped with more than 8 speakers have made stea...
China Passenger Car Highway & Urban NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) Research Report, 2024
NOA industry research: seven trends in the development of passenger car NOA
In recent years, the development path of autonomous driving technology has gradually become clear, and the industry is acce...
Automotive Cloud Service Platform Industry Report, 2024
Automotive cloud services: AI foundation model and NOA expand cloud demand, deep integration of cloud platform tool chainIn 2024, as the penetration rate of intelligent connected vehicles continues to...
OEMs’ Passenger Car Model Planning Research Report, 2024-2025
Model Planning Research in 2025: SUVs dominate the new lineup, and hybrid technology becomes the new focus of OEMs
OEMs’ Passenger Car Model Planning Research Report, 2024-2025 focuses on the medium ...
Passenger Car Intelligent Chassis Controller and Chassis Domain Controller Research Report, 2024
Chassis controller research: More advanced chassis functions are available in cars, dozens of financing cases occur in one year, and chassis intelligence has a bright future. The report combs th...
New Energy Vehicle Thermal Management System Market Research Report, 2024
xEV thermal management research: develop towards multi-port valve + heat pump + liquid cooling integrated thermal management systems.
The thermal management system of new energy vehicles evolves fro...
New Energy Vehicle Electric Drive and Power Domain industry Report, 2024
OEMs lead the integrated development of "3 + 3 + X platform", and the self-production rate continues to increase
The electric drive system is developing around technical directions of high integratio...
Global and China Automotive Smart Glass Research Report, 2024
Research on automotive smart glass: How does glass intelligence evolve
ResearchInChina has released the Automotive Smart Glass Research Report 2024. The report details the latest advances in di...
Passenger Car Brake-by-Wire and AEB Market Research Report, 2024
1. EHB penetration rate exceeded 40% in 2024H1 and is expected to overshoot 50% within the yearIn 2024H1, the installations of electro-hydraulic brake (EHB) approached 4 million units, a year-on-year ...
Autonomous Driving Data Closed Loop Research Report, 2024
Data closed loop research: as intelligent driving evolves from data-driven to cognition-driven, what changes are needed for data loop?
As software 2.0 and end-to-end technology are introduced into a...
Research Report on Intelligent Vehicle E/E Architectures (EEA) and Their Impact on Supply Chain in 2024
E/E Architecture (EEA) research: Advanced EEAs have become a cost-reducing tool and brought about deep reconstruction of the supply chain
The central/quasi-central + zonal architecture has become a w...
Automotive Digital Power Supply and Chip Industry Report, 2024
Research on automotive digital power supply: looking at the digital evolution of automotive power supply from the power supply side, power distribution side, and power consumption side
This report fo...
Automotive Software Business Models and Suppliers’ Layout Research Report, 2024
Software business model research: from "custom development" to "IP/platformization", software enters the cost reduction cycle
According to the vehicle software system architecture, this report classi...
Passenger Car Intelligent Steering Industry Research Report, 2024
Intelligent Steering Research: Steer-by-wire is expected to land on independent brand models in 2025
The Passenger Car Intelligent Steering Industry Research Report, 2024 released by ResearchInChina ...
China Passenger Car Mobile Phone Wireless Charging Research Report, 2024
China Passenger Car Mobile Phone Wireless Charging Research Report, 2024 highlights the following:Passenger car wireless charging (principle, standards, and Qi2.0 protocol);Passenger car mobile phone ...
Automotive Smart Exteriors Research Report, 2024
Research on automotive smart exteriors: in the trend towards electrification and intelligence, which exteriors will be replaced by intelligence
The Automotive Smart Exteriors Research Report, 2024 r...
Automotive Fragrance and Air Conditioning System Research Report, 2024
Research on automotive fragrance/air purification: With surging installations, automotive olfactory interaction is being linked with more scenarios.
As users require higher quality of personalized, i...