NXP steers a path for software-defined radar

NXP Semiconductors has announced an extension to its 28nm RF cmos radar one-chip SoC family at CES in Las Vegas.

The SAF86xx is the successor to the SAF8500 which is targeted at smart radar sensors. It supports a range of sensor outputs, including object, point cloud-, or range-FFT-level data for smart sensors in today’s architectures and streaming sensors in future distributed architectures.

The new SoC targets software defined vehicle architecture for ADAS rather than individual sensors. It supports SAE Level 2 and Level 3 advanced comfort features such as hybrid pilot operation, automated parking and urban pilot operation, explained Matthias Feulner, senior director of the company’s ADAS product line.

The 76-81GHz SoC integrates a radar transceiver, a multi-core radar processor for streaming sensors, together with a Gigabit Ethernet interface and a MACsec hardware engine for security. It can stream low level radar sensor data at up to 1Gbps.

Combining it with NXP’s S32 processors, vehicle network connectivity and power management will “unleash software defined radar features in vehicles,” added Feulner. OEMs can build on top of classical edge processing for a seamless path to a distributed architecture that is backwards compatible with the SAF85xx devices, he continued. Software defined radar features will add new over-the-air update capabilities and software for regularly updates.

The choice of a 28nm RF cmos process is claimed to improve radar sensor capabilities, compared to 40nm or 45nm devices. They are more compact and power-efficient for smaller radar sensors. This will be significant as it is predicted that a network of five sensors (one at each corner and one at the front) will be implemented in 10 or more high end vehicle models by 2025.

Radar based, 360° surround sensing will advance safety features beyond AEB (autonomous emergency braking) and blind spot detection because more information is available from multiple sensors. With a detection range of 300m and above, this surround sensing data will be able to provide distance and elevation data to identify pedestrians, cyclists and objects such as kerbstones and boundaries. trees by the side of a road and where the kerb is for urban driving.

The SAF86xx is developed in accordance to ISO 26262 Safety Element out of Context (SEooC) methodology supporting ASIL Level B, in accordance to ISO/SAE 21434 (as a component-out-of-context).

The SoC is sampling now and will be used by Hella in its seventh generation radar portfolio, including variants for front, rear, corner, and side radar.