Latest Automotive Updates: MIPI Alliance, LG, Sibros, Volkswagen, Audi, and Renesas Collaborate on Advanced Auto Technologies

Next-Generation Vehicle Connectivity Enhanced with MIPI A-PHY v2.0

The automotive industry is witnessing a significant leap forward with the introduction of MIPI A-PHY v2.0, a high-speed, long-reach, and low-latency physical layer interface for the automotive industry. This innovative technology, developed by the MIPI Alliance, is set to revolutionise next-generation vehicles by enabling advanced connectivity for sensors, displays, and other automotive applications.

Improving Vehicle Connectivity

MIPI A-PHY v2.0 addresses the growing data and latency demands of advanced automotive sensors and systems by providing a robust interface tailored for the automotive environment. Some key ways it improves next-generation vehicle connectivity include:

High-speed sensor data transmission: A-PHY supports multi-gigabit per second data rates, enabling the high-bandwidth transfer required by next-gen automotive sensors such as cameras and LiDAR.
Long reach and reduced cable complexity: The physical layer of A-PHY allows longer cable lengths (up to 15 meters or more) over a single unshielded twisted pair, simplifying wiring harnesses and reducing cost and weight, critical for vehicle integration.
Advanced time synchronization: The standard includes enhanced time synchronization capabilities essential for sensor fusion and coordinated operation in autonomous systems, improving the accuracy and reliability of vehicle perception.
Automotive-grade robustness: It is designed to meet safety and electromagnetic compatibility requirements needed for harsh automotive environments, enhancing the stability and reliability of in-vehicle networks.
Compatibility and scalability: As part of the MIPI Alliance's automotive interface suite, A-PHY works with other MIPI standards such as C-PHY and D-PHY, enabling scalable and unified high-speed communication solutions for diverse automotive sensors and displays.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Several key players in the automotive industry are leveraging MIPI A-PHY v2.0 to drive innovation. LG Vehicle Solutions, for instance, is offering institutional knowledge across its core competencies to startups selected for its program, as they explore new opportunities alongside LG in emerging automotive technology segments. Additionally, LG Vehicle Solutions and LG NOVA are partnering to explore collaborations in the mobility sector with startups.

Renesas Electronics Corporation has expanded its R-Car Family of system-on-chips (SoCs) for entry-level Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The new devices, the R-Car V4M series and the expansion of the existing R-Car V4H series, deliver robust AI processing capability and fast CPU performance.

Sibros and FutureMotiv have partnered to deliver advanced connected vehicle technologies to OEMs globally, combining Sibros' Deep Connected Platform with FutureMotiv's extensive expertise in system integration, functional safety, and vehicle software development.

Optimising Driver Assistance Systems

The Volkswagen Group plans to start an initiative in Germany from the fourth quarter of 2024, using sensor and image data from customer vehicles to optimise driver assistance systems and automated driving functions. Models from the Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Audi brands equipped with the E3 1.1 and E3 1.2 architectures have been technically enabled for image data transfer.

Key data, such as camera images of the vehicle's surroundings, detection results from environment sensors, direction of travel, speed, and steering angle, as well as information on weather, visibility, and lighting conditions, are particularly relevant for development work. High-quality data from real traffic situations are central to this continuous optimization of powerful assistance systems.

CARIAD's cloud platform connects to the vehicle's onboard computers via a specially developed data interface and enables secure data transfer to a protected area.

Data Protection and Consent

Customer consent is the fundamental prerequisite for the transfer and processing of data, and all data protection regulations are observed. Data transfer from the vehicle is triggered only in narrowly defined scenarios, such as the use of the emergency brake assistant, manual full braking, and sudden evasive maneuvers.

The MIPI Alliance is developing a compliance program to provide OEMs and device manufacturers with assurance that their devices are compliant with the A-PHY specification.

In conclusion, MIPI A-PHY v2.0 is integral to enabling next-generation connected vehicles by providing a high-performance, scalable, and robust physical layer interface that supports the increasing data and latency demands of advanced automotive sensors and systems, thereby improving overall vehicle connectivity and autonomous capabilities.

Latest Automotive Updates: MIPI Alliance, LG, Sibros, Volkswagen, Audi, and Renesas Collaborate on Advanced Auto Technologies