XMOS targets $8bn automotive microcontroller market

“The xCORE architecture is an ideal fit for many applications in the automotive space, from infotainment and driver assistance to powertrain control,” said Dr Paul Neil, VP of Product Management at XMOS. “Completing AEC-Q100 qualification is a key step for us in demonstrating the quality and robustness needed in these most demanding applications – and confirms our commitment to make xCORE technology accessible to the widest possible range of customers.” As well as enabling current and near-future automotive functions such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), XMOS is uniquely placed to contribute to the evolution of next-generation developments such as autonomous vehicles and the wider sphere of intelligent transportation systems. With a unique deterministic architecture that lends itself to modular redundancy and safety-critical operation, the company’s xCORE multicore microcontrollers have already been designed into a number of next-generation automotive products. “The development of intelligent transportation and advances like autonomous vehicles will have far-reaching implications,” said Simon Knowles, XMOS CTO. “Their impact will be profound in terms of improved safety, cost savings and efficiency. At XMOS we’re excited to have the opportunity to make these future developments real, providing the intelligence and increased sophistication that the automotive industry is demanding. These trends will be evolutionary – for instance we’ll see ‘co-pilot’ systems emerging soon, in advance of autonomous robotic vehicles which are at least a decade away – but the industry’s direction of travel is already clear.” The first product in the new range of xCORE devices, the xCORE XS1-L16A-128, is a 16-core multicore microcontroller that offers processing power of up to 1000MIPS. Like all xCORE devices, the XS1-L16 can be configured with the exact range of interfaces and peripherals required for the developer’s application, via a C-based programming environment. xCORE multicore microcontrollers are being selected for a growing number of applications in the automotive industry. The company championed the Ethernet AVB standard, which has already emerged as the leading technology for in-car infotainment distribution, and is now evolving to include driver assistance and body control functionality. XMOS has already demonstrated Ethernet AVB communications via a twisted pair connection using BroadR-Reach, a key step forward in satisfying the cost and reliability requirements of automotive OEMs and tier 1 suppliers. With its low latency and deterministic behavior, the xCORE architecture is also being adopted in products such as next-generation electronic control units (ECUs). It is also well-suited to address control tasks in power train, chassis and active safety systems, and to provide the unique combination of audio interfacing, DSP processing and low latency processing required to implement premium vehicle features such as active noise cancellation for car passengers. AEC-Q100-qualified versions of the XS1-L16A-128 are available immediately, with 6, 8, 12 and 16-core versions planned for the second half of 2014.