With the support of multiple Intel technologies, Neusoft, Intel and Hongqi jointly promote the next-generation cockpit system C4-Alfus

Relying on the competitiveness of X86 processors and the support of process technology, Intel has never left the top spot since it became the semiconductor hegemon more than 20 years ago. Even in the past few years when PCs declined and mobile devices rose, Intel's position as the number one in the revenue rankings has never been shaken.

But just like the transition from storage to PC processors, Intel , which is at the crossroads of technology, is seeking transformation . The Internet of Things mentioned by Intel CEO Krzanich at the beginning of the year is one direction, while automotive semiconductors with huge growth potential are another direction.

According to the latest research report "Automotive Electronics Semiconductor Demand Forecast: 2012-2021 " released by Strategy Analytics Automotive Electronics Service ( AES ), the total value of global automotive semiconductors will exceed US$ 41 billion by 2021 , compared with the total market value of US$ 27.5 billion in 2013. Coupled with the promotion of smart driving and vehicle networking, the capacity of the automotive electronics market will only increase. The huge development potential has allowed Intel, which is declining in the PC field and absent in the mobile field, to regain market attention.

In addition to processors, Intel also has other

We know that safety and experience are two important aspects in the future planning of smart cars. Active safety such as ADAS is a key technology for the transition from current traditional cars to self-driving cars, and it is also a requirement for current smart driving. This puts a high demand on data analysis and processing capabilities.

As a traditional processor manufacturer, Intel has strong capabilities in chip research and development and has launched many products. Recently, Intel launched a new Atom processor - Apollo Lake series Atom A3900 to assist in smart driving.

This is a 14nm product designed with the new generation Goldmont CPU , with up to four cores and Intel's ninth-generation GPU . Compared with the previous 22nm Airmont architecture, Apollo Lake has not only upgraded to the 14nm process, but also upgraded the architecture to Goldmont , so the new generation of Intel 's Atom processor has stronger performance and lower power consumption. It is said that the CPU performance has increased by 70% and the GPU performance has increased by 190% . Among them, the Atom A3900 is specially designed for high temperature environments and can be used for 15 years at a high temperature of 110 ° C.

This automotive processor series can support a complete software-defined cockpit solution, including in-vehicle infotainment systems, digital instruments and advanced driver assistance systems ( ADAS ) - all in a compact, cost-effective system chip. The A3900 series will enable automakers to take determinism to a whole new level, thereby supporting the real-time decision-making required for the next generation of cars. This is a new attempt by Intel in the automotive field.

At the same time, according to the current market definition of smart cars, the Internet of Vehicles is an indispensable part. It also requires the support of communication processing and network. Intel , which is determined to compete in the automotive field , also supports this aspect.

In addition to launching the Atom E3900 series processors to make the end and fog network smarter, thereby meeting many processing requirements on or near data sensors, helping to process data collected by car sensors, and facilitating intelligent driving, Intel also invested in communication technology, enabling it to support the transmission of Internet of Vehicles data in the field of wireless transmission and create a complete autonomous driving service solution.

Chen Wei, General Manager of Intel Internet of Things Division China

In addition to wireless network support, Intel also provides storage, data centers, and FPGAs acquired through the acquisition of Altera , which allow Intel to better serve smart driving developers. In the words of Chen Wei, general manager of Intel's Internet of Things Division in China, Intel's current terminal business is:

"With experience as the core, we integrate our data center, terminal intelligence, FPGA , network, and storage core competitiveness to achieve an end-to-end solution based on a virtuous cycle of vertical industries. There are many vertical industries, and each of them must consider end-to-end. The industries we first consider are those that have high requirements for terminal intelligence and latency. Autonomous driving is obviously a very good vertical industry."

Join forces with multiple parties to implement intelligent driving solutions

With basic technologies as the foundation, Intel needs to select the right partners to implement these solutions, and Intel is doing so.

In July of this year, Intel , BMW and Mobileye jointly announced that the three parties will jointly develop autonomous driving technology, and by 2021 , the fully autonomous driving cars they jointly launched will be on the road.

Recently, Intel , FAW Hongqi and Neusoft Group announced a cooperation. Neusoft Group and Intel jointly launched Neusoft's next-generation cockpit system C4-Alfus and applied it to the independent brand Hongqi sedan.

Meng Lingjun, General Manager and Technical Director of Neusoft Automotive Electronics Division

According to Meng Lingjun, General Manager and Technical Director of Neusoft Automotive Electronics Division, Alfus is derived from ancient Greek, which means "wisdom elves". Neusoft hopes to realize the functions of C4 with wisdom elves as the core . The four Cs are Cockpit , Combination , Connectivity , and Cloud . From the detailed introduction of these four aspects, we can get a glimpse of the strength of this solution.

First up is Cockpit .

Neusoft has realized multi-screen interaction in one host, that is, integrating the information inside and outside the car to realize an electronic cockpit. We can see the entertainment system, the central control, the co-pilot, and the back seat can be used for entertainment, communication, and interaction. This solution can realize the interaction of up to five screens. Meng Lingjun emphasized.

It is worth mentioning that Neusoft has made sufficient preparations in terms of safety. They have integrated V2X and ADAS into the solution. This ADAS , which can integrate five-channel high-definition cameras, can ensure safety in all aspects.

The second is Combination .

What is the concept of integration? Meng Lingjun pointed out that Neusoft hopes to integrate third-party resources, improve user experience, realize an ecosystem, and achieve win-win results for everyone. For example, if a car owner likes a certain online radio, he can download the APP from the FAW Hongqi APP store and then listen to the radio through the Internet.

The third is Connectivity .

This solution now supports the connection between the electronic and electrical systems in the car and Ethernet, while outside the car, it can communicate with the outside world through LTE and V2X technology. In terms of safety, as mentioned earlier, it can integrate five high-definition cameras in the front, back, left and right to ensure driving safety. Meng Lingjun also emphasized that since the demand for data transmission in intelligent driving of automobiles is particularly large, their solution can achieve the rapid and timely dissemination of big data through the fusion platform.

Finally, there is Cloud .

Neusoft has implemented a virtualization technology based on Intel 's Apollo Lake platform. They have divided a CPU on the processor and used virtualization technology to allow Android to run on it. As a deeply customized Android platform, Neusoft provides developers with some open FrameworkSDKs , which can support all aspects of API applications. If customers are interested, they can use these API interfaces to develop their own APPs .

Some safe functions in the car, such as ADAS or local applications, can also be placed in this virtual technology layer, and then another CPU can be allocated to Android through virtualization technology. By customizing Android, users can download third-party apps to achieve a very good user experience.

Of course, basic information such as remote control and Internet of Vehicles diagnosis can definitely be achieved through this platform.

Chen Wei, general manager of Intel's Internet of Things Division in China, said that smart cars are the broad Internet of Things, and the Internet of Things has high requirements for real-time computing of terminals, integration of IT and OT , and security and trust. Intel's processors and products have their advantages in these aspects.

Dr. Li Qian, General Manager of FAW Hongqi Advanced Business Unit, also pointed out that many car manufacturers are now conducting extensive technical research and development around technologies such as autonomous driving, vehicle networking, and human-computer interaction, including product deployment and the entire business layout. FAW has been investing in related research and development since 2003 .

Dr. Li Qian, General Manager of FAW Hongqi Advanced Business Unit

According to him, the next-generation intelligent driving platform 2.0 system jointly developed by the three parties will be installed on Hongqi vehicles and put on the market. This system surpasses the user experience of consumer electronics, and will also launch a highly integrated remote information service of vehicle control, vehicle data and user driving habits. In addition to the conventional remote control function, there are also a series of Internet services such as remote firmware upgrades, vehicle health management, dynamic prediction navigation, etc., including deeply customized POI push, which are installed on this platform.

Under the current situation of unfavorable development of mobile and other markets, automobiles and the Internet of Things have become the next wave of growth points that many semiconductor manufacturers are keeping a close eye on. Qualcomm's recent acquisition of NXP is precisely for these two markets. As the dominant player in the processor field, Intel 's cooperation with Neusoft and Hongqi has put it ahead of many manufacturers. As for whether it can bring about a huge change, it depends on the efforts of the three parties. Let us wait and see.

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