Advanced Automotive Technology: Timing is Everything
Latest update time：2019-11-20
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In the past, consumers would use many different factors to decide which new car to purchase, whether buying brand new or a recently used model. Factors such as fuel economy, performance, safety, and cost are all important factors in the decision-making process. The relative importance will vary from consumer to consumer and will depend on their personal circumstances; someone traveling with family may prioritize safety, while those who drive a lot of miles will generally consider fuel economy to be an important factor.
However, the world has evolved, and so have car designs and consumer attitudes. The amount of technology in vehicles has increased dramatically in recent years, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down in the near future. Interestingly, it is estimated that 80% of all automotive innovations and new technologies are electronic in nature.
This trend is accompanied by the development of society, where technology such as smartphones, tablets and always-on connectivity have become an important part of daily life, so it is no surprise that in-car technology is now becoming another important decision factor for more and more people.
There is hardly an area of today’s car that does not involve electronics, whether it is to improve safety, increase economy or simply make travelling more comfortable. One of the key areas that has seen a revolution in the comfort and convenience space is infotainment systems, including traditional functions such as audio (although now much more sophisticated) as well as more modern applications such as satellite navigation, whether it is integrated with smartphone route navigation platforms or prepared to interface seamlessly with such platforms.
Cameras have been in cars for some time, initially in the form of backup cameras that show drivers the hard-to-see areas behind the vehicle. In some jurisdictions, these have become mandatory equipment to prevent accidents such as backing into objects, or worse, hitting family pets or even children.
However, in-car cameras are proliferating, and a mid-range or luxury car model may now include up to a dozen cameras. In addition to simple reversing cameras, other cameras placed around the body of the car can help drivers park or ensure they stay in their lane when driving on the highway. Forward-looking cameras can identify hazards in the vehicle's path and can even read speed signs, warn the driver, and in some cases limit the speed of the vehicle.
As the resolution of these cameras increases, the amount of data moving around the vehicle between the image sensors and the central infotainment system increases dramatically. In fact, the traditional CAN bus is struggling to cope, and many automakers are now looking to Ethernet as a way to link all the in-vehicle technology together.
In addition to a large number of sensors, including advanced vision sensors for camera functions, many vehicles now contain multiple processors and graphics processing units (GPUs), as well as advanced networks for communication between the various modules. In addition to the need to move large amounts of data, another thing these systems share is the need for accurate timing to work properly.
Until recently, this has presented some challenges for automotive designers, with few if any timing solutions available to meet AEC-Q100 automotive specifications and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).
But ON Semiconductor recently introduced a new automotive-grade precision, low phase noise clock generator that supports PCI Express (PCIe) and Ethernet requirements up to Gen 4. The NBA3N5573 accepts a 25 MHz fundamental mode parallel resonant crystal and generates a differential master clock signaling level (HCSL output) of 25 MHz, 100 MHz, 125 MHz, or 200 MHz. These outputs can be connected to LVDS when properly terminated.
Targeting automotive applications, including infotainment, in-cabin electronics and future autonomous vehicle features and systems, the NBA3N5573 is capable of operating at high temperatures (-40ºC to +105ºC) and is AEC-Q100 automotive and PPAP qualified. The tiny (3mm x 3mm) device is housed in a 0.5mm pitch QFN16 package with wettable flanks to comply with the stringent visual inspections required by the automotive industry.
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