Infineon joins hands with Continental to build efficient, high-performance automotive architecture

Infineon joins hands with Continental to build efficient, high-performance automotive architecture

• Continental uses Infineon's high-end AURIX TC4 microcontroller to develop innovative electronic/electrical architecture modular platform

• The domain control unit serves as an interface between high-performance computers and sensors/actuators and can be used to build complex software infrastructure

• Jointly launches RRAM technology for automobiles

[Munich and Frankfurt, Germany, April 11, 2023] Infineon Technologies AG announced that it will cooperate with Continental to develop a server-based automotive architecture. This cooperation between the two parties aims to create a systematic and efficient electronic/electrical (E/E) architecture. This architecture is different from the previous electronic/electrical architecture that often contains hundreds or even more independent control units. It will be developed by the central high-performance Computer (HPC) and several powerful domain control units (ZCU). Currently, Continental uses Infineon's AURIX TC4 microcontroller in the ZCU platform.

Thanks to the special storage technology of AURIX TC4, the car software will remain in standby mode. Once the vehicle is started, functions such as parking assistance, air conditioning, heating, and suspension will be ready within 1 second. With platform-based solutions, Continental can meet the different needs of car manufacturers. By individually configuring the number of HPCs and ZCUs, how they interact with each other, and how they are arranged within the vehicle, automakers can tailor the vehicle architecture to their needs.

Gilles Mabire, chief technology officer of Continental Automotive , said : "Our new architecture solution can enable vehicles to adapt to future scenarios more quickly. As vehicle functions become increasingly rich, vehicles require higher computing power and more complex software applications. Support, Continental’s new architecture clears the way for software-defined cars, and our cooperation with semiconductor technology company Infineon is a key step in helping our customers quickly achieve this development goal, thanks to our proven platform strategy. Application software can be directly used in new car models, which can significantly reduce time-consuming verification work and speed up the entry of new functions into mass production.”

The third generation of the AURIX family of microcontrollers, TC4x, offers the same performance, memory and scalability between versions as previous generations of microcontrollers AURIX TC2x and TC3x. In addition, AURIX TC4x is also designed for ZCU and HPC applications, but its more focused application areas are radar, chassis and safety, and powertrain/electrification.

A key highlight of the new microcontroller family is the RRAM (resistive random access memory) memory technology used by Infineon. This technology has been successfully used in chip card fields such as cashless payments and security authentication. Now, RRAM technology is being used in the automotive field for the first time. AURIX TC4x microcontrollers unlock the important potential of automotive systems efficiently, quickly and safely. Thanks to the AURIX TC4x architecture, the basic software program is almost always on standby, so when the vehicle is started, functions such as parking assistance, air conditioning, heating and suspension are ready within 1 second. In addition, it significantly speeds up OTA updates of software components and improves security.

Peter Schiefer, President of the Automotive Electronics Division of Infineon Technologies, said: "The cooperation with Continental has enabled the application of RRAM technology in the automotive field. Now, Infineon is shaping the future of mobility together with innovation promoters in the automotive industry such as Continental. AURIX The TC4x series of microcontrollers will be an important part of the new generation of electronic/electrical architecture and play a vital role in improving the efficiency, safety and comfort of future generations of vehicles."

The adoption of a powerful domain control unit is a decisive step towards software-defined cars. For Continental, the first key step is the development and delivery of HPC high-performance computers for Volkswagen's ID.3 and ID.4 electric vehicle models.

The domain control unit platform, developed as part of a collaboration between Continental and Infineon, forms the middle layer of the electronics/electrical architecture layer, between the server layer (HPC) and the base layer consisting of numerous sensors and actuators.

Jean-Francois Tarabbia, Head of the Architecture and Networks Business Unit at Continental, said: “We are able to provide all fundamental components for software-defined automotive architecture from a single source. The new platform has a scalable, modular design in terms of performance and interfaces, enabling automotive manufacturing. This gives vendors extreme flexibility in designing vehicle architectures, and we enable the integration of third-party hardware and software to introduce innovative solutions quickly and cost-effectively."

In future electronic/electrical architectures, domain control units centralize all electronic and electrical connections in local areas of the vehicle. For example, the domain control unit takes over all control, data and communication management tasks of the vehicle from the right front, left front and rear areas. Bringing software components together improves network security and enhances update capabilities. The AURIX TC4x family of microcontrollers is developed under the ISO/SAE 21434 certification process and focuses on the most advanced cybersecurity features available today. In addition, the cybersecurity concept of AURIX TC4x supports post-quantum processes, which will further enhance the protection of data and information from attacks from quantum computers. Quantum computers pose a threat to current encryption methods.

Data streams from different automotive domains are combined in the domain control unit. After processing, the data will be transmitted to the HPC as the highest control layer through a secure Ethernet connection. In turn, domain control units can work together to execute commands from the server layer.

With its holistic "functional safety" concept, the AURIX TC4x series microcontrollers comply with the highest functional safety requirements of ASIL D in the ISO26262 standard. In addition, the AURIX TC4x series of microcontrollers have built-in network accelerators ("Route Accelerators") that ease Ethernet and CAN communications as well as the latest communication features such as 5 Gbit/s ETH, PCIe, 10 Base-T1-S and CAN-XL, etc. The pressure you bear. With these features, AURIX TC4x helps enable a new generation of software-defined cars and new electronic/electrical architectures.

Tarabbia said: “Our new vehicle architecture consists of only a few powerful domain control units and high-performance computers, greatly simplifying the body wiring harness, reducing weight and reducing energy consumption. Because of the clear implementation in the system’s automotive electronics The division of tasks, separation of software and hardware, and standardization of interfaces can better cope with the increasing complexity and exponential increase in software applications within the vehicle.”