Renesas launches cloud-based development environment to accelerate development and evaluation of automotive AI software

AI Workbench helps software development "shift left" and frees the software design cycle from dependence on chips.

Beijing, China, December 14, 2023 - Renesas Electronics, a global semiconductor solutions provider, today announced the launch of a new cloud-based development environment designed to simplify the software design process for automotive AI engineers . The new platform AI Workbench serves as an integrated virtual development environment that helps automotive AI engineers design, simulate and debug vehicle software in the cloud.

With this development environment, engineers can immediately use the high-performance computing resources of Microsoft Azure (Azure Compute, IaaS services, Microsoft Entra ID and Azure Security) cloud to start automotive software design without having to install tools on the PC or request an evaluation. Board, you can perform tasks such as performance evaluation, debugging and verification through online simulation tools. This approach is consistent with the "Shift-Left" development philosophy, which allows software to be created and tested early in the design cycle, even before the actual hardware is available. For example, before the upcoming fifth-generation R-Car system-on-chip (SoC) hardware samples are released, AI application software that supports ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and autonomous driving can be developed. The environment will serve as a unified development platform for designing and testing Renesas' scalable automotive SoCs and microcontrollers (MCUs), regardless of product type or application.

Mandali Khalesi, Global VP, HPC AI and Cloud Technology at Renesas said: "We are pleased to join hands with Microsoft, a leading cloud technology provider, to create a cloud-based virtual development and AI model performance testing environment for automotive AI engineers. At the same time, Renesas takes full advantage of new features such as continuous monitoring and analysis of software usage and is committed to the continuous improvement of the AI ​​development environment.”

Ulrich Homann, Corporate Vice President & Distinguished Architect, Cloud + AI at Microsoft said: “Cloud-based development is a secure and cost-effective way to address the increasing complexity of today’s embedded projects. Renesas and Microsoft’s partnership The collaboration aims to address this challenge and accelerate the digital transformation of the automotive industry. With Renesas’ AI Workbench, developers can now efficiently build and test applications for various applications using Renesas SoCs in a cloud environment powered by Azure. application software.”

AI Workbench currently includes the following four functional modules. Renesas also plans to enhance its products in the future to provide more features, such as optional features or customization options, to support various development processes.

1. Upgraded AI compiler tool chain

Renesas will upgrade its SoC AI compiler toolchain with a novel "Hybrid Compiler (HyCo)" architecture and make it available through AI Workbench. The new self-developed HyCo architecture and core library will enable engineers to unlock a wider range of AI models and expand ONNX computing coverage beyond the existing third-party hardware accelerator compiler coverage on Renesas SoCs (such as DSPs and NPUs) .

2. AI model performance testing environment

Renesas will provide NNPerf, an online testing environment for developers to evaluate the performance of AI models running in real time on Renesas SoCs. Testing will be run on real hardware from Renesas' global device library, no evaluation board is required. With the ability to batch process code programs, perform real-time inference tests, and compare the performance of different AI models, application engineers can make estimates and decisions about trade-offs in models, memory usage, latency, and more.

3. Software development environment

Microsoft's code editor Visual Studio Code (VSCode) and Renesas' software development kit (SDK) are both available in the cloud. Using this tool suite, developers can launch their cloud development environment in minutes, customize their independent development environment and perform all design work using only a PC web browser.

4. Software evaluation/validation environment

Renesas will also provide an environment for developers to test and verify their application software using AI models defined in the AI ​​model performance testing tool NNPerf. This includes simulators such as SILS (Software-in-the-Loop Simulator) and HILS (Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator), which allow users to verify the operation of designs for their specific AI applications.

Supply information

AI Workbench will be available in partial preview in January 2024. Renesas plans to expand the availability of AI Workbench starting in the second quarter of 2024 and build similar environments for other major cloud services in the future. In addition, Renesas is also considering integrating tools provided by R-Car Alliance partners into the cloud environment to improve efficiency.