TechInsights Teardown: Continental 3D flash lidar

The Continental rangefinder allows ADAS and other applications to observe its environment and report it back to the main process inside a vehicle. Source: TechInsights

Editor’s note: Information from this teardown is supplied courtesy of TechInsights. Learn more about the Continental 3D flash lidar teardown here.

Lidar is becoming a staple inside vehicles as the need for greater knowledge of the environment around vehicles. Technology inside vehicles is becoming ubiquitous particularly with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for increased safety and eventually for automated driving functions when or if a vehicle needs to take over if a driver is impaired or can’t decide in time to prevent a potential accident.

Lidar is at the core of these technologies in relaying information to the core computer in vehicles so it can adjust in time. The Continental 3D flash lidar is built for internal use inside vehicles for both ADAS and eventually automated functions.

The device includes AMD’s FPGA processor and a handful of memory components from Winbond and ST Microelectronics.

The following is a partial deep dive into the laser rangefinder conducted by TechInsights.

Released: February 2021

Price: $7,213

Availability: Worldwide

Target market: Automotive

The main board includes the AMD FPGA device as well as the main memory for operation of the Continental 3D flash lidar. Source: TechInsights

Main board

The main board is the heart of the laser rangefinder with the main Artix-7 FPGA from AMD and main memory from ST Microelectronics. Other electronics components found on the main board of the Continental lidar include:

• Infineon’s Power MOSFETs
• Texas Instruments’ FPD-Link serializer, 2-amp synchronous step-down converter and 300 mA buck converter
• Analog Devices’ 1 amp DC-DC converter and step-down DC-DC controller
• Vishay’s N-channel MOSFET
• Winbond’s 8 MB serial flash memory

(Learn more about discrete components on Globalspec.com)

The interconnect board includes several Texas Instruments electronic components to aid in the operation of the flash lidar. Source: TechInsights

Interconnect board

The interconnect board includes the electronic components needed for connections to the outside environment of the automobile. These are all from Texas Instruments and include a differential amplifier, LDO regulator, operational amplifier, 12-bit ADC, 8-channel analog multiplex/demultiplexor, and LVDS differential line receiver.

(Learn more about audio processor ICs on Globalspec.com)

The laser board features the main lidar subsystem that is connected to the main board inside the Continental 3D flash lidar. Source: TechInsights

Flash laser module

The flash laser module inside Continental’s flash lidar includes the main flash lidar module that enables a vehicle to sense its environment and relay it back to the main electronic components in other areas of the vehicles. It also has connectors that attach to the main board inside the laser rangefinder.

(Learn more about lidar sensors on Globalspec.com)

Some of the main components found inside the Continental 3D flash lidar. Source: TechInsights

Major components

• $150.53 — Laser module (Qty: 1)
• $36.19 — Glass filter (Qty: 2)
• $30.20 — SPAD 32 x 128 array (Qty: 1)
• $12.79 — Main enclosure (Qty: 1)
• $9.00 — Artix-7 FPGA – AMD (Qty: 1)
• $6.57 — Bottom enclosure (Qty: 1)
• $6.21 — Lens 1 (Qty: 1)
• $5.72 — Lens 4 (Qty: 1)
• $4.67 — Lens 2 (Qty: 1)
• $4.16 — Connector external power (Qty: 1)