Imaging radar processors are key to the perception systems that will enable a variety of current and future automotive segments like autonomous driving, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), automated parking and more.
Imaging radar uses point cloud data for detailed modeling of the environment so that vehicles can navigate and avoid complex urban scenarios that emerge while driving. NXP Semiconductors N.V. has unveiled its third-generation imaging radar processor that the company said offers twice the processing power of the previous generation as well as improvements to power efficiency and cost.
Dubbed the S32R47, when combined with NXP’s millimeter wave (mmWave) radar transceivers, power management and in-vehicle networking chips, it meets the functional safety ASIL ISO 26262 ASIL B (D) requirements and prepares the industry for autonomous driving, NXP said.
Additionally, the processor integrates multi-core radar processing system with denser point cloud output and algorithms for ADAS systems. This results in:
- Better separability of objects
- Improved detection
- Accurate classification of objects
“The S32R47 can efficiently process three times, or more, antenna channels in real time than today’s production solutions,” said Meindert van den Beld, senior vice president and general manager of radar and ADAS at NXP Semiconductors. “It enables improved imaging radar resolution, sensitivity and dynamic range — required by demanding autonomous driving use cases — while still meeting the stringent power and system cost targets set by OEMs for volume production.”
Why it matters
By 2029, about 40% of vehicles on the road will be Level 2 and Level 3 automated passenger cars with an increasing number of vehicles with Level 4 automated driving, according to Yole Intelligence.
(See also: A Primer to the 6 Levels of Autonomous Driving)
To get there, automotive OEMs and tier 1 suppliers will need to improve radar performance.
