Present at CES 2023, Qualcomm unveiled a new chip capable of unifying several central electronic systems of smart vehicles.
Qualcomm knows how to exploit the great mass of new technologies to show that it is always one step ahead in terms of innovation. Or rather a car ahead. Indeed, the telecommunications specialist, which already announced its ambitions in the automobile in 2020, has just confirmed its offensive in the field.
Make several worlds “coexist” in a single chip
Bringing together the autonomous driving system (AD), advanced driving assistance (ADAS) and infotainment on the same SoC: this is the will of the San Diego giant, in a universe a little on the fringes of its core business (although he has been around the car for years). It is therefore not his first attempt.
In 2020, the manufacturer presented its own autonomous driving system, the Snapdragon Ride Vision, supposed to see its pre-development phase complete in… 2023! We are there, and the Ride Vision is already integrated with the latest addition to the Snapdragon Digital Chassis range: the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC.
The “Flex” chip now offers very concrete prospects that match Qualcomm’s ambitions. By embedding all these systems, it allows him in particular to resolve various constraints related to the separation of components: multiplication of costs, compatibility problems, circuit complexity, etc.
The Ride Flex is nonetheless ultra-efficient. Its software platform is able to run multiple mini-operating systems simultaneously, and all core functionality is isolated from each other through, among other things, virtualization methods. This allows, for example, the digital cockpit, the trajectory corrector or even the vehicle’s audio system to operate with their own latencies.
In essence, the Snapdragon Ride Flex would establish itself as ” new standard for high-performance mixed-criticality architectures “, assures the brand.
A whole domain to conquer
Through this innovation, Qualcomm intends to attract as many automotive brands as possible in the near future while continuing to make its name resonate in an increasingly competitive segment. But for that, it will have to ensure in particular to remain convincing on the issues of vehicle safety. A theme on which it is already very transparent, as evidenced by the number of standards and guarantees mentioned in its various outputs.
It will also have to reassure about its ability to support even more immersive and premium experiences on board vehicles. In short, enough to heat up its chips of the future even more.
For now, the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC will be made available to car manufacturers for testing. The Californian brand plans to see it in production by 2025.
Sources: Qualcomm, o.canada.com, Neowin
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