Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Ferrari N.V. have entered a strategic technology collaboration aimed at helping accelerate the digital transformation of Ferrari.
Qualcomm Technologies will serve as Ferrari’s systems solutions provider for its upcoming Ferrari road cars, as well as a Premium Partner for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team and Ferrari eSports team.
Ferrari will work with Qualcomm Technologies to utilize the Snapdragon Digital Chassis to bring the latest automotive technology advancements to Ferrari road cars.
The Snapdragon Digital Chassis is comprised of open and scalable cloud-connected platforms needed for next-generation vehicles, which includes telematics and connectivity, the digital cockpit, and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) functions. It utilizes a unified architecture to deliver enhanced safety and immersive digital experiences updateable throughout the lifetime of the vehicles.
As a part of the agreement, Qualcomm Technologies and its partners will also work with Ferrari to design, develop and integrate Ferrari’s digital cockpits.
Qualcomm Technologies will begin serving as a Premium Partner of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team at the start of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship race season, where Snapdragon will be featured on the new Scuderia Ferrari’s F1-75 single-seaters. The Maranello marque’s eSports activities will also be part of the official partnership.
The Snapdragon Digital Chassis connects cars to the cloud. (Image: Qualcomm)
U‑blox has added a GNSS receiver module to its cellular LTE Cat 1 portfolio. The GNSS receiver in the LENA-R8 is based on the u‑blox M10 platform.
U-blox also introduced the LARA-R6, its smallest LTE Cat 1 module with global coverage. Together, the modules comprise five certified global, multi-regional and regional product variants, simplifying logistics for product developers and increasing design flexibility.
Both modules offer device makers facing imminent 2G and 3G network sunsets a future-proof migration path to 4G technology for data-streaming applications.
Additionally, they offer MQTT Anywhere and MQTT Flex connectivity via u‑blox’s Thingstream platform out of the box, thereby enabling low-power, low-cost connectivity with globally ubiquitous, seamless roaming.
Tracking and Telematics
The LENA-R8 standard-grade module series targets customers in the tracking and telematics markets seeking to minimize costs associated to their bill of material and data charges. The compact module balances cost and performance with single Rx antenna and primarily targets customer deployments in the Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America regions.
The LENA-R8 supports a broad range of frequency bands with 2G fallback, providing maximum roaming coverage for global tracking applications using a single stock keeping unit (SKU).
A variant of the LENA-R8 series comes with an ultra-low power u‑blox M10 GNSS receiver for high performance asset tracking applications, reducing integration effort and time to market. Making no compromises in terms of GNSS performance, the module can concurrently receive up to four GNSS constellations for maximum position availability.
CellLocate Support
All variants of the LARA-R6 and LENA-R8 family support CellLocate, u‑blox’s cellular network-based location service, for coarse positioning data even in the absence of GNSS signals.
Engineering samples will be available in February.
U‑blox has launched a commercial internet of things (IoT) Security-as-a-Service offering. Available on both the u‑blox SARA-R4 and SARA-R5 series of LTE-M cellular IoT modules, the service protects data from malicious third parties, both on the device and during transmission from the device to the cloud, u-blox said in a press release.
Both the SARA-R4 and R5 have integrated M8 GNSS receivers.
The IoT Security-as-a-Service provides an out-of-the box onboarding process to cloud IoT platforms to speed up development, shortening time-to-market.
The IoT Security-as-a-Service offering, which is managed via the u‑blox Thingstream service delivery platform, is specifically optimized for low-power, wide-area (LPWA) deployments that use resource-constrained IoT devices. By substantially reducing data overhead and keeping the number of handshakes to a minimum, the service improves power consumption and extends the battery life, a critical metric for most IoT devices.
u-blox acquired Thingstream, an IoT communication-as-a-service provider, in April.
Central to the effectiveness of the solution is a unique symmetric key management system (KMS). Through it, an infinite number of crypto keys can be generated on the fly for each device, rather than having to rely on the storage and management of pre-shared keys (which can add to overall operational complexity and the power budget).
Keys are tied to the hardware and can be triggered from either the module or from the server/cloud, completely eliminating the need to create, deliver, and renew certificates, and bringing significant savings in terms of system cost, operational complexity, and power consumption.
The solution also leverages u‑blox’s Foundation security offering, which comprises fundamental elements that make SARA-R4 and SARA-R5 modules secure by design. These include a unique and immutable device identity that is tied to its root of trust (RoT), which forms the basis for a trusted set of advanced security functionality, including a secure boot mechanism that ensures that the module can only run trusted software. In addition, u‑blox’s proprietary uFOTA feature enables authentication of over-the-air firmware updates.
Among the relevant use cases that u‑blox IoT Security-as-a-Service can support are:
Asset tracking. Data authenticity is essential in such scenarios, as well as secure local storage of collected data and easy secure cloud onboarding. Because tracking devices are usually battery powered, they require extremely energy-efficient secure data transmission.
Connected health/eHealth. In this use case, patient confidentiality is paramount, with only authorized medical staff permitted to access sensitive data. This necessitates a high degree of protection against malware and data tampering.
Industrial monitoring. These solutions need to guarantee the integrity of real-time operational data to increase productivity, avoid downtime, and assure the safety of the workforce.
Building and home automation. Data confidentiality and authenticity need to be maintained, while allowing for data to be shared with trusted stakeholders without compromising customer privacy.
Telematics. In this scenario, the main security risks include denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, device cloning, jamming, etc.
Smart metering. Here, the authenticity of data logged by remote metering units needs to be confirmed to protect billing, and, once trusted communication is established, data transmission needs to be restricted to authorized servers.
“We implemented a true end-to-end concept that protects data from the device to the end user without making it visible to intermediate nodes or platforms, or to service providers. The modules’ symmetric KMS offers engineers a streamlined and scalable alternative to conventional public key infrastructure or pre-shared key arrangements,” says Giovanni Solito, senior product manager, Product Center Services at u‑blox. “And with straightforward onboarding to all the popular cloud IoT platforms, efforts are not taken up by security concerns and operational complexities, but can be focused on speeding up time to market and growing business.”
Connected transportation company Geotab has unveiled Geotab Keyless, a platform solution that integrates a secured digital key function with a comprehensive and data-driven fleet management product. Announced at the company’s third annual Geotab Mobility Connect conference, this combined solution is enabling a new class of car sharing by allowing public, corporate, leasing and government fleets to better analyze, pool, utilize and reduce their assets.
“We are proud to be the first fully-featured telematics provider bringing a unique data-driven, keyless solution to the burgeoning car sharing market,” said Christopher Mendes, VP, Electric Vehicles, Geotab. “Keyless vehicle access is critical not only for fleets seeking to improve cost and operational structures but also consumers, who are moving away from vehicle ownership and expecting an easier, more convenient driving experience.”
Car sharing on the rise
According to a 2019 research report from Berg Insights, worldwide car-sharing membership topped 50.4 million in 2018, with the report citing frontrunners including Germany, Italy, USA and South Korea. As the Latin American market continues to rapidly grow, numbers are forecast to hit approximately 227 million by the end of 2023.
Berg Insights also notes that several car makers, leasing companies and car rental companies are introducing car sharing solutions for corporate customers, with a goal to reduce mobility costs for enterprises by decreasing fleet capacity and the need for taxis and rental cars, while enabling self-booking and keyless access. Telematics and smartphones will play a pivotal role.
“Geotab Keyless is designed to enhance car sharing across every segment, including in-car delivery services in the future” added Mendes. “Keyless is particularly advantageous for electric vehicle (EV) car sharing fleets, as the solution can reliably manage vehicles’ state of charge (SOC), charging status and range remaining —a capability no other keyless hardware competitor possesses.”
Scalable platform
A simple-to-install, scalable platform solution, Geotab Keyless supports any make, model and year of vehicle that has a key fob, and provides access to the most extensive telematics data on the market including asset accounting, suitability analysis for corporate car sharing, vehicle management automation and remote vehicle management.
Fleet customers can pair their Geotab telematics solution with a vehicle reservation system software partner of their choice in order to best meet their individual business needs.
Global software partners for Geotab Keyless include Wunder Mobility, Ridecell, fleetster, Eccocar and Moove Connected Mobility. Or fleet customers can create their own reservation software using Geotab’s Keyless APIs.
How Geotab Keyless works
Once a key fob is embedded into the hardware, drivers open their third-party software app on their phone (which is integrated with their MyGeotab platform), locate the OEM button on the screen and use the features to lock, unlock and start the vehicle.
In addition to phone apps, the keyless functionality can be enabled by NFC tags and directly over the cellular connection. Over time, the solution will expand to include other applications and third-party digital key hardware solutions, as well as OEM telematics’ APIs.
“In an increasingly dynamic world, on-demand free-floating shared mobility options are enabling new and innovative business opportunities for government and commercial fleets,” said Jean Pilon-Bignell, VP of Business Development, Government and Smart Cities. “By integrating this capability with a world-class telematics platform, fleets can have confidence in the fact that their shared mobility investments are backed by real data and analytics.”
Data-driven insight
Currently equipping more than 2.1 million vehicles with its telematics technology, Geotab provides data-driven insights to over 40,000 customers worldwide and enables users to customize their solution through a suite of more than 150 hardware add-ons, software add-ins and applications available on the Geotab Marketplace.
As a result, the company processes more than 40 billion data points each day from Geotab-connected vehicles around the world. With active devices present in more than 130 countries, Geotab’s solutions are sold through its global network of Authorized Geotab Resellers.
Telematics company SkyBitz has announced a strategic technology partnership with fleet logistics solutions provider Coretex. The partnership combines Coretex sensor-based refrigeration solution and cloud-based software platform with SkyBitz trailer tracking technology to create a complete solution for businesses needing both powered and non-powered asset tracking.
With the partnership, food, pharmaceutical and retail customers can have total visibility into the status of loads during transportation, resulting in improved food safety and quality assurance.
The SkyBitz and Coretex partnership allow customers to access and manage both reefer device data and trailer tracking data via one seamless solution, enabling greater insight, a more transparent view of their entire cold chain operation, and better decision making. Customers can now automate Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliance, allowing them to keep assets on the road for longer, monitoring them with advanced temperature tracking capabilities.
“Our customers look to us for innovative, value-driven solutions that help improve profits across their entire operation,” states Henry Popplewell, DVP and president of SkyBitz. “As leaders in the supply chain and logistics arena, we are excited to capitalize on this partnership to continue to grow our cold chain customer base and align ourselves with the foodservice industry through this technology partnership. The Coretex pedigree in last-mile food and beverage distribution is the perfect complement to our asset management technology.”
With this new offering, customers of Coretex and SkyBitz will benefit from the following:
More than 50 features of remote cold chain monitoring capabilities, including two-way reefer control, monitoring of up to six doors, and advanced power management to preserve reefer and telematics unit battery life.
Single point of access to critical and timely best-in-class trailer utilization and reefer information on one seamlessly connected platform, greatly expanding productivity and streamlining operations.
Communication between the trailer and other connected sensors with options to expand to additional Coretex products such as assurance solution CoreTemp.
An unmatched compilation of integrated driver safety, compliance, and asset management tools including the Coretex integration with trailer braking solutions and automatic tire inflation systems.
“Combining SkyBitz leading trailer and asset management technology with Coretex cloud-based software platform, two-way reefer solutions, and deep compliance capabilities create a powerful solution for both companies,” said Coretex CEO Selwyn Pellett. “At Coretex, reefer solutions have been a core part of our business for 16 years, and we’re excited to share our experience with SkyBitz. The trailer expertise of SkyBitz complements our offering, perfectly creating a solution that can help businesses increase the productivity of their assets. With the growing importance of food safety assurance for both food producers and distributors, we think both companies’ customers will find our combined fully-featured solution the best on the market.”
Fast-growing European transport telematics company Ruptela has expanded its global presence to the United States with a tailored ready-to-use telematics solution, the Trace 5 GPS tracker and multifunctional fleet management platform TrustTrack.
The Trace 5 plug-and-play GPS-based automatic vehicle location (AVL) tracker has LTE Cat M1 (4G) connectivity and an integrated battery. It is fully certified according to North American requirements and has a two-year warranty.
TrustTrack is an advanced telematics platform that helps businesses manage their transport resources more efficiently. It connects dispatchers and drivers and enables real-time monitoring and drivers’ management. It also generates trip reports.
To create the North American solutions, Ruptela’s research and development team analyzed the needs of prospective clients and ran product tests on various roads in the United States.
Andrius Rupsys, founder and CEO of Ruptela, calls the release of a telematics solution tailored to the U.S. market a significant milestone in the further expansion of the company. “We are entering the U.S. market confident about our solution for businesses eager to improve their efficiency, whether these are delivery, service fleets, vehicle leasing and financing (BHPH) or car rental companies.
“As a customer-centric company, we always seek to reduce our clients’ efforts by accelerating ease of use, prediction and automation. We believe that with the right measures, less effort can lead to more growth,” Rupsys said.
“Beyond that, our goal is to provide clients with solutions to the issues they are not even aware of yet. To do so, we offer the full solution including hardware and software manufactured and developed in the European Union, which is completed by cellular connectivity and the highest European quality support valued by Ruptela’s clients across the globe,” Rupsys said.
Ruptela also offers individual onboarding (covering software and hardware) and free technical support, which ensures that clients can start using the product instantly. Depending on the expressed need, their manufactured hardware can be bought separately.
For a limited time, first-time users are entitled to a special offer saving them software activation fee and gifting valuable extras.
Radius Telematics has seen a big increase in the thefts of commercial vehicles since the coronavirus lockdown. With many offices, factories and construction sites unattended, thieves appear to be taking advantage of unattended locations.
According to Radius, vehicles and plant not equipped with GPS security devices that detect and track unauthorized movement are especially vulnerable as the thefts may go unreported for many days or even weeks.
Radius Telematics acquired two companies in 2019 that had a substantial proportion of their business in vehicle and plant security — both are reporting significant spikes in thefts.
Radius Telematics encompasses telematics brands Kinesis, UK Telematic, Plant-I, Sure-Track, CyntrX and Key Telematics. Altogether, Radius companies track more than 250,000 vehicles across the globe, with security devices fitted to 27,000 assets ranging from generators to vans, mini-diggers and earth moving trucks.
Many are equipped with Theft Recovery Trackers, small covert wireless devices with movement and tamper alarms. Once activated, the asset is automatically tracked to ensure that stolen assets are recovered quickly and efficiently.
“From security tracker alerts, we have seen a doubling in plant and van theft since the lockdown began,” said said Greville Coe, managing director of Radius Telematics. “It’s incredible that when we are all self-isolating and worrying about a deadly virus, crime is being committed while people and organizations are so vulnerable.”
Photo: Radius Telematics
One particularly disturbing theft was of a van stolen from a hospice for the terminally ill. The incident in Coventry, UK, saw a property belonging to a hospice ransacked and the theft of a hospice van. Fortunately, the vehicle was fitted with a Sure-Track tracker previously donated by Radius Telematics and the vehicle was safely recovered after three days. The Wireless Theft Recovery Tracker allowed the Radius nationwide finder network to accurately track the movements and whereabouts of the stolen vehicle.
“It’s shocking that thieves would target a charity caring for the terminally ill in what is an exceptionally difficult time,” Coe said. “Radius Telematics tracking services remain fully operational irrespective of the travel and business restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus crisis. We hope we can help to ensure that essential services can be delivered with minimal disruption.”
Radius Telematics is a newly branded group formed within Radius Payment Solutions. The new telematics division incorporates a number of telematics-related businesses including their own Kinesis-branded vehicle tracking and previous acquisitions including Plant-i, UK Telematics and Sure-Track.
The ultra-robust M9 technology platform will suit demanding automotive and high-end telematics.
U-blox, a global provider of positioning and wireless communication technologies, has launched its new ultra-robust meter-level M9 global positioning technology platform, designed for demanding automotive, telematics and UAV applications.
Because of the high-performance GNSS UBX-M9140 chip, the M9 technology platform and the NEO-M9N (the first module based on the platform) can receive signals from up to four GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo) concurrently. It can achieve high positional accuracy even in difficult conditions such as deep urban canyons, u-blox said in a press release.
The u-blox M9 offers a position update rate of up to 25 Hz, enabling dynamic applications like UAVs to receive position information with low latency. It also features special filtering against RF interference and jamming, spoofing detection and advanced detection algorithms that enable it to report fraudulent attacks quickly so that users’ systems can react to them in a timely fashion.
A SAW (surface acoustic wave) filter combined with an LNA (low noise amplifier) in the RF path is integrated in the NEO-M9N module. This setup guarantees normal operations even under strong RF interferences, such as when a cellular modem is co-located with the NEO-M9N.
“We’ve developed the u-blox M9 as a follow-on from our very successful u-blox M8 GNSS platform, offering even more robust meter-level positioning technology and security features to protect the integrity of applications in the automotive, telematics, and UAV markets,” said Bernd Heidtmann, product manager, Product Strategy GNSS, Product Center Positioning, at u-blox.
Users of the u-blox M9 will benefit from it being part of the wider u-blox product family, which means that developers will be able to design a single PCB and then migrate to a different positioning technology — such as dead-reckoning augmenting GNSS technology — with little change to the board design.
Explorer kit released
U-blox has also released the Explorer Kit M9 (XPLR-M9), a development board for designers who want to assess the technology. The miniature plug-and-play device is supplied with user-friendly u-start software, which includes preset scenarios to enable users to explore the performance of the new device.
The u-blox M9 technology platform complies with the ISO/TS 16949, ISO 16750, AEC-Q100 standards. Engineering samples of the NEO-M9N, the first module based on the M9 platform, the UBX-M9140 high-performance chip, and the Explorer Kit are available now.
To learn more about M9, visit the u-blox booth, Hall South, S.2702, at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Los Angeles, Oct. 22-24.
Geotab, an IoT and connected transportation company, now offers the Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles. Integrating Ford vehicle data into the MyGeotab platform gives fleet managers one dedicated portal with powerful tools to process data from vehicles with an embedded modem as well as those which require a third-party device.
Through this integration, Ford Data Services will securely transfer data from Ford vehicles with a factory installed modem (or Ford Plug-In Modem, where required) to Geotab’s cloud environment, eliminating the need for third-party hardware in Ford vehicles.
A business unit of Ford Smart Mobility, Ford Commercial Solutions help fleets improve their operational effectiveness by offering OEM-grade data verified by Ford engineers such as fuel use and vehicle health alerts. The Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC), an open platform that securely manages information flow to and from Ford vehicles’ embedded modems, facilitates both new products.
Simplifying the task of mixed-fleet management, the latest solution from Ford and Geotab provides fleet managers with the ability to oversee their entire fleet in one portal while also presenting the added benefit of access to the Geotab Marketplace, a portfolio of mobile apps, hardware add-ons and software add-ins that enable Geotab customers to further customize their fleet management solution.
“Ford Data Services provides the ‘Power of Choice’ so that businesses can get manufacturer-grade vehicle information from the telematics provider of their choice, such as Geotab,” said Michelle Moody, director at Ford Commercial Solutions. “With the launch of Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles, fleets are able to access vehicle information such as fuel usage, vehicle health and driver behavior, through the Geotab platform for vehicles with a Ford modem.”
With the solution, fleet managers can access proprietary Ford-specific data available for all Ford 2020 or newer models in the United States.
“The Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles will allow fleet managers to benefit from the combination of Geotab’s actionable data insights and powerful rules engine with the rich diagnostic data from Ford’s factory-fitted modem,” said Geotab’s Sherry Calkins, Vice President, Strategic Partners. “This means that regardless of whether they are utilizing an embedded or externally installed telematics solution, the entire fleet can be managed from one platform.”
The importance of sensors, whether they be incorporated in cute dog robots or autonomous vehicles, is gaining more traction.
At September’s Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo, Sony Electronics President and COO Mike Fasulo told GPS World that its foundation sensors are going into autonomous vehicles, drones, agricultural solutions and other platforms.
“A lot of people also don’t know that more than half of the hardware in most smartphones is ours,” Fasulo said. “These sensors we are working on do things you and I can’t do. They can assess sunlight and darkness. They can put a safety cocoon around a vehicle.”
The Aibo robot dog uses artificial intelligence to mimic a real puppy’s behavior. (Photo: Kevin Dennehy)
At the conference, Sony displayed a nearly $3,000 Aibo dog robot, which has many of the same sensors that go into many of the company’s other products, including its venerable camera line. Aibo has facial recognition technology and uses artificial intelligence to mimic a real puppy’s behavior.
Sony sensors seem to be a cornerstone in several new announcements. Less than two months ago, Sony and Yamaha Motor Co. announced the joint development of the SC-1 Sociable Cart, a small autonomous vehicle that will be deployed to golf courses, amusement parks and commercial facilities, the company said.
The SC-1, which is not for sale, features five seats, replaceable batteries, front and rear scope of view thanks to image sensors, an innovative vehicle design, and other improvements over an original prototype vehicle.
In addition to the image sensors, the vehicle has ultrasonic sensors and a two-dimensional laser detection and ranging (lidar) system, the company said. These sensors allow the vehicle to gather cloud travel data for safe-driving analysis.
Sony is working with Japan’s NTT Docomo to test the vehicle’s 5G mobile technologies for remote-controlled functions, the company said.
Geotab leverages sensor data
Sony and Yamaha Motor plan to roll out the SC-1 later this year in Japan. (Photo: Sony/Yamaha Motor)
Canada-based Geotab has made big announcements this year, although the huge one is from the U.S. government to equip more than 200,000 vehicles with its telematics systems.
While that contract itself is massive, the company believes the more than 2 billion data points gathered each day, from millions of Geotab-equipped vehicles on the road, is the real valuable commodity.
The data gathered with the company’s connected-car technology can help companies and governments assess how their fleets are operating, said Mike Branch, Geotab vice president of data and analytics.
Branch, who leads a team of 40 employees, said the company uses the data to help cities assess road impediments — not only road quality. This includes analyzing ABS activation to look at black ice or other hazards. “While weather companies can only estimate conditions, we have sensors in vehicles that can give hyperlocal reports and ground truth,” he said. “People consistently slamming on their brakes in one area is an example [of aggregative data].”
Back in the day, which is less than 10 years ago, all that many companies expected from their fleet management systems was to let them know where their drivers were, by using GNSS and mapping technology. Today, the sensors — and data provided by them — allow managers to assess dangerous driving areas, save on fuel costs by rerouting trucks and compare routes throughout the United States, not just in big cities, Branch said.
In the smart cities space, Branch said that Geotab is working with municipalities for fuel intersection insight mapping. “This means if 20 vehicles, or even just two, are stopped at an intersection, our sensors can detect the wait times,” he said. “The big thing for us is looking at this smart-city deployment to leverage organic data in a private manner.”
Because of the nature of data procurement, privacy is big topic for the company, Branch said. “We treat it with high importance. Our view is that the data is owned by the customer,” he said. “They have full access to it. We will go through it, aggregately, so we can improve our customer’s experience.”
Keeping OBD port secure
The future of open on-board diagnostic (OBD) vehicles — and procuring secured and open data from them — is a concern for Geotab, Branch said.
“We have a full port safety committee with the goal of security and access to the port,” he said. “We believe in open access to this port. This gets to be a concern with mixed-fleet Fords, Mercedes, BMW and others as the data can slow down the port at any time.”
Branch said the company does not want to remove the entrepreneur, who is interested in working with the port in a safe manner. “We work with the OEMs on the future of telematics not just by pulling the data from our device, but pulling it from their feed,” he said.
Branch said that technology may make the port dongle obsolete in five to 10 years, but until then, the company has created an ecosystem to enable the use of the data. “There is going to be an aftermarket as cars are lasting an average of 11 years,” he said.
Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks. (Photo: Daniel Danilov)
Autotalks’ second-generation chipsets have been selected by Harman International to provide the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) chipset for the Harman telematics platform. The platform will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show, taking place Jan. 8-11 in Las Vegas.
With V2X, all vehicles share location, speed and trajectory, giving drivers warnings of on-road dangers. Autotalks’ second-generation chipsets are mass-market ready and support both DSRC and C-V2X direct communications (PC5 protocol).
Harman is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets.
Harman will showcase a connectivity display of its telematics platform with C-V2X capabilities. The live demonstration will show a vehicle communicating with a motorcycle using C-V2X direct communications (the Autotalks chipset is used in both).
Harman’s solution consists of a modular telematics control unit (TEC) accommodating a cellular network access device (NAD) beside Autotalks’ second-generation chipset providing C-V2X capabilities. Autotalks C-V2X capabilities consist of a 3GPP compliant PC5 modem, with dual antenna and diversity for both transmission and reception, as well as an optimized closed-loop remote antenna solution for the highest radio performance.
“Autotalks is proud to work with Harman on their TCU with our secure and deployment-ready C-V2X solution,” said Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks. “We are excited to have our chipset inside Harman’s telematics platform and to demonstrate the flexibility and maturity of our global V2X solution which has been chosen for series production by leading automakers.”
“Together with Harman, we will achieve deployment readiness before the mass-commercialization of C-V2X in China and elsewhere,” Zyss said.
“We are pleased to showcase Autotalks’ C-V2X capabilities in our Telematics platform at CES 2019,” said Mike Peters, president, Connected Car Division at Harman. “The Autotalks chipset provides us with the flexibility, security and performance needed in today’s worldwide market for telematics and V2X.”
Autotalks’ V2X chipset is now available for customer and partner demonstrations.
STMicroelectronics has introduced the automotive-grade ASM330LHH six-axis inertial sensor for super-high-resolution motion tracking in advanced vehicle navigation and telematics applications.
Photo: STMicroelectronics
Serving demands for continuous, accurate vehicle location to support automated services, the ASM330LHH lets advanced dead-reckoning algorithms calculate precise position from sensor data if satellite signals are blocked, such as in urban canyons, tunnels, covered roadways, parking garages or dense forests.
Its advanced, low-noise, temperature-stable design enables dependable telematics services such as e-tolling, tele-diagnostics and e-Call assistance. Precision inertial data in six axes also meets the needs of advanced automated-driving systems, the company said.
Automotive component manufacturer Magneti Marelli has selected the ASM330LHH for advanced telematics systems, to be fitted as original equipment by global automotive groups in upcoming vehicle ranges.
For the ASM330LHH, as with all its MEMS sensors, STMicroelectronics owns the entire manufacturing process, from designing the sensors, through wafer fabrication, packaging, test, calibration and supply. Full end-to-end control enables STMicroelectronics to create high-performing sensors and assure customers of a robust and responsive supply chain, with rigorous end-of-line quality screening, the company said.
“STMicroelectronics is the largest supplier of MEMS sensors for automotive non-safety applications, such as navigation and telematics,” said Andrea Onetti, Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group vice president at STMicroelectronics. “Our latest-generation inertial sensor, the automotive-grade ASM330LHH, enables precise positioning for safer, smarter driving.”
Engineering samples will be available for evaluation by the third quarter of 2018, and volume production will begin the following quarter.
Further technical information on the ASM330LHH
Temperature range up 105 degrees Celsius giving designers extra freedom to locate electronic controls in hot areas such as in smart antennas on the vehicle roof, or near the engine compartment.
Ultra low noise allows greater measurement resolution by minimizing integration errors when positioning is reliant on sensors only.
High linearity and built-in temperature compensation eliminate any need for external compensation algorithms over its operating range.
Lowest power consumption in class, with features for optimizing power management if battery usage becomes crucial.
Qualified according to AEC-Q100 automotive-grade robustness standard.
Built on STMicroelectronics’ proven, proprietary ThELMA MEMS process technology, which enables integration of both the three-axis accelerometer and three-axis angular-rate sensor (gyroscope) on the same silicon for optimum yield, quality, and reliability.
The electronic interface integrates the signal chain for both sensors on a single die using STMicroelectronics’ 130nm HCMOS9A technology.
Reference designs, as well as STMicroelectronics’ Teseo satellite-positioning modules and related software are available. The dead-reckoning algorithm included with the Teseo III GNSS-receiver chipset already supports the ASM330LHH to generate a high-accuracy output suitable for autonomous navigation.
Tiny, low-profile 3mm x 2.5mm x 0.83mm device for minimal impact on the size of any on-board module.
Packaged as a leadless Land Grid Array (LGA) device.
