Beijing, January 8, 2020 – Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today introduced the new Jacinto 7 processor platform. Based on TI’s decades of automotive systems and functional safety knowledge, the new Jacinto processor platform features enhanced deep learning capabilities and advanced network processing to address design challenges in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automotive gateway applications.

The first two automotive-grade chips in the platform family, the TDA4VM processor for ADAS and the DRA829V processor for gateway systems, contain specialized accelerators for accelerating data-intensive tasks such as computer vision and deep learning. In addition, the TDA4VM and DRA829V processors contain functional safety-enabled microcontrollers (MCUs), enabling automotive manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers to simultaneously support ASIL-D safety-critical tasks and functions with a single chip. The two chips share a software platform that enables developers to reuse large software investments across applications in multiple vehicle domains, reducing system complexity and development costs. For more information on the Jacinto 7 processor, see www.ti.com/Jacinto7-pr.

Improve vehicle perception with lower power consumption

By tapping into camera, radar and lidar data, ADAS technology helps cars see and adapt to the world around them. The influx of information into the car means that the processor or system-on-chip needs to manage multiple levels of data processing in real time quickly and efficiently, and needs to meet the power consumption requirements of the system. TI’s new processors use only 5 to 20W of power to perform high-performance ADAS operations without active cooling.

The TDA4VM processor has powerful on-chip data analysis capabilities combined with vision preprocessing accelerators to make system performance more efficient. Automakers and Tier 1 suppliers can use it to develop front-facing camera applications that use a high-resolution 8-megapixel camera to help vehicles see farther and incorporate more driver-assistance enhancements. In addition, the TDA4VM processor can operate 4 to 6 3-megapixel cameras simultaneously, and can also combine radar, lidar and ultrasonic and other various perception processing on a single chip. This multi-level processing capability enables TDA4VM to be competent as the centralized processing unit of ADAS, thereby realizing key functions in automatic parking applications (such as surround view and image rendering Display), while enhancing vehicle perception capabilities to achieve 360-degree recognition perception.

Accelerating the Data Highway for Software-Defined Vehicles

The DRA829V processor seamlessly integrates the computing power required by modern automotive gateway systems. As automotive technology advances, automotive gateways require a flexible processor to manage larger data volumes while being able to support the escalating requirements for autonomous driving and communication connectivity. The DRA829V processor is the first processor in the industry to integrate an on-chip PCIe switch. At the same time, it also integrates an 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch that supports TSN, enabling faster high-performance computing and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Combined with the ability to support ASIL-D high safety and non-safety-related task processing, these computing and communication capabilities enable automotive manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers to implement a variety of applications with different requirements on a single chip. Higher on-chip bandwidth also helps developers better manage in-vehicle software development and validation, which means more flexible updates and upgrades.

Availability

Developers can start designing immediately using the Jacinto 7 processor development kit and purchase the new TDA4VMXEVM and DRA829VXEVM evaluation modules on TI.com. Pre-production TDA4VM and DRA8329V processors are available now from TI, with volume production expected in the second half of 2020.

Design support for other next-generation Jacinto processors

· Read the white paper on automotive gateways and automated parking.

· Watch our technical training and overview of the Jacinto 7 processor.