Automotive telematics control unit (TCU) architecture

ExcelonTM F-RAM™, like any other nonvolatile memory technology, is subject to physical degradation that can eventually lead to device failure if not addressed appropriately. F-RAM write/read endurance and data retention are the two end-of-life (EoL) parameters to specify its reliability and performance in a system. Learn more about the F-RAM data retention performance at various operating temperatures and find a method and guidance to accurately calculate the system’s EoL based on its operating temperature profile. Check the application note.

With constantly increasing software scopes and comparatively short development times, the possibility for software updates over the air (SOTA/ OTA or  FOTA) is indispensable for future vehicle generations. The OTA capability allows the seamless installation of new features or feature upgrades while reacting swiftly to potential security attacks. Thus OTA increases customer satisfaction, reduces cost & recalls, and has the potential to open new revenue streams for the OEMs.

The Infineon solutions enable complete end-to-end protection while helping to minimize vehicle unavailability to the bare minimum.

These include:

Class-D boosted enhances driver experience and delivers premium sound quality. Those Audio amplifiers enable high-resolution audio and feature unrivaled audio performance. 
These devices include easy-to-use digital signal processing to further enhance customer’s audio experience, simplify system complexity and reduce size and cost.

Infineon’s class D audio amplifier with patented architectures, proprietary algorithms, and advanced manufacturing technologies deliver progressive products for an unprecedented sound experience.

MERUS™ family of class D audio amplifiers includes highly efficient, fully integrated, digital, class D audio amplifier ICs based on Infineon’s proprietary multilevel switching technology. Therefore it enables further enhanced customer’s audio experience, simplified system complexity, and reduced size and cost.

Infineon’s proprietary multilevel switching technology enables very low power loss under all operating conditions and enables the class D audio amplifier to be used in filterless configurations at fully rated power in a wide range of audio products. The ultrahigh power efficiency and cool operation make the audio amplifiers suitable for use in all applications like aftermarket audio devices.

Infineon’s HyperRAM™ 2.0 is a high-speed, low-pin-count, self-refresh Dynamic RAM (DRAM) for high-performance embedded systems requiring expansion memory. HyperRAM 2.0 offers HyperBus™ and Octal SPI interfaces. The 12-pin, HyperBus, and Octal SPI interfaces operate at Double Data Rate (DDR) and can scale up to 400 MB/s throughput. When used as scratch-pad memory, the fast read and write operations enable fast delivery of high-resolution graphics in the early part of the system boot process.

Infineon Parallel NOR Flash devices and Serial NOR Flash devices are the ideal solutions. They feature Automotive proven MirrorBit™ technology to ensure data reliability and have the high endurance required for frequent writes over the product lifespan. In addition, they provide fast system boot ties and different densities to scale platforms. Infineon’s NOR Flash solutions are AEC-Q100 Grade 1 to 3 qualified to meet automotive standards for a wide operating temperature range. Find your product via our product selector guide.

F-RAM for Automotive markets provides fast writes at full interface speed. F-RAM does not have any write delays and data is instantly nonvolatile. Traditional nonvolatile memories have delays of 5 or more milliseconds before data becomes nonvolatile. If power is disrupted, pending data is lost unless the system has extra capacitance or batteries to keep the system on until data is stored.

F-RAM offers virtually unlimited endurance of 100 trillion read/write cycles. Traditional nonvolatile memories typically have less than 1 million cycle endurance, forcing system designers to use complex wear-leveling routines and up to 4x more density to prolong the lifetime of these memories.

The AURIX™ & Traveo™ II microcontrollers are precisely engineered to provide high communication bandwidth, reduce power consumption, keep the car safe and secured and to give designers maximum flexibility with a multitude of different devices series and over 30 different derivates.

Traveo™ II CYT2B9 series, for instance, is designed to enable faster in-car communication. This series provides higher response and faster communication with embedded CXPI interface in addition to CAN FD interface. Traveo™ II devices have advanced security features with the introduction of HSM (hardware security module), dedicated Cortex®-M0+ for secure processing, and embedded flash in dual bank mode for FOTA requirements. The 32-bit MCU core system consists of a 160-MHz Arm® Cortex®-M4F Single, 2 MB code flash, 128 KB work flash, and 256 KB SRAM and Arm® Cortex® -M0+. The family features six power modes that enable ECUs to minimize overall power consumption and cutting-edge security features for secure communication with great scalability in memory size and pin count.

AURIX™ second-generation (TC3xx) comes back with an increase in performance, memory sizes, connectivity and more scalability to address the new automotive trends and challenges. This family has more than 20 products to provide the most scalable portfolio of safety microcontrollers. In terms of performance, the T37x series offers 3 cores running at 300 MHz up to 1.1 MB embedded RAM, up to 6MB embedded Flash, and consuming below 2 W. Communication interfaces include Gbit Ethernet, FlexRay, CAN, CAN-FD and LIN. The embedded Hardware Security Module (EVITA HSM full version) of the devices protects vehicle networks against unauthorized access and misuse.

With our SOLID FLASH™ , we offer a wide choice of 32-bit and 16-bit security controllers for automotive connectivity applications (eSIM, V2V, V2I, V2X).

These security controllers fulfill all security and quality requirements across the complete value chain for embedded SIMs (eUICC) in harsh automotive environments. Qualified to AEC-Q100, they support an extended temperature range (Ta = -40 to 105°C) and are designed for minimal failure rates. In addition, the SLI 97 provides a set of hardware crypto-coprocessors that support all relevant crypto schemes (incl. AES up to 256-bit, ECC up to 512 bit and RSA up to 4096-bit), and is certified to Common Criteria EAL 5+ (high).

Our  security controller comes flashed with securely coded firmware to the latest TCG (Trusted Computing Group) family 2.0 specifications. This combined hardware/software turnkey solution offers a rich set of security features to save both design and testing effort. It is certified to Common Criteria EAL4+ and FIPS 140-2. Other highlights include an extended temperature range and AEC Q100 qualification. Providing a central trust anchor for remote vehicle access, the OPTIGA™ TPM SLI 9670 greatly enhances security for car-sharing applications, over-the-air updates, fleet management, and maintenance.

Voice user interfaces and the usage of audio recording for voice command functionalities are increasing dramatically, being used to interact with the infotainment system or for virtual assistance. By that it is redefining in-car driver behavior, making driving safer, smarter, more natural and hands-free. Drivers expect a natural voice user interface, not needing specific commands that answer any query.

However, the positive in-car user experience is highly depending on the performance of implemented microphones.

Are you ready to customize the in-car user experience and differentiate, while keeping control of user and brand data? Infineon provides you the right solution for increased user convenience and secure connectivity.

Learn more on MEMS microphones and check the solutions for voice user interface and smart speaker designs.

While infotainment generally encompasses in-car applications for Wi-Fi, telematics broadly deals with external Wi-Fi connectivity, which is the car connecting to an external Wi-Fi network. These could be home Wi-Fi networks when parked in the garage, public hotspots, car dealership Wi-Fi networks, or factory floor Wi-Fi networks.

Infineon’s industry-leading, automotive-qualified, Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® combo solutions drive Infotainment and Telematics systems in connected cars. It enables easy synchronization and streaming of data from mobile devices the car's infotainment system besides enabling high-speed connectivity beyond the vehicle. All automotive-grade, combo solutions have the latest generation IEEE 802.11ac-compliant WLAN PHY and dual-band (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) support. These features enable the bandwidth required for multiple in-car displays with resolutions of up to 1080p.

Components recommended for use in telematics control units are:

AIROC™ Automotive Wireless: CYW89459, CYW89373, CYW89273

Bluetooth® 5.0 SoC: CYW89820

Automotive Wireless control receiver: TDA5240, TDA5225 and TDA5235

• Vehicle-to-cloud (V2X) communication
• Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) / vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication
• Vehicle fleet management and maintenance
• Roadside assistance
• Emergency call (eCall)
• Consumer device integration
• Secured onboard communication

Automotive networking technology is evolving fast, moving into applications that were not typically security-relevant, the bar is moving upwards and we are seeing increasingly granular system security concepts. At the same time, complexity is on the incline. Growing consumer expectations are pushing for new and innovative comfort and security features also in low-end segments, and this, in turn, is putting pressure on designers to reduce complexity through hardware/software compatibility.

Learn more about Infineon's design resources, tools, and software for automotive security systems.