NXP Semiconductors N.V. has announced a collaboration with Rimac Technology, an automotive supplier of specialized high-performance control systems, to accelerate the development of centralized architectures for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The new jointly developed centralized architecture, based on NXP’s S32E2 processors, consolidates more than 20 electronic control units (ECUs) in three centralized units.
The S32E2 processors are part of NXP’s S32 automotive processing platform, designed for connectivity, security, and safety in automotive applications. The S32E addresses the vehicle’s need for high-performance deterministic real-time domain and zonal control in a multi-applications environment. Rimac is the first to use NXP’s S32E2 real-time processor series in an upcoming ECU platform for SDVs.
The collaboration focuses on the automotive industry’s shift to SDVs and domain and zonal configurations, delivering centralized software development and streamlined software integration as well as a reduction in wire routing and cable costs by simplifying wiring and connectivity, respectively. The result is a new architecture that provides a platform that allows the development and integration of many different vehicle applications such as vehicle dynamics and charging control, energy and thermal management, and body electronics.
NXP and Rimac developed a flexible AUTOSAR-based framework for seamless integration across multiple vehicle domains, optimizing both hardware and software configurations. With the new solution ECUs for vehicle control, powertrain, and body functions are consolidated into three domain control modules. This reduces design complexity and simplifies software integration while decreasing weight and power consumption, translating into higher reliability.
Rimac’s centralized ECU with NXP’s S32E2 processor (Source: Rimac Technology)
The S32E integrates eight Arm Cortex-R52 processor cores running at up to 1 GHz, high-resolution analog-to-digital converters, and the capability to support up to 64 MB of non-volatile memory. The S32E2 series is ISO 26262 ASIL D compliant, offering comprehensive safety with core to pin isolation mechanisms to ensure freedom of interface and task level fault recovery, NXP said, and an integrated hardware security engine with secure boot, key management, and security services.
The S32E processor is part of NXP’s CoreRide platform for SDV development. Companion chips include the FS86 ASIL D safety system basis chip (SBC), and the PF5030 power management IC (PMIC) with enhanced safety features and in-vehicle networking support with Ethernet switches and PHYs and CAN transceivers, along with the GD3160 IGBT/SiC high-voltage inverter gate driver and MC3377x battery cell controllers.
Rimac will use the new ECU platform in a hyper car program. The company plans to scale up in different vehicle segments and alternative mobility sectors.
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