ROHM Group's actions in the field of automotive power

The fully automated driving technology of the automotive industry has made rapid progress. Let's take a look at the related content with the car electronics editor.

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Background

The fully automated driving technology of the automotive industry has made rapid progress.

From the Japanese market alone, in the new car, not only high-class cars, but even ordinary cars and mini-cars have been equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) functions such as automatic braking system, and their market awareness is also very high. It has become more and more a familiar concept. ROHM also owns and supplies products for ADAS centered on power LSI. (figure 1)

However, the realization of fully automated driving requires many technological innovations. This article introduces one of the important elements - intelligent networked cars, especially the wireless communication of cars.

Predict possible future trends by reviewing the journey of cars using wireless technology to connect with many things.

At the same time, the reasons for the introduction of each function are analyzed from two angles (because of the pursuit of comfort or due to legal regulations).

2. The past intelligent network (intra-vehicle communication)

In the past, various wireless functions were installed in the car.

Smart keys and FM transmitters are equipped for added comfort.

Recently, car navigation and car audio systems are equipped with wireless LAN and BlueTooth, and by connecting with a smartphone, you can enjoy the content on the Internet in the car.

On the other hand, it is said that it is not the inside of the compartment, and the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is a function that is required to notify the driver when the air pressure of the tire is reduced. Europe and South Korea have also been implemented.

This is an example of the combination of the first legal regulations in the automotive industry with wireless communications.

The introduction was to directly monitor the air pressure in 4 tires and transmit information wirelessly. Nowadays, in order to further reduce costs, there is also an indirect monitoring type, and there is a way to confirm the air pressure by checking the balance of the vehicle body. However, this method also has some disadvantages, such as when the pressure of a plurality of tires is very low, and the problem cannot be detected when the speed is not reached. (especially major shortcomings that cannot be monitored while parking)

In any case, the ability to monitor tire pressure in some way is already a must for new cars in the US, Europe, and Korea.

3. The past intelligent network (with outside communication)

Conventional vehicles are equipped with communication functions based on ETC, VICS (Fig. 2), TV, and GPS, which are based on basic reception functions. These features give drivers and occupants a better comfort experience.

LME, a subsidiary of ROHM Group, has developed an LSI for digital broadcast reception of ETC, VICS and TV, which has been widely used in the market.

In addition, ROHM also supplies peripheral components required for these devices, such as power LSIs, general-purpose LSIs, discrete components, and passive components, which are very helpful for stable operation of related functions.

With the improvement of relevant regulations, the functions introduced to improve security performance are also intelligent network.

This is the ERA-Glonass (known as "Russian eCall") launched in Russia from January this year. This function, when the accident occurs, is linked to the airbag, and uses the communication function to inform the emergency rescue organization (equivalent to the Japanese fire department) of the emergency information and location information, thereby shortening the arrival time of the ambulance. Europe plans to introduce this feature from April 2018, requiring new cars to be equipped with this feature. By carrying this function, it is possible to prevent secondary disasters that occur in cold areas (frozen injuries such as accidents that cause motor heating failure).

4. Future intelligent network

Communication between vehicles known as "V2X" (Vehicle to Everything) and many things will be the subject of the future. (image 3)

It can also be said that the recent hot topic of the Internet of Things (IoT: Internet of Things) - car networking.

This will bring unprecedented changes to the “joint combination of the automotive industry and the communications industry”.

The basic technology started from about 10 years ago, through the communication method called "DRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication)", the vehicle industry and the transportation infrastructure industry centered around the world. .

It was originally designed to eliminate traffic accidents and improve safety.

Example of vehicle and bus communication: At the intersection with poor viewing angle, both vehicles can know where the vehicle is coming from.

Road vehicle communication example: transmitting signal changes, and urged to slow down.

In order to achieve global versatility, the communication standard has also developed a "IEEE802.11p" standard dedicated to DSRC based on wireless LAN (Wi-Fi).

Originally, the United States had enacted relevant regulations at the end of 2016, and the plan required the new car to have the obligation to install the function.

The background causes of delays are numerous. It is generally believed that the autonomous driving process is developing rapidly, and the correlation between such communication and autonomous driving is too close. In addition, the defensive hacker attack that has recently become a problem is weak, and the related countermeasures have not caught up.

Indeed, sensors for autonomous driving include CMOS sensors called "ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance System)" and a wide range of millimeter-wave, laser, and ultrasonic sensors. To achieve full-automatic driving, you need as many sources of information as possible. Obviously, information on the car workshop and road workshop is also one of the most important sources of information.

In addition, if the hacker attack on car communication does not have strong defense functions, fully automatic driving closely related to the steering system may cause fatal accidents.

For these reasons, V2X is not yet in use.

The auto industry is accelerating the process of fully automated driving. Its core technologies are ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and AI (Artificial Intelligence). ADAS, especially AI, needs to be refined with the help of V2X information.

For example, in the event of a traffic accident, if the accidental vehicle can obtain the latest video before the accident, the road shop information between the accident vehicle and the surrounding infrastructure, the vehicle workshop information between the vehicles surrounding the accident vehicle, and the ADAS-related equipment. Information, etc., can at least share information around the world, causing people to be alert to accidents. And this information will be a valuable source of information for AI, and if it can be used to develop countermeasures and expand the application to all vehicles, it will help to achieve safe and fully automated driving.

ROHM has a variety of power LSIs that are ideal for V2X.

The vehicle-class switching power supply "BD9SXXX-C Series" has a 2mm square, 3mm square, and 4mm square product of 0.6A-6.0A, which is very suitable for making small modules for V2X. (Figure 4)

Lithium Ion Battery For Electric Golf Cart

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Charging times are also reduced when using lithium batteries over lead acid. Whilst it can take over 8 hours to charge a lead acid battery, a lithium battery can be fully charged in less than 3 hours. Lithium batteries are also able to be left off charge for longer periods of time compared to a lead acid battery. Once fully charged your lithium battery can be left off charge for up to 3 months before any damage occurs, whilst a lead acid battery will start to sulphide within 3 weeks.

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