Automotive platform extended for new software-defined vehicles

NXP Semiconductors NV has released two new processor families that expand the benefits of its innovative S32 automotive platform with safe, high-performance real-time processing. The S32Z and S32E processor families help allow the automotive industry to speed the integration of diverse real-time applications for domain and zonal control, safety processing and vehicle electrification that are crucial to the next generation of safer and more efficient vehicles. The S32Z processors are excellent for safety processing and domain and zonal control, while the S32E processors are perfect for xEV control and smart actuation. The software-compatible processors help enable software-defined vehicles, lower software integration complexity and enhance security and safety.

To design real-time processors with the performance and deterministic behaviours needed for the next generation of software-defined vehicles demands deep collaboration over the automotive ecosystem. Robert Bosch GmbH was a key partner in the rigorous process.

"We collaborated closely with NXP on the two new processor families", said Axel Aue, VP of Engineering at Bosch. "The S32Z and S32E processors offer a performance increase of a factor of 2 compared to embedded NVM MCUs, key integration platform features and scalable memory with LPDDR4 DRAM and flash. It's also ideal for embedded integration and allows the consolidation and isolation of vehicle functions with very high performance that previously required multiple MCUs."

These processors provide capabilities beyond today's automotive microcontrollers with eight Arm Cortex-R52 processor cores with split-lock support at up to 1GHz to satisfy the challenges of safely integrating deterministic, high-performance, real-time applications. The processors isolate independent real-time applications with 'core-to-pin' hardware virtualisation and resource firewalls for freedom of interference. The processors are offered with up to 64MB of integrated flash memory for large, zero-downtime OTA updates and support LPDDR4 DRAM and flash expansion memory with XiP mode for large applications and AUTOSAR Adaptive applications. A communications accelerator (FlexLLCE) supporting 24 CAN interfaces and a Gigabit Ethernet switch supporting TSN offer vehicle data seamlessly to 'virtual ECUs' to improve efficiency and streamline software development. A hardware security engine supports secure boot, accelerated security services and key management. The processors are certified to ISO/SAE 21434 for cybersecurity and ISO 26262 for ASIL D functional safety.

The S32E processors add smart actuation capabilities, particularly advanced timers, high-resolution ADCs and 5V analog and I/Os, for xEV integration applications with direct-drive motor control.

"The new S32Z and S32E processors place NXP in a leadership position for safe, high-performance real-time processing and complement our other S32 automotive processors to support customers' diverse, end-to-end domain and zonal vehicle architectures," said Ray Cornyn, SVP/GM of Vehicle Control and Networking Solutions at NXP. "We offer our customers a scalable, compatible real-time roadmap that extends to 5nm technology to design the consolidated and software-defined vehicles of the future."