As the automotive industry accelerates into the era of smart vehicles, ‘arm automotive’ emerges as a critical technological catalyst. This article delves into how ARM’s advancements are powering the transition to intelligent, connected, and autonomous vehicles. Learn about the cutting-edge processors, system IP, and software solutions from ARM that are redefining automotive design and user experience.
Key Takeaways
- Arm Automotive Technologies is shaping the future of smart vehicles with products and solutions like high-performance processors, microcontrollers, hybrid safety modes, and cybersecurity features, built on the advanced Armv9 architecture for enhanced performance, safety, and AI capabilities.
- The Automotive Enhanced (AE) suite of IP offers a comprehensive range for scalability and customization in vehicle systems, supporting auto OEM development priorities such as functional safety with ASIL B and D certification requirements, and enabling server-class AI performance on the road.
- Arm is facilitating a robust automotive ecosystem through its Automotive Partner Program and Flexible Access program, enhancing in-vehicle experiences, fostering innovation, and supporting startups and industry partners in accelerating time to market for new automotive technologies.
Driving the Future with Arm Automotive Technologies
Leading the automotive revolution, Arm Automotive Technologies innovates and shapes the smart vehicles of the future. Its comprehensive portfolio of automotive products includes:
- High-performance processors
- Microcontrollers
- Hybrid safety modes
- Cybersecurity features
These products are setting the benchmark for the automotive industry, particularly in the automotive line, making a significant impact on the automotive market.
OEMs, Tier 1 startups, and semiconductor companies are leveraging Arm’s advanced technology to develop innovative smart vehicle solutions. Arm offers a range of solutions for automotive applications, including:
- Processor IP and tools
- Software solutions
- Automated driving technology
- Software-defined vehicles
These solutions enable unmatched in-vehicle experiences.
The Arm Automotive Enhanced suite (Arm AE) exemplifies Arm’s dedication to automotive innovation. Built on Arm’s latest Armv9 architecture, Arm AE is designed to meet the performance, safety, and AI demands of modern automotive applications, fulfilling the promise of a truly software-defined future for vehicles.
The Heart of Automotive Innovation: Arm’s Advanced Chip Designs
Automotive innovation is powered by Arm’s advanced chip designs. The company recently unveiled its Automotive Enhanced (AE) suite of IP based on the latest Armv9 architecture, covering a comprehensive range of products including processors, GPUs, and integration software. This suite delivers sustained performance across vehicle applications, with processors like the Cortex-A720AE ensuring power efficiency and supporting functional safety at scale.
In addition to high-performance processors, Arm also offers a configurable image processing chip, the Mali-C720AE, tailored for intensive computer vision applications in automotive settings. Furthermore, Arm has expanded its Neoverse Compute Subsystems to the automotive sector, offering pre-integrated and pre-validated configurations with Advanced Extensions (AE) for optimized performance.
Software Solutions for the Automotive Industry
The future of the automotive industry is shaped significantly by software solutions. To accommodate updates and new technologies, hardware components in vehicles, such as computer systems, are designed to be replaceable. Software development tools and platforms, therefore, are critical for creating software-defined vehicles that offer advanced functionality and user experiences.
Arm provides a broad range of software solutions tailored for the automotive sector. These solutions are integral to:
- the development of automated driving systems
- software-defined vehicles
- enhancing in-vehicle experiences
- enabling a seamless transition to a software-defined future.
Virtual Prototyping: Fast-Tracking Development Cycles
Virtual prototyping is yet another area where Arm Automotive Technologies is making a significant impact. Arm’s suite of hardware and software platforms is designed to meet the performance, safety, and AI demands of the latest automotive applications. Arm Automotive Enhanced (Arm AE) provides developers with virtualized versions of the newest chips for application design ahead of physical chip availability.
This approach expedites development, allowing developers to design applications using virtualized chips, achieving quicker transitions from concept to production. Arm and its ecosystem partners offer virtual platforms specifically developed for automotive applications, further accelerating product development and reducing time to market.
Empowering Auto OEM Development Priorities with Arm Technology
Not only does Arm’s technology drive innovation in the automotive industry, but it also empowers auto OEMs by addressing their development priorities. Arm’s Automotive Enhanced suite of IP supports scalable development, enabling auto OEMs to address varying compute demands for different vehicle models.
Arm technology provides the following benefits:
- Configurable systems IP that enables OEMs to customize solutions, delivering a competitive edge in the market
- Scalable development and customization options
- Deep commitment to functional safety, offering certified IP to aid OEMs in meeting stringent industry safety standards
Arm’s collaboration with its ecosystem partners helps to advance ADAS and autonomous driving features, directly supporting auto OEM development priorities. This collaboration is key to fostering innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the automotive sector.
Addressing Functional Safety in Automotive Design
Within automotive design, functional safety holds utmost importance. Arm focuses on providing a trusted foundation for maximum vehicle safety and security, including functional safety features. The Arm Automotive Enhanced IP is designed with built-in cybersecurity, vital for ensuring functional safety.
Arm offers high-performance, safety-capable products for IoT and automotive markets, underscoring its commitment to functional safety across various systems. The Arm Safety Ready products contain top safety mechanisms, a full safety package, and support specific market needs, including ASIL B and D certification requirements. Arm aids partners through a suite of IP, tools, and support that facilitate the incorporation of functional safety into automotive designs.
Configurable System IP for Customized Solutions
Enabling customization and scalability in automotive solutions, Arm’s configurable system IP stands as another cornerstone of its offerings. Arm’s Compute Subsystems (CSS) for Automotive will deliver configurable system IP that provides flexibility for high-performance automotive systems, expected to be available in 2025.
Enabling configurability and scalability in automotive solutions, Arm technology allows customization to meet the diverse needs of vehicle manufacturers. Arm is standardizing compute components for automotive partners, ensuring consistency and safety by offering pre-integrated and validated configurations of Arm IP optimized for performance, power, and area.
The Arm CSS for Automotive is comprised of pre-integrated and pre-validated configurations of Arm AE. These configurations are optimized for high performance, power, and size, using cutting-edge foundry processes.
Software-Defined Cars: The New Era of Vehicle Experience
With the advent of software-defined cars, the automotive industry embarks on a new era. The shift from hardware-defined to software-defined vehicles is being shaped by Arm’s technology, enabling:
- Superior consumer experiences
- Supporting high demands for vehicle autonomy
- Advanced user experiences
- Electrification trends
Software-defined vehicles represent a significant industry transformation, characterized by:
- Improved software management capabilities that allow continuous updating of functionalities, making software defined vehicle feel more current over their lifetime
- Automotive companies moving towards software-driven business models
- Growing expectation for ongoing updates and added features after the purchase, similar to the tech industry’s approach to product enhancements.
Arm supports the automotive industry’s transition to software-defined vehicles by providing OEMs and other players with an ecosystem that includes processor IP, tools, and software solutions for a range of automotive applications. This solid foundation propels the industry forward, fostering a dynamic environment where continuous innovation thrives.
The Role of AI and Real-Time Processing in Modern Vehicles
Enabling smarter decision-making and advanced functionalities, AI and real-time processing are playing a significant role in modern vehicles. Arm’s advanced automotive processors, including the new generation processor designs, are crucial in harnessing AI for vehicle functionalities. These processors are specifically designed to handle the compute-intensive demands of advanced driver assistance systems and enhanced user interfaces.
Artificial intelligence is central to the evolution of software-defined vehicles, with its impact extending through systems such as ADAS, autonomous driving, and predictive maintenance. The intelligence of modern vehicles is significantly boosted by AI, enabling smarter decision-making based on sensor data from within the vehicle.
Enabling Server-Class Performance on the Road
Server-class AI performance is no longer confined to data centers; it’s hitting the road, thanks to Arm’s Neoverse V3AE. This high-performance, energy-efficient architecture is designed for server-class performance in vehicles.
Arm Holdings Ltd. has introduced the safety-enabled Arm Automotive Enhanced range, based on the new Armv9 architecture, to bring server-class AI performance to the automotive industry. This breakthrough technology greatly enhances vehicle capabilities, setting new standards for performance on the road.
Building a Robust Automotive Ecosystem with Arm
More than just a technology provider, Arm acts as a catalyst in building a robust automotive ecosystem. Arm enhances in-vehicle experiences by providing processor IP, tools, and software solutions through collaboration with a vast network of industry partners.
The Arm Automotive Partner Program is a strategic initiative aimed at facilitating industry-wide collaboration, redefining the next evolution of automotive innovation with contributions from industry leaders and startups alike. This program fosters a vibrant ecosystem, spurring innovation and development in the automotive industry.
The Arm Automotive Partner Program: A Collaborative Network
Specifically designed to propel the next wave of automotive innovation, the Arm Automotive Partner Program offers:
- Strategic partnerships
- Collaborative projects
- Partnership opportunities for varied industry participants
- Dedicated representatives to address each partner’s unique requirements.
Partners engaged in the Arm Automotive Partner Program can leverage:
- Increased marketing exposure
- Commercial and technical synergy through joint initiatives coordinated by Arm and its partners
- Valuable insights into cutting-edge industry trends, technologies, and best practices through Arm Tech Talks
- In-depth explorations of their technologies showcased through Arm Tech Talks
Accelerating Time to Market for Startups with Arm Flexible Access
Arm’s Flexible Access program offers substantial benefits to startups in the automotive sector. The program provides startups with access to a suite of verified IP, tools, and training, which supports them from the initial idea to the production stage, with no upfront license fee.
The program offers numerous benefits such as:
- A wide range of IP products to choose from
- License fees that are only due at the point of manufacture, fostering design freedom and easing financial burdens
- Provided resources and financial model to expedite the prototyping process
- Achieving a faster time to market for new automotive chip designs
These benefits make the program a great option for startups in the automotive industry.
Harnessing Cloud Solutions for Automotive Software Development
Automotive software development is significantly influenced by cloud solutions. Cloud High-Performance Computing (HPC) provides the automotive industry with ready-to-use virtual environments that facilitate the simulation of mechanical designs and manufacturing processes, harnessing the necessary computing power.
Arm’s collaboration with industry partners like Amazon Web Services and Siemens SE has resulted in the provision of virtualized platforms specifically tailored to automotive development needs. The integration of Agile methodologies into automotive software development, supported by cloud infrastructures, enhances companies’ abilities to quickly respond to market changes.
Cross-functional team structures within cloud-based automotive software development promote better communication and collaboration among software developers, leading to quicker product releases. This dynamic, cloud-based approach to automotive software development is enabling the industry to keep pace with rapid technological advances and meet the ever-evolving demands of consumers.
The Vision of Edge Computing in Automotive Applications
Another transformative technology, edge computing, is shaping the future of automotive applications. Arm’s edge computing technologies are pivotal in automotive applications, enabling vehicles to interpret complex inputs and react in real-time, similar to human cognition.
These cognitive capabilities, akin to human vision, are foundational for the development of safer driving systems and the progression towards fully autonomous vehicles. The processing power provided by Arm’s edge solutions facilitates advanced visual processing, crucial for vehicles’ understanding of their environment and subsequent decision-making.
Summary
In conclusion, Arm Automotive Technologies is at the forefront of driving innovation in the automotive industry. From advanced chip designs to innovative software solutions, virtual prototyping, and robust ecosystem partnerships, Arm is steering the future of smart cars. With its focus on functional safety, customizable system IP, and the promise of software-defined vehicles, Arm is setting the pace for the automotive revolution. Its commitment to AI and real-time processing, along with its vision for edge computing, is paving the way for safer, more autonomous vehicles. In the end, it’s clear that the future of the automotive industry is being built on Arm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Arm’s role in the automotive industry?
Arm’s role in the automotive industry is to drive innovation by providing advanced chip designs, software solutions, virtual prototyping, and robust ecosystem partnerships to shape the future of smart vehicles.
What is the Arm Automotive Partner Program?
The Arm Automotive Partner Program is aimed at fostering automotive innovation through partnerships and collaborative projects, offering various opportunities and resources for industry participants.
How does Arm’s technology support software-defined vehicles?
Arm’s technology supports software-defined vehicles by providing a comprehensive ecosystem including processor IP, tools, and software solutions for automotive applications, which enhances in-vehicle experiences and meets the demands for vehicle autonomy and electrification trends.
How is Arm empowering auto OEMs?
Arm empowers auto OEMs by providing scalable development, configurable system IP, and a commitment to functional safety. This enables auto OEMs to customize solutions and meet varying compute demands for different vehicle models while meeting stringent industry safety standards.
How does Arm’s Flexible Access program benefit startups?
Arm’s Flexible Access program benefits startups by providing access to verified IP, tools, and training without an upfront license fee, offering a wide range of IP products to choose from, and allowing license fees to be paid only at the point of manufacture. This fosters design freedom and eases financial burdens for startups.