In connected car news are Simr, Mouser, Quanta, Obsidian, VicOne and Infineon.
BMW Invests in Simr
BMW i Ventures announced an investment in Simr, a cloud simulation company that gives engineers a single platform for using any compute resources with any leading simulation tool. The company’s newly launched Simulation Operations Automation (SimOps) platform has the potential to revolutionize how engineers design, verify, and test products by automating sophisticated simulations in the cloud. Simr secured $20M in Series A funding led by Uncorrelated Ventures, with investments also from BMW i Ventures and Earlybird Venture Capital. The funding will drive further expansion into North America and Europe, while also growing the company’s engineering and product innovation teams.
With the launch of SimOps, Simr (formerly known as UberCloud) is making cutting-edge practices in computer simulations available to design engineers everywhere. The platform not only enables the implementation of SimOps best practices, but also boosts innovation and productivity among design engineers, while enabling IT and operational control. Simr is closely partnered with leading simulation platform providers including Ansys, Siemens and Dassault Systèmes.
“SimOps has the potential to revolutionize how companies design complex, breakthrough products by letting teams iterate and test their ideas in the time they were previously forced to waste waiting for simulations to be completed,” said Baris Guzel, Partner, BMW i Ventures. “SimOps gives engineering teams the power to explore more options faster, and at lower cost. As manufacturing continues to evolve towards more digital and simulation-driven development processes, Simr is well-positioned to play a pivotal role in this transformation.”
Mouser EIT Tech Content
As automotive technology ratches up in electronics, designers have turned to zonal architecture – to maximize efficiency within individual subsystems while allowing for easier management of the hardware and software stacks for the whole car. Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorized global distributor with the newest electronic components and industrial automation products, announced the newest installment of its Empowering Innovation Together (EIT) technology series, which examines the benefits of zonal architectures and the enhanced connectivity features it provides software-defined vehicles (SDV). This installment of the EIT technical content series explores design concepts, virtualization, and future use cases enabled by zonal architectures, driving future automotive innovations.
As the automotive industry shifts towards electric vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems, these modern designs require significant hardware and software upgrades. Vehicle performance is optimized by creating distinct zones within the vehicle that cater to specific functionalities and implementing vehicle compute platforms. This approach offers improved reliability, increased performance, and longer lifespans for cars, ultimately transforming them into immersive experiences. Mouser explores how these new features can open up a plethora of possibilities for automotive design and engineering.
Join The Tech Between Us podcast, where Mouser Director of Technical Content Raymond Yin and Christian Uebber, Chief Technology Officer from ETAS, discuss the complex nature of advanced architectures. Together, they explore the necessary software and hardware changes to transition to new compute platforms, with emphasis on the importance of co-design considerations.
“In our latest spotlight, we explore the transformative possibilities of zonal architecture,” said Yin. “This forward-looking approach is revolutionizing spatial design, and we delve into its variety of applications through insightful discussions with leading experts in the field.”
This series includes technical articles, an infographic, a video and more, introducing the SDV movement and how zonal architectures enhance safety, efficiency, and personalization. These resources offer guidance to automotive engineers who are considering the benefits of this new network architecture.
Established in 2015, Mouser’s Empowering Innovation Together program is one of the industry’s most recognized electronic component programs. To learn more, visit https://www.mouser.com/empowering-innovation/ and follow Mouser on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
As a global authorized distributor, Mouser offers the widest selection of the newest semiconductors, electronic components and industrial automation products. Mouser’s customers can expect 100% certified, genuine products that are fully traceable from each of its manufacturer partners. To help speed customers’ designs, Mouser’s website hosts an extensive library of technical resources, including a Technical Resource Center, along with product data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, engineering tools and other helpful information.
Engineers can stay abreast of today’s exciting product, technology and application news through Mouser’s complimentary e-newsletter. Mouser’s email news and reference subscriptions are customizable to the unique and changing project needs of customers and subscribers. No other distributor gives engineers this much customization and control over the information they receive. Learn about emerging technologies, product trends and more by signing up today at https://sub.info.mouser.com/subscriber/.
Quanta & Obsidian
Quanta Computer Inc. (TWSE: 2382.TW), a trailblazer in advanced technology solutions for computing, consumer electronics and smart automotive solutions, is partnering with Obsidian Sensors, Inc., a San Diego, California company, to produce high resolution thermal imaging cameras for automobiles.
Obsidian Sensors is revolutionizing the thermal imaging industry by producing high resolution thermal sensors at low cost and high volume on LAMP (Large Area MEMS Platform), manufactured at established flat panel foundries. With large glass substrates capable of producing sensors with VGA-resolution or higher at volumes exceeding 100 Million units per year, Obsidian Sensors will help drive the mass market adoption of this life-saving technology into the automotive world as well as many others such as security, surveillance, and drones.
“We are developing industry leading imaging system solutions with both visible and infrared camera technologies,” said Alan Chai, Senior Vice President of Quanta Computer. “The collaboration with Obsidian enables the fusion of RGB and LWIR sensor signals using AI vision processors to trigger potentially lifesaving systems such as AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) and in-cabin vital sign detection. The combination will also unlock new frontiers in machine vision products including automotive and professional surveillance. We look forward to the transformative impact these solutions will have across diverse sectors.”
John Hong, the CEO of Obsidian Sensors says “We are very excited to partner with Quanta to launch our thermal imaging solutions into the automotive market. Our manufacturing method is highly scalable to meet the cost and volume requirements of the automotive industry. Thermal imaging has long been recognized as the key sensor technology to improve automotive safety, especially for pedestrians at night. Uptake has been slow primarily because of the high cost. Our sensors make this all viable at scale.”
On April 29, 2024, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) issued its final rule mandating the so-called PAEB (Pedestrian AEB) system to be installed on every new car starting in 2029 as a standard feature, not a luxury option. Traffic safety authorities around the world have been looking for solutions to address the alarming rise in
DEKRA VicOne Cert
DEKRA, the automotive technology service provider recognized by EU government agencies, announced that it has successfully audited VicOne, a subsidiary of the cybersecurity giant Trend Micro, for receiving an ISO/SAE 21434 certificate in automotive cybersecurity. Following the successfully passed ASPICE CL2 level certification from DEKRA last year, this certification signifies VicOne’s commitment to providing automotive cybersecurity software tools and solutions that comply with international automotive cybersecurity standards. Moreover, it positions VicOne as a valuable partner for suppliers in the automotive supply chain who are eager to enter the electric vehicle industry, enabling them to effectively reduce development and production costs.
ISO/SAE 21434, jointly developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), serves as a crucial standard supporting the United Nations Regulation on Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity Management Systems (UN R155). This standard defines cybersecurity risk management requirements for automotive electronic and electrical systems throughout their entire lifecycle, encompassing conceptualization, development, production, operation, and disposal phases. Compliance with ISO/SAE 21434 standards assist automotive manufacturers and parts suppliers in meeting global automotive cybersecurity management regulatory requirements.
During the certificate presentation ceremony, Max Cheng, CEO of VicOne, received the certification from Aaron Lee, Managing Director of DEKRA Taiwan. Aaron Lee said: “As we embrace the era of the IoT, cybersecurity becomes a core requirement in the increasingly interconnected and intelligent automotive manufacturing and development processes. Particularly in the fiercely competitive automotive market where every second counts, leveraging internationally certified automotive cybersecurity software tools and solutions to achieve more efficient implementation and compliance with automotive cybersecurity international standards will be the best way for automotive manufacturers and suppliers to reduce development and production costs.”
“Amid the increasing connected functions and applications adopted in the automotive industry, VicOne has long been affirmed in its capabilities in developing best-in class cybersecurity products and solutions to ensure safer and more secure connected vehicles,” said VicOne CEO, Max Cheng. “Now, following our ASPICE CL2 certification from DEKRA last year, we have obtained the ISO/SAE 21434 certification. This further demonstrates VicOne’s advanced development capabilities and excellent quality control, which enables us to provide more reliable and trustworthy products and solutions to world-renowned car manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers.”
Achieving compliance with respect to ISO 21434 demonstrates VicOne’s commitment to cybersecurity in automotive systems, enhancing their reputation and trustworthiness in the market. The conventional approach in the automotive industry is centered on functional safety, with ISO 26262 being embraced to ensure the seamless functioning of software and hardware. However, as electric and intelligently connected vehicles experience rapid growth, information security introduces a host of new and unpredictable risks and challenges to the industry. Therefore it’s about enhancing credibility, competitiveness, risk management, customer trust, and regulatory adherence in the automotive cybersecurity landscape.
DEKRA has placed a significant focus on information and cybersecurity, having been designated by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) as a technical service provider in the field of vehicle cybersecurity in 2021. With extensive experience in providing automotive cybersecurity services for major European OEMs, DEKRA offers localized one-stop real-time services, including certification related to UNECE regulations (R155/R156), ISO/SAE 21434 road vehicle cybersecurity, ISO 26262/IEC 61508 functional safety, integrated development of cybersecurity and functional safety, ISO 27001/TISAX automotive industry information security assessment standards, Automotive SPICE, and certification and testing of cybersecurity products, among others. These integrated solutions align with the intelligent development of enterprises and drive the transformation and upgrading of the automotive industry especially in the era of software defined vehicles (SDV).
Infineon OPTIGA
The number of IoT devices is rapidly increasing, and they have already become a part of every industry. However, as the number of smart devices increases, so do the demands on the user experience in terms of simplicity of device configuration and pairing. To address this, Infineon Technologies AG launches the OPTIGA™ Authenticate NBT, a high-performance NFC I2C bridge tag for single-tap authentication and secured configuration of IoT devices. It is the only asymmetric cryptography tag for sign and verify operations in the market certified as a Type 4 Tag by the NFC Forum. OPTIGA Authenticate NBT enables ultra-fast and seamless data exchange even with large data volumes. It enables contactless NFC (Near Field Communication) communication between IoT devices and contactless readers such as smartphones. It can be used for various applications, such as secured configuration of electronic devices without a display, activation of shared mobility vehicles, passive commissioning of unpowered smart light bulbs prior to installation, and data logging on patient health monitors.
OPTIGA Authenticate NBT offers superior security with Infineon’s Integrity Guard 32 security architecture, and the EAL6+ certification for both the hardware and the crypto libraries. The tag supports both symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic authentication as well as pass-through and asynchronous data transfer modes.
The device uses TEGRION™ hardware and enables a contactless interface speed of up to 848 Kbit/s and an I2C interface that supports up to 1 Mbits/s which results in the best performance values, particularly important for demanding applications. The NFC I2C bridge tag offers 8 KB of generous memory to store customer and application-specific configuration information. In addition, the high on-chip capacitance enables smaller antenna designs, optimizing both BOM costs and space requirements.