Where automotive FPGAs stand in smart car designs

By Bob O’Donnell, Lattice Semiconductor

The automotive industry has gotten its fair share of time in the spotlight in recent years. Part of the focus has revolved around how important semiconductors are to modern vehicle designs equipped with smart technology capabilities. These technologies aren’t just limited to the fully electric or hybrid models, which have existed for years now, but have expanded to include SUVs and minivans outfitted with a tablet on the dashboard and a camera built into the rearview mirror. With Deloitte projecting that 45% of the cost of a new car will come from electronic systems by 2030, the importance of chips is only growing.

This is especially true with FPGAs. The most technologically advanced cars can have up to 10-12 FPGAs inside them, all performing varying functions given their inherent flexibility and small size. From infotainment systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), in-cabin artificial intelligence for human presence detection, and secure battery management, FPGAs are spread up and down vehicle designs and are making cars smarter than ever before.

Click here to read more ...