Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced new integrated automotive chips that can help drivers and passengers in vehicles of all price points achieve a safer and more immersive driving experience. The TI AWRL6844 60GHz mmWave radar sensor supports occupancy detection for seat belt reminder systems, child in-vehicle detection and intrusion detection on a single chip running edge AI algorithms, enabling a safer driving environment. With TI's next-generation audio DSP cores, AM275x-Q1 MCUs and AM62D-Q1 processors, high-quality audio experiences can be more affordable. Combined with TI's new analog products (including the TAS6754-Q1 Class-D audio amplifier), engineers can get a complete audio amplification system solution. TI will demonstrate these devices at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7-10, 2025.
"Today's drivers expect a better in-car experience, whether they are entry-level or luxury cars, gas or electric," said Amichai Ron, senior vice president of TI's Embedded Processing Division. "TI continues to deliver innovative technologies that are driving and improving the driving experience in tomorrow's cars. Our edge AI radar sensors help automakers make vehicles safer and more responsive to the driver's actions and needs, while our audio systems-on-chip provide a more immersive audio experience that enhances driving pleasure. Together, they create a whole new in-car experience."
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are integrating more sensor technologies into automotive designs to enhance the in-car experience and meet evolving safety standards. Using TI's edge AI-enabled AWRL6844 60GHz mmWave radar sensor, engineers can combine three in-car sensing functions to replace multiple sensor technologies (such as seat weight sensing mats and ultrasonic sensors).
The AWRL6844 integrates four transmitters and four receivers to provide high-resolution sensing data at a cost-optimized level for OEMs. The acquired data feeds into application-specific AI-driven algorithms that run on customizable on-chip hardware accelerators and DSPs, which improve decision accuracy and speed data processing. The AWRL6844 sensor’s edge intelligence capabilities help improve the driving experience, for example:
While driving, the sensor can detect and locate vehicle occupants with 98% accuracy, enabling seatbelt reminders.
When parked, it uses neural network technology to monitor for unattended children and can detect subtle movements in the vehicle in real time with over 90% classification accuracy. This direct detection technology can help OEMs meet 2025 European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) design requirements.
When the vehicle is parked, it uses intelligent scanning technology to adapt to different environments, reducing false alarms caused by body sway and external object movement.
As drivers’ expectations for in-car experiences continue to rise across all vehicle types, OEMs want to minimize design complexity and system cost while delivering high-quality audio. The AM275x-Q1 MCU and AM62D-Q1 processor reduce the number of components required in automotive audio amplifier systems by integrating TI’s vector-based C7x DSP core, Arm® core, memory, audio networking and hardware safety modules into a functional safety compliant SoC. The C7x core, combined with a matrix multiplication accelerator, forms a neural processing unit for processing traditional audio algorithms and edge AI-based audio algorithms. These scalable automotive audio SoCs allow designers to choose from entry-level to high-end systems with varying memory and performance requirements, with minimal redesign and no significant investment.
TI’s next-generation C7x DSP cores deliver more than four times the processing performance of other audio DSPs, enabling audio engineers to handle more audio functions simultaneously on a single processor core. The AM275x-Q1 MCU and AM62D-Q1 processor enable an immersive audio experience in the car with spatial audio, active noise cancellation, sound synthesis and advanced in-vehicle networking features, including Ethernet Audio Video Bridging.
To further optimize automotive audio designs, engineers can use TI's TAS6754-Q1 audio amplifier, which uses innovative 1L modulation technology to achieve excellent audio performance and low power consumption, and reduces the number of inductors required by existing Class D amplifiers by half. The TAS67xx-Q1 family of devices integrates real-time load diagnostics required by OEMs, helping engineers simplify designs, reduce costs and improve efficiency without compromising audio quality.
