Newark, the Development Distributor, announced today the availability of Infineon’s MERUS Class D audio amplifier solutions, which use pioneering multilevel switching technology to increase audio performance and reduce power loss during operation. Infineon’s enhanced design and production standards deliver extreme reliability and stability for the entire product lifetime. The new range offers improved power efficiency, […]
Data injection — Testing autonomous sensors through realistic simulation
Proof that autonomous vehicles are safe to put on the road begins with rigorous models of the sensors that guide them. Holger Krumm | dSPACE GmbH Onboard sensors are critical for autonomous vehicles to navigate the open road, but the real environment is full of obstacles. Everyday interferences such reflective surfaces, whiteout conditions, fog, rain, […]
Portable AWG allows signal-generation for up to 16 channels
A new line of Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) is based on the LXI instrumentation standard and has been created for engineers and scientists that need to simultaneously generate up to 16 precise electronic signals. Small and compact, the units are candidates for automated testing or remote-control type applications. With six new instruments being released, users […]
Bluetooth and the road to a keyless future
Efforts are underway to let smartphones double as car keys. Erik Peters, Dialog Semiconductor From hands-free calling to tire pressure monitoring systems, Bluetooth has revolutionized the way we interact with our vehicles and how the vehicle itself communicates with other technology systems and services. So, what’s next? Improved internet connectivity and other technological advancements have […]
First implementations of Bluetooth-enabled keyless cars reveal a few bugs
The first production vehicle to employ a Bluetooth (actually a BLE) digital key is Tesla’s Model 3. When the owner approaches carrying his or her smartphone equipped with Bluetooth, Model 3s can be set to unlock their doors and trunk automatically, and starting the Model 3 is as simple as shifting out of Park. Nevertheless, […]
Spectrum co-existence challenges in the fully connected car
High-performance RF bandpass filters may hold the key to autonomous vehicle communication without interference. Ali Bawangaonwala | Qorvo, Inc. Continuing advances in technology are making the autonomous vehicle a practical reality, and there is frequent discussion among technologists about Wi-Fi and 5G as enablers of the connected car. Equally important, but less talked about, are […]
How GMR wheel speed sensors help advance vehicle control and braking systems
Giant magnetoresistance sensors are strong candidates for the high-accuracy wheel-speed sensing necessary in autonomous vehicle systems. Christine Graham | Allegro MicroSystems The purpose of a braking system has evolved from simplistic stopping to critical functions in vehicle safety through highly accurate feedback to traction control (TCS) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These advances have […]
RF limiters protect sensitive RF receivers up to 40 GHz
A line of broadband, high-power coaxial limiters are designed to help protect sensitive components in the receive chain and other microwave circuits in close proximity to high power signals. The typical applications for these RF limiters include electronic warfare, military communications, instrumentation, fiber optic communication systems, SATCOM, radar, point-to-point wireless, telecom and R&D applications. Pasternack’s […]
How bidirectional converters speed the design of dual-battery automotive systems
New standards for combined 48-V/12-V vehicles dictate stringent tests for overvoltages and currents that new converter ICs can help meet. Tony Armstrong | Analog Devices Inc. The 48/12-V automotive battery system is just around the corner. Most major automobile manufacturers have been perfecting such systems for past few years, and it is evident that their […]
Validating correct behavior in ADAS and AV systems
Autonomous vehicles must operate in a world of uncertainties. Validation platforms are now capable of determining whether behavior is correct given complex contextual attributes. David Fritz, Mentor, A Siemens Business There is an interesting dashcam video circulating in the autonomous vehicle (AV) development community of a Tesla-paid test driver coming up on what the driver […]