NXP launches integrated platform to simplify SDV development, cut costs

NXP Semiconductors, which is also engaged in automotive processing, has introduced its new S32 CoreRide platform designed to breaks through the integration barriers for next-generation software-defined vehicle (SDV) development. The new industry-first vehicle software platform is claimed to greatly simplify complex vehicle architecture development and cut costs for automakers and Tier-1 suppliers.

The S32 CoreRide platform brings together NXP’s established S32 compute, networking, system power management and ready-to-deploy software from the company’s extensive software partner ecosystem. The company is also unveiling its first S32 CoreRide solution for central compute based on NXP’s new S32N family of vehicle super-integration processors. It offers safe and scalable combinations of real-time and applications processing as well as vehicle networking. 

Helping overcome software-hardware integration challenges
NXP’s S32 CoreRide platform represents the next milestone in overcoming the software and hardware integration challenges blocking fast adoption of SDVs. Automakers have struggled to move functions from the traditional multi-ECU to zoned or centralized processing due to software and architectural inconsistencies. The new platform integrates NXP’s broad hardware portfolio with software from the world’s leading automotive experts across a comprehensive ecosystem, including Accenture ESR Labs, ArcherMind, Blackberry QNX, Elektrobit, ETAS, Green Hills Software, Sonatus, Synopsys, TTTech Auto, Vector Informatik GmbH, and Wind River as well as Tier-1 suppliers like Valeo.

Leveraging the scalable S32 compute in the S32 CoreRide platform, OEMs can consolidate ECUs and develop flexible architectures, from domain to zonal to centralized, that scale across vehicle classes and generations. The platform provides the ability to isolate vehicle functions, helping to ensure freedom from interference between each application and dynamically re-allocate resources so applications do not degrade in performance as they evolve over time. This level of integration and flexibility advances carmakers and Tier-1 suppliers to the next point in their development since they can now utilize the S32 CoreRide platform to put more focus on differentiation and the creation of application software for new business models.

“The automotive industry’s shift to software-defined vehicles presents unprecedented levels of disruption,” said Henri Ardevol, executive vice president and general manager, automotive embedded systems at NXP. “In the last decade, many industries have successfully adopted faster innovation cycles and effectively achieved higher performance at lower cost through tight integration of silicon and software. With NXP’s S32 CoreRide platform, automakers can now radically transform their approach to SDV development by adopting a much faster, open development path.”

The scalable S32N family, purpose-built for the highest level of automotive functional safety, offers multiple combinations of real-time and applications processing cores to meet a wide range of automakers’ central compute needs. All S32N devices integrate an advanced hardware security engine and multi-port TSN Ethernet switch and CAN hub, with some also supporting Ethernet packet acceleration, AI/ML acceleration, and cost-effective, inter-compute PCI Express services.

The S32 CoreRide central compute solution is optimized to meet the network bandwidth, power delivery requirements and targets ISO 26262 ASIL D functional safety requirements. It can unlock the benefits of SDVs by providing vehicle data intelligence for streamlining deployment and monetization of enhanced capabilities and new services over a vehicle’s lifetime.