The automotive industry is undergoing a software-centric transformation, with a vision towards a software-defined vehicle (SDV) that redefines vehicle architecture by shifting from domain to zone architectures. This allows for greater personalization, an improved in-vehicle experience and enhanced convenience through over-the-air updates. By centralizing software and decoupling the hardware, SDVs create a scalable solution that effectively meets next-generation vehicle requirements. We offer years of system expertise and scalable software solutions along with our latest technology for intelligent load actuation, optimized in-vehicle networking, smart power distribution and computing to support your vision so you can bring the right level of personalized experience to customers.

Why choose TI for your software-defined vehicle solution?

Smarter subsystems
Optimized system cost
Scalable hardware architectures
Comprehensive ecosystem partners

Enabling technologies

We provide reliable and secure in-vehicle network communication across all layers of the network for implementing over-the-air updates and sharing various types of data.

  • Ethernet PHY's enable communication from the vehicle backbone, down to the remote-controlled edge nodes, and offload complex software operations onto the PHY hardware for easier SDV integration.
  • Processors with Ethernet, CAN and other network peripherals and integrated switches.
  • Integrated motor drivers help you maximize motor performance.
  • CAN transceivers provide reliability through common-mode noise rejection and error handling.
  • Balance in-vehicle network system cost at the intended bandwidth in order to fit your specific network architecture.
  • Integrated security features. 

White paper

Inside Tomorrow’s SDVs: Integrating Remote-Controlled Edge Nodes

Read this white paper to learn how remote-controlled edge technology consolidates software into fewer electronic control units (ECUs) to optimize wiring and increase scalability across vehicle platforms.
Technical article

How Ethernet accelerates the move to software-defined vehicles (Rev. A)

Read this technical article to learn how zone architectures implementing Ethernet will help accelerate the shift to software-defined vehicles by providing the data capacity to support more features and capabilities.
Video

Automotive Ethernet ring network demonstration

Watch this demo video to see how an Ethernet Ring architecture manages safety-critical and real-time control data with increased reliability through the redundant circulation of data.

TCAN1043A-Q1ACTIVE

Automotive CAN FD transceiver with wake/inhibit/sleep

TLIN1021A-Q1ACTIVE

Automotive Fault-Protected LIN Transceiver with Inhibit and Wake

As zone architectures consolidate functions into fewer ECUs, having flexible processing solutions is critical for SDV designs. Our portfolio of microcontrollers and processors offers a wide range of performance capabilities and crucial features such as integrated hardware security modules for cybersecurity.

Portfolio features:

  • Central computing: multi-core Arm Cortex-A processors provide high-performance compute, AI acceleration and functional safety capabilities.
  • Zone controllers: specialized C2000, Arm Cortex-M and Cortex-R MCUs provide low-latency, multi-interface communication and data security.
  • Edge ECUs: mixed-signal MCUs deliver cost-effective options for controlling sensors, actuators and local loads at low power.

White paper

Security Enablers on Jacinto™ 7 Processors

This white paper discusses the Jacinto™ 7 processor device family and provides an overview of the security features that can help system designers achieve their security objectives.
Technical article

What is “real-time control” and why do you need it?

This article explains the functional blocks of a real-time control system, using a robotics application as an example.

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SoC with Dual Arm® Cortex®-A72, 4 port Ethernet, and 4 lane PCIe for networking and compute

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Automotive 400MHz quad-core Arm® Cortex®-R5F MCU with real-time control and security

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Automotive 80MHz Arm® Cortex®-M0+ MCU with 128KB flash 32KB SRAM ADC, DAC, COMP, OPA, CAN-FD, MATHAC

Zone architectures rely on smart load drivers that help minimize microcontroller intervention during load or wiring fault conditions, provide software flexibility for over-the-air updates, and reduce printed circuit board and bill-of-materials cost across platforms and variants.

Portfolio features:

  • Advanced fault diagnostics to autonomously protect the load driver, cable and load through various fault conditions.
  • Software configurability to change fault, load control and other device settings through Serial Peripheral Interface.
  • A range of multifunction and multichannel devices including integrated field-effect transistor and gate-driver solutions to meet unique channel count and load requirements.

Technical article

How integrated brushed-DC solutions can reduce size, enhance protection and simpli

This article addresses size constraints, fault conditions and the need for design reuse in order to reduce development time.
Video

Motor-driver protection features

Learn more about how protection features work to detect unsafe conditions, four protection features found on the majority of our motor drivers, and specific protection circuits found on other motor drivers.
Application note

How To Drive Resistive, Inductive, Capacitive, and Lighting Loads (Rev. E)

Learn more about inductive and capacitive loads, including the underlying challenges of the load and the necessity for diagnostics tools such as those integrated into our smart high-side switches.

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Automotive 40-V, 32-A H-Bridge driver with integrated current sensing and feedback

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Automotive, 3.5V to 45V high-side driver with protection and diagnostics

Software-defined vehicles are adding intelligent and optimized power distribution by replacing melting fuses with smart switches in power distribution boxes and local zone controllers. Our switches provide benefits such as resettable outputs and accurate I2t characteristics across temperature that help optimize wiring harness lengths and reduce wire gauges.

Portfolio features:

  • Automotive eFuse high-side switches intelligently drive loads with software-configurable I2T current limiting and capacitive charging. These devices are resettable if a fault occurs and can provide diagnostics to the MCU about the failure type and state of each load.
  • Motor drivers with intelligent power distribution for high-power packaging and small form factors. 

Resource

Automotive smart fuse evaluation module

This evaluation module and corresponding daughtercards showcase and evaluate all of the features of our smart fuse high-side switch portfolio.
Application note

Automotive Smart Fuse (Rev. A)

This application brief investigates smart fuse designs for different current levels.
Technical article

How eFuses are helping drive the zone architecture revolution for software-defined vehicles

Electronics are continuing to evolve how we interact with our cars. We have come a long way from the time when integrated navigation or hands-free calling were considered new, exciting features.

TPS2HCS10-Q1ACTIVE

Automotive, dual-channel 11.3mΩ smart high-side switch with I2T wire protection, low-Iq mode and SPI

TPS1211-Q1ACTIVE

Automotive, 3.5V to 45V high-side driver with protection and diagnostics

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Automotive ideal diode with circuit breaker, under- and overvoltage protection with fault output

We provide stable, robust and high-quality software development environments designed for SDV systems. Our broad range of embedded processing devices supports scalable SDV designs, while our common development environments enable seamless code reuse. This combination simplifies your development processes, maximizes your software investments and accelerates your time to market.

Portfolio features:

  • Software reuse support across our scalable processor portfolio.
  • Expedite development with production-quality drivers and safety-qualified MCAL.
  • Flexible operating system options, including FreeRTOS, Linux, QNX and SafeRTOS.
  • AUTOSAR compliance and simplify integration with our diverse software ecosystem. 

With so much at stake with your vehicle architecture solutions, functional safety provides the necessary risk-management framework. From a security perspective, there are vehicle-specific cybersecurity mechanisms to protect SDVs that manufacturers require such as I would probably fill in HSM, security enclave, EVITA and more. 

Portfolio features:

  • On-demand functional safety documentation such as functional safety failure-in-time rates and failure-mode distribution.
  • Our Ethernet devices have extensive features including Media Access Control security (MACsec) to enable secure data communication in SDV architectures.

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3 DEC 2024 | COMPANY BLOG

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Technical Resources

White paper

How a Zone Architecture Paves the Way to a Fully Software-Defined Vehicle (Rev. C)

Read how a zone architecture paves the way to a fully software-defined vehicle.

Processing the Advantages of Zone Architectures in Automotive

Read this article to understand the evolution from domain to zone architectures to optimize both power distribution and in-vehicle networks, while reducing cable length and weight.
White paper

Software-Defined Vehicles Shift the Future of Automotive Electronics Into Gear (Rev. B)

Read how software-defined vehicles with zone architectures are enabling development of smarter, safer and more energy-efficient vehicles.