Highly integrated solutions for vehicle information services and remote connectivity systems

From GPS navigation to infotainment systems and wireless connectivity, in-vehicle telematics capabilities have become an integral part of our driving experience, propelling us forward like engines and wheels. The rapid development of chip and software technology is an important driving force for this change in automotive applications.

Today's cars have evolved into intelligent, interconnected software-defined vehicle (SDV) platforms with millions of lines of code running on them, equipped with a vast array of sensors, processors, wireless modems, and transceivers connected via an onboard network. At the same time, developers are using artificial intelligence technologies such as digital twin virtualization to optimize vehicle design processes and create digital copies of vehicle systems for real-time performance simulation. The convergence of these advanced technologies is creating safer, smarter, more connected, and more comfortable vehicles.

With software-defined cars and over-the-air (OTA) upgrades using wireless communications such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and cellular networks, we can bring new car features without adding additional hardware modules. To cope with the surge in data throughput, in-car architectures are migrating to high-speed Ethernet.

In response to these trends in automotive applications, NXP has introduced the i.MX 94 application processor family, the latest addition to the i.MX 9 portfolio, designed to meet the increasingly complex connectivity needs of modern vehicles. The i.MX 94 series processors integrate up to four Arm Cortex-A55 cores, two Cortex-M7 cores, and one Cortex-M33 core to help telematics system designs balance the demands of performance, energy efficiency, real-time control, functional safety, and system integration. Its main features include:

-The first i.MX processor to integrate an Ethernet time-sensitive networking (TSN) switch for fast initialization and low latency packet processing

-Support for a wide range of peripherals enables the i.MX 94 series to act as a hub for managing all external wireless connections in the car,

including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular modems, V2X communications, GPS, and more

-Support for advanced information security features of post-quantum cryptography (PQC)

-Enhanced functional safety and compliance with stringent automotive industry standards

As the first i.MX processor to use an on-chip Ethernet TSN switch, the i.MX 94 series gets the job done without an external Ethernet switch. This breakthrough integration enables developers to minimize component count, PCB size, and bill of materials (BOM), simplifying the development process and reducing overall system cost and complexity.

The integrated Ethernet TSN switch enables fast, energy-efficient network connections by prioritizing critical data, fast startup, and reducing unnecessary data transfers, making it ideal for modern automotive networks that require high speed and efficiency. The highly integrated design reduces latency by reducing the distance between processing units and network components, which is critical for time-sensitive applications such as diagnostics, emergency alerts, or real-time transmission of vehicle status data.

Integrated Ethernet switches are designed to consume less power than external switches. Developers can use the processor's built-in real-time kernel to quickly initialize the Ethernet switch from a cold start state, meeting the system's strict requirements for fast startup of the network on chip. They can also reduce power consumption by shutting down other parts of the chip during use, while operating the Ethernet switch through an on-chip real-time kernel. In addition, NXP's Energy Flex architecture enables refined energy consumption control, making the i.MX 94 series a highly efficient processor for in-vehicle information services and connectivity applications.

Connectivity domain controller for vehicle information service applications

The i.MX 94 series is optimized to serve as the core of a connected domain controller, integrating all external wireless connections in a single electronic control unit (ECU) and connecting to the automotive Ethernet network, which is perfectly compatible with modern software-defined automotive architectures. In addition to integrating high-speed Ethernet, the i.MX 94 series CAN connect wireless modems, transceivers and network access via SPI, I2C, UART, USB, PCIe and CAN-FD interfaces. Support for wireless connectivity includes 5G cellular networks, wireless tuners, vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications, high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ultra-wideband (UWB).

 Centralizing all external wireless interfaces in a single ECU enables a modular connectivity solution with consistent network security filtering for all external communication applications. This design also enables better management of RF coexistence issues and supports cloud-managed OTA software updates.

Advanced information security using post-quantum cryptography

Modern automotive components face the same information security risks as other connected devices. More and more connection methods make cars become wireless nodes with multiple attack surfaces, which brings major information security risks. To help protect automotive systems against malicious intrusions and cyberattacks, the i.MX 94 series uses NXP EdgeLock Secure Trust Root and integrates post-quantum cryptography (PQC) support.

Other built-in information security measures include remote recovery capabilities, a dedicated V2X encryption accelerator (Prime) for fast startup, real-time authentication, and updated encryption protocol support for secure, low-latency communications. The on-chip eIQ Neutron Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU) supports artificial intelligence and machine learning-assisted anomaly detection, capable of identifying potential attacks that have not yet been detected. These integrated network security technologies make the i.MX 94 series a secure and reliable in-vehicle information service processor.

Built-in functional safety and compliance with stringent industry standards

The i.MX 94 series integrates hardware functional safety islands on a system on a chip for highly configurable secure communication and functional safety capabilities, supporting ISO21434 and ISO26262 ASIL B standards. Specialized components are assigned to manage critical systems, including functions such as redundancy, monitoring and error correction, to ensure the safe operation of in-vehicle information services. NXP provides software tools and libraries for functional safety, including firmware, drivers and software components optimized for functional safety requirements, to help developers create systems that meet stringent functional safety requirements.