[CES 2020] Siemens and Arm Collaborate on OEM Vision for 2025 Automotive Architecture

With a new partnership with Arm, Siemens is ready to pose some challenging questions to OEMs at CES. Specifically: 1) Do you already know what the architecture of the 2025 automotive platform looks like? 2) If so, have you validated it?Siemens’ Global Technology Manager for Autonomous Driving and ADAS, David Fritz, explained in an interview that if OEMs are still struggling with which CPU, GPU, or MPU to use in the next generation of vehicles, then “they have already missed the boat.” Fritz described the changes in the automotive industry over the past few years as a “series of incremental changes to ADAS.” While OEMs may feel pressured to add popular new features to the market, it is akin to continuously applying various band-aids, with “solutions for new models emerging one after another.” He stated that they have not truly considered the architecture of future vehicles, which is why OEMs cannot map a single migration path from ADAS to AV.

Envisioning the 2025 Vehicle Platform

Siemens’ new partnership with Arm aims to change the historically isolated design choices that OEMs have made for automotive development.

This partnership will combine pre-built and validated Arm IP with Siemens’ PAVE360, which is known as a comprehensive validation and simulation system designed specifically for AV hardware and software development. Fritz stated that the goal is to enable OEMs and suppliers to “envision their next-generation vehicle platform.” He explained that Siemens’ PAVE360 will “extend digital twin simulation beyond processors to include automotive hardware and software subsystems, complete vehicle models, sensor data fusion, traffic flow, and even AV safety.” If OEMs choose specific processors for certain applications in 2020 models, it is possible that new chips may not meet the capabilities required for the 2025 automotive platform. Similarly, they may not meet the thermal thresholds required by the 2025 architecture. Fritz said, “You make a decision now, and the consequences will have a domino effect on the entire 2025 model.” Frankly, Fritz stated that poor decisions made by OEMs six years ago could ultimately ruin an entire new model in 2025.He explained that it is crucial for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to be able to “simulate and validate subsystem and SoC designs and understand their performance in automotive design from the chip level long before chip manufacturing.” Fritz mentioned last year, “I have actually seen the architecture of AV SoCs designed internally by every major OEM.” He also emphasized that Tesla is not alone. If that is the case, how many major OEMs has Siemens simulated and validated the complete vehicle architecture for 2025? Fritz said, “We have been working with some of them.” When asked to describe the 2025 vehicle architecture, he said, “Although they come from different directions, it is surprising how similar they seem to come from similar platforms.” Why Choose PAVE360?The strength of PAVE360 lies in its ability to simulate certain functions, SoCs, subsystems, or software across the entire vehicle environment. Phil Magney, founder and chief consultant of VSI Labs, stated last year that PAVE360 is “very unique.” He explained that PAVE360 is based on a concept known as “digital twin,” which replicates (simulates) a version of the real world. Magney said, “For developers of vehicles or components, this essentially means they can fully simulate their targets at any scale, whether it is chips, software models, ECUs, or entire vehicles.” In short, as Fritz stated, the advantage of the PAVE360 methodology is its ability to link simulation with physical platforms.Fritz pointed out that there is a significant difference between simulating an SoC on a PC and simulating it in a complete vehicle environment; the two (methods and their results) are worlds apart.

What Will Arm Gain?

The advantages of Siemens’ collaboration with Arm are evident. Given the prevalence of Arm cores in numerous automotive chips, the deepening relationship between Siemens and Arm will only enhance the broad appeal of PAVE360.

But what will Arm gain?First, linking Arm core designs with PAVE360 can enhance Arm’s credibility as an IP core supplier in the automotive market.Mark Fitzgerald, Vice President of Automotive at Strategy Analytics, added, “Arm gains the ability to design custom chips for ADAS and autonomous driving applications more easily and quickly. OEMs are turning to custom chips (like Tesla’s FSD chip) instead of relying on off-the-shelf solutions, while some OEMs are working on in-house solutions.” He noted, “Through collaboration, chip designers can use Arm architecture and IP along with Siemens’ PAVE360 to create custom ADAS and autonomous driving SoCs in a virtual environment.”

When asked how long Siemens has been collaborating with Arm, Fritz said, “About a year.” However, the relationship between the two companies has become closer as they have been conducting more detailed weekly engineering calls since last summer, when the legal arrangements between Siemens and Arm were clarified. Under the agreement, Siemens now has access to all of Arm’s IP cores. Siemens can now discuss specific core designs with Arm, such as placing Arm’s split-lock logic or big.LITTLE architecture for certain applications in the real world.So, what are the industry’s expectations for Arm’s future automotive cores or processor architectures? Fitzgerald from Strategy Analytics said, “A possible trend is that a single very powerful chip will emerge for ADAS or autonomous driving domain controllers, rather than the distributed computing currently in use. OEMs will choose the best combination of centralized and distributed computing based on applications.”

What About Other Processor IP Companies?

It is important to clarify that Arm is not the only processor core IP supplier. For example, Mobileye has been using MIPS cores, and Ceva and Imagination may also be attempting to design chips for digital cockpits or automotive perception chips.

When asked if Siemens plans to collaborate with other IP suppliers, Fritz said, “The beauty of our system is that they can plug their cores into the cloud of PAVE360 to evaluate their cores across the entire vehicle environment.”

Fitzgerald pointed out, “The biggest risk of missing out on the collaboration offered by PAVE360 is between OEMs, semiconductor suppliers, software vendors, and Tier 1s.”

He said, “Chip suppliers can validate and verify chip designs faster and more effectively by using Arm IP and PAVE360.” But he also cautioned, “Chip suppliers may also be at risk if OEMs or even major suppliers decide to use Arm IP and PAVE360 tools to design chip solutions, potentially bypassing the design/verification loop of chip suppliers.”

Siemens’ Competitors

Fitzgerald stated that other vendors also offer similar validation tools.

For example, Cadence provides design tools across all PCB, SiP, and SoC architectures, enabling unified integrated ECU design and analysis.

On the other hand, ANSYS allows customers to perform “multi-physics simulation,” addressing challenges related to power, thermal, variability, timing, electromagnetic, and reliability across chips, packages, and systems, thereby improving the success of chips and systems on the first use.”

Last fall, Synopsys launched local automotive solutions, “optimized for efficient design of autonomous driving and ADAS SoCs.”

At the same time, Vector claims to provide a “comprehensive solution” for developing ADAS systems in the form of software and hardware tools as well as embedded components. This includes measurement instruments for acquiring sensor data, checking and optimizing ECU functionality, software components, and algorithm design.

However, Fritz clearly stated that overall, no other company can accomplish this as comprehensively as PAVE360.

[Reference Article]

Siemens-Arm lets car OEMs envision 2025 auto architecture — Junko Yoshida

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