Conti collaborates with Infineon for E/E architecture and tidies up the vehicle

The Hanover technology group Continental has announced a cooperation with the semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies AG to develop server-based vehicle architectures. The goal is a streamlined and efficient electric/electronic (E/E) architecture with central high-performance computers (HPC) and a few powerful zone control units (ZCU), instead of up to a hundred or more individual control units as before. For its ZCU platform, Continental is now using the AURIX TC4 microcontroller from Infineon.

Thanks to special memory technology in the AURIX TC4, the vehicle software is on standby. Functions such as parking assist, air conditioning, heating, and suspension are ready within fractions of a second when the vehicle is started, the provider advertises. The platform approach supports the different requirements of car manufacturers. They can customize their architecture by individually configuring the number of HPCs and ZCUs, as well as their interaction and arrangement in the vehicle.

“With our new architecture solution, we are making the automobile fit for the future. The growing range of functions in the vehicle requires ever more computing power and increasingly complex software applications. The software-defined vehicle is only made possible by Continental's new architecture. The cooperation with Infineon is now a crucial step in realizing this development quickly for our customers,” says Gilles Mabire, CTO of Continental Automotive.

Thanks to the platform strategy, proven application software can already be used in new vehicle models. This should significantly reduce the validation effort and bring new functionalities into series production much faster. The third generation of the AURIX microcontroller family, TC4x, also offers the same scalability in terms of performance, memory, and package variants as the previous generations AURIX TC2x and TC3x. AURIX TC4x was designed, among other things, for use in ZCU and HPC. Other focus applications include radar, chassis & safety, and powertrain/electrification.

First use of RRAM technology in cars

A key element of the new microcontroller series is the RRAM (Resistive Random Access Memory) technology used by Infineon. This technology is already successfully used in chip cards, such as for cashless payments and secure authentication. Now, RRAM technology is being used in the automotive sector for the first time. When a vehicle is started, functions such as parking assist, air conditioning, heating, and suspension are available within fractions of a second. Software programs are practically on standby, and over-the-air updates of software components are implemented much faster and more securely.

“The AURIX TC4x microcontroller family is an essential building block for the next generation of E/E architectures and can make a decisive difference when it comes to efficiency, safety, and comfort in future vehicle generations," also advertises Peter Schiefer, President of the Automotive Division at Infineon.

Zone Control Units: Crucial for modern mobility

The use of powerful zone control units is seen as a crucial step towards the software-defined vehicle after the development and delivery of an HPC high-performance computer for Volkswagen's ID.3 and ID.4 electric vehicle models. The zone control unit control platform developed in cooperation with Infineon now forms the middle layer of the electric/electronic architecture between the server level (HPC) and the base level with numerous sensors and actuators.

“We offer all essential components of the architecture for software-defined vehicles from a single source. The new platform is scalable and modular in terms of performance and interfaces. This gives vehicle manufacturers maximum flexibility in designing vehicle architectures,” explains Jean-Francois Tarabbia, Head of the Architecture and Networking business unit at Continental.

The integration of hardware and software from third-party providers is also possible. In the future E/E architecture, each zone control unit bundles all electronic and electrical connections in a local part of the vehicle. For example, zone control units take over all control and data and communication management tasks in the front right, front left, and rear sections of the vehicle.

Cybersecurity is to be increased

Central bundling of software components in the future is also intended to increase cybersecurity and update capability. The AURIX TC4x product family has focused on state-of-the-art cybersecurity features, developed according to the ISO/SAE 21434-certified process. The cybersecurity concept of the AURIX TC4x supports, among other things, post-quantum procedures. This already strengthens protection against quantum computer attacks, which pose a threat to currently used cryptographic methods.

“Our new vehicle architecture, consisting of a few powerful zone control units and high-performance computers, significantly simplifies the wiring harness. This saves weight and energy,” Tarabbia continues.

Due to the clear division of tasks in the streamlined vehicle electronics, the separation of hardware and software, and the necessary standardization of interfaces, the increasing complexity and the almost exploding amount of software in the vehicle can be managed better.