Automotive telematics control unit (TCU)
Delivering performance, interoperability, and security for telematics applications in cars
Telematics control units are essential for modern cars, connecting them to the cloud, enhancing safety, optimizing traffic flows, and enabling automatic emergency calls. Our comprehensive product portfolio supports use cases such as vehicle-to-cloud (V2X)/vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V)/vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle fleet management and maintenance, roadside assistance, emergency call (eCall), and consumer device integration.
System diagram: Telematics control unit
Function block explanation
The blue, red and green blocks are key components from Infineon enabling connectivity between the vehicle and the cloud, as well as connectivity between the application processor and the in-vehicle network (IVN). The 32-bit AURIX™ microcontroller acts as the gateway to the IVN and can be used for further integration functions such as management of the backup battery or manual operation of the emergency call button. The integrated standby mode controller provides best-in-class power consumption and the device allows fast availability of the telematics ECU in the IVN during vehicle start-up. The OPTIGA™ TPM authenticates the OEM backend server for secured remote access, and the eUICC is used for cellular network authentication or V2X.
Scalable automotive telematics control unit solutions
The scalable chip-set solutions provided by Infineon support the ever-changing specifications for automotive telematics control units (TCU). A scalable solution makes it possible to create core designs that are flexible and cost-effective while cutting down on development expenses and time to market. Check out the benefits of Infineon's car chip-set solutions below.
Scalability: Scalable family solutions with wide compatibilities on both hardware and software support designs from low- to high-end systems with less design effort.
Performance: Best-in-class performance (microcontrollers, microphones, power supply, etc.) and robust broadband connectivity (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®) improve customer experience significantly.
Security: Secured MCUs, secured memories, and secured connectivity support secured firmware updates over-the-air (FOTA), and safeguard consumers from cyber-attacks.
Total cost of ownership: Broad portfolio provides one-stop shop on both commercial and technical levels which significantly reduces purchase costs as well as system design effort.
- Highly scalable TRAVEO™ 32-bit MCUs
- Safe and secure SEMPER™ NOR flash
- AIROC™ Wi-Fi & Bluetooth® solutions
- XENSIV™ silicon microphones
- Leading edge power IC solutions
- Extendable security solutions
- RF chips for IoT/5G
Infineon's TCU solutions enable complete OTA end-to-end protection
With constantly increasing software scopes and comparatively short development times, the possibility for software updates over-the-air (SOTA/OTA or FOTA) is indispensable for future vehicle generations. The OTA capability allows the seamless installation of new features or feature upgrades while reacting swiftly to potential security attacks. Thus, OTA increases customer satisfaction, reduces costs and recalls, and has the potential to open new revenue streams for the OEMs.
Infineon's solutions enable complete end-to-end protection while helping to minimize vehicle unavailability.
These solutions include:
- Discrete security IC to enhance platform security and protect cellular connectivity (OPTIGA™ TPM SLI 9670 & SLx family)
- TRAVEO™ T2G or AURIX™ microcontrollers to manage the OTA update in-vehicle network (from source to sink) and to maximize the vehicle availability (incl. dual bank flash to allow for A/B SWAP and EVITA HSM Full)
- External memory to store large SW images (SEMPER™ NOR Flash)
- Last but not least, AIROC™ Automotive Wireless offers a cost-effective alternative for bulk updates
AIROC™ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® solutions for robust connectivity
Infineon is leading in real simultaneous dual-band (RSDB) solutions providing simultaneous operation in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, as well as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) support. RSDB solutions provide the necessary bandwidth and the software architecture required to support complex use-case scenarios for cars, enabling combinations of AP, station, and P2P connections simultaneously.
Recommended memories for automotive connectivity systems
Infineon's parallel NOR flash devices and serial NOR flash devices feature automotive-proven MIRRORBIT™ technology to ensure data reliability and the high endurance required for frequent writes over the product lifespan. In addition, they provide fast system boot times and different densities to scale platforms. Infineon’s NOR flash solutions are AEC-Q100 grade 1 to 3 qualified to meet automotive standards for a wide operating temperature range.
Infineon's automotive F-RAM has no write delays and data is immediately non-volatile. F-RAM offers a virtually unlimited endurance of 100 trillion read/write cycles. This enables much more compact and robust designs compared to conventional EEPROM solutions.
Infineon’s HYPERRAM™ 2.0 is a high-speed, low-pin-count, self-refresh dynamic RAM (DRAM) for high-performance embedded systems requiring expansion memory. HYPERRAM™ 2.0 offers HYPERBUS™ and Octal SPI interfaces that draw upon the legacy features of both parallel and serial interface memories while enhancing system performance and ease of design, as well as reducing system cost.
Infineon enables automotive security system solutions
As the complexity of systems in cars increases, so does the volume of data to be processed and distributed. New payment methods, such as parking fees or road tolls, require a secure flow of transaction data. Infineon can draw on years of expertise in chip card and identification systems to propel automotive data security to the next level. The broad portfolio of automotive security solutions includes microcontrollers with an embedded hardware security module (HSM), secured NOR flash and discrete security controllers.
While infotainment generally encompasses in-car applications for Wi-Fi, telematics broadly deals with external Wi-Fi connectivity, which is the car connecting to an external Wi-Fi network. These could be home Wi-Fi networks when parked in the garage, public hotspots, car dealership Wi-Fi networks, or factory floor Wi-Fi networks.
Infineon’s industry-leading, automotive-qualified, Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® combo solutions drive Infotainment and Telematics systems in connected cars. It enables easy synchronization and streaming of data from mobile devices the car's infotainment system besides enabling high-speed connectivity beyond the vehicle. All automotive-grade, combo solutions have the latest generation IEEE 802.11ac-compliant WLAN PHY and dual-band (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) support. These features enable the bandwidth required for multiple in-car displays with resolutions of up to 1080p.
Components recommended for use in telematics control units are:
AIROC™ Automotive Wireless: CYW89459, CYW89373, CYW89273
Bluetooth® 5.0 SoC: CYW89820
Automotive Wireless control receiver: TDA5240, TDA5225 and TDA5235
Learn more about AIROC™ Automotive Wireless.
Automotive networking technology is evolving fast, moving into applications that were not typically security-relevant, the bar is moving upwards and we are seeing increasingly granular system security concepts. At the same time, complexity is on the incline. Growing consumer expectations are pushing for new and innovative comfort and security features also in low-end segments, and this, in turn, is putting pressure on designers to reduce complexity through hardware/software compatibility.
Learn more about Infineon's design resources, tools, and software for automotive security systems.
myInfineon: Get informed on performant and secure telematics application updates
- Understand Infineon’s pioneer role driving the automotive MEMS microphone market and its needs
- Discover the main features and key benefits of Infineon’s XENSIV™ microphone and identify the target automotive applications for this product
This training is a product selection guide to help you find the most suitable MEMS microphones for your applications.
Training topics:
- Get to know why systems require frequent updates, how this is done and how automotive systems try to ensure their security when they are updated
- Learn how AURIX™ families of microcontrollers support over-the-air software updates
In this training, you will:
- Understand what a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) is and recognize its benefits
- Get familiar with the write commands to configure the registers
Description:
- Identify common security threats to modern cars
- Understand how OPTIGA™ TPM can help automotive systems achieve a high level of security and their applications in different use cases in various host environments
Description:
- Indicate the trends, market segments and Infineon products aimed at each segment
- Identify the major players and Infineon’s main strengths in relation to each competitors.
Description:
- Categorize cybersecurity threats in the upcoming automotive electrical and electronic architecture
- Identify how Infineon’s next-generation AURIX™ TC4x microcontrollers are able to mitigate cybersecurity threats
Description:
- Understand the evolution of the cockpit architecture
- Recognize the importance of the central modules like head unit and cockpit domain controllers and get to know Infineon solutions and their components
