Qualcomm today announced the Snapdragon Ride Flex system-on-chip (SoC), bringing the latest offering to the Snapdragon digital chassis portfolio.
Qualcomm said the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC is designed to support mixed critical-level workloads across heterogeneous computing resources, supporting digital cockpit, ADAS and AD functionality simultaneously with a single SoC.
To achieve the highest level of automotive safety, the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC implements isolation, interference-free and quality-of-service (QoS) features to specific ADAS functions at the hardware architecture level, with a dedicated safety island built in for Automotive Safety Integrity Level D (ASIL-D). At the same time, the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC’s pre-integrated software platform supports multiple operating systems running simultaneously, with isolated virtual machines and an Automotive Open Systems Architecture (AUTOSAR)-enabled real-time operating system (OS) supporting hypervisors to address mixed critical workloads for driver-assisted safety systems, configuration-enabled digital instrument clusters, infotainment systems, driver monitoring systems and parking assistance systems. class workload requirements for driver-assisted safety systems, digital dashboards, infotainment systems, driver monitoring systems and parking assistance systems.
Qualcomm noted that the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC comes pre-integrated with the Snapdragon Ride vision software stack to meet regulatory requirements using front-view cameras and enhanced sensing using multimodal sensors (multiple cameras, radar, LIDAR and mapping) to create a model of the vehicle’s surroundings that can be fed into vehicle control algorithms. General Safety Regulation (GSR) and can be scaled up to support higher levels of autonomous driving.
In addition, the Snapdragon Ride Flex Series SoCs are compatible with the broader SoC portfolio covered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis Platform, which is optimized for scalable performance and supports entry-level to high-end, top-of-the-line central computing systems. This enables automakers to implement complex cabin use cases such as integrated instrument clusters and rear entertainment screens that support immersive high-end graphics, infotainment and gaming displays while creating ultra-low latency-based audio experiences and pre-integrated Snapdragon Ride vision software stacks.
The Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC can be developed using cloud-native automotive software development workflows, including support for virtual platform emulation, which can be integrated as part of a cloud-native DevOps and MLOps infrastructure.
The first Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC is now sampling, with volume production expected to begin in 2024. Qualcomm Technologies’ integrated automotive platforms, including the Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, Snapdragon Car Intelligence Platform and Snapdragon Ride Platform, are continuing to drive business growth, with the company’s total automotive order book already valued at more than $30 billion, according to the data.
