Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that it has initiated mass production of its new automotive Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 3.1 memory solution optimized for in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems. The new solution offers the industry’s lowest energy consumption, enabling car manufacturers to provide the best mobility experience for consumers.

The UFS 3.1 lineup will come in 128, 256 and 512-gigabyte (GB) variants to meet different needs of customers. The enhanced lineup allows more efficient battery life management to future automotive applications such as electric or autonomous vehicles. The 256GB model, for instance, has reduced its energy consumption by about 33% compared to the previous generation product. The 256GB model also provides a sequential write speed of 700-megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and a sequential read speed of 2,000MB/s.

“Samsung’s new UFS 3.1 solution addresses a wide range of customer needs for optimized IVI systems while pushing forward with next-generation memory trends that require higher ESG standards,” said Hyunduk Cho, Vice President of Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics. “We aim to expand our presence in the automotive semiconductor market, following the introduction of our UFS 3.1 solution for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).”

The new automotive UFS 3.1 solution satisfies the requirements of AEC-Q100 Grade2, a semiconductor quality standard for vehicles which guarantees stable performance in a wide range of temperatures from negative 40°C to 105°C.

Samsung plans to supply its UFS 3.1 products to global automakers and parts manufacturers by the end of this year.

As Samsung continues to strengthen its automotive memory solution portfolio, the company received an ASPICE Level 2 certification from customers in April, 2023, with its ADAS-oriented UFS 3.1 product. It obtained ASPICE Level 2 certification from C&BIS, a renowned automobile certification agency, with the UFS 3.1 product for ADAS supplied to customers and received verification for the high stability required in automotive semiconductors this month.

Since Samsung first started its automotive memory business in 2015, it has continued to grow rapidly. In 2017, the company introduced the industry’s first UFS for vehicles and has since been providing various memory solutions such as AutoSSD, Auto LPDDR5X and Auto GDDR6. As data storage and computational demands on the automotive sector continue to grow, the company aims to deliver optimized memory solutions for automotive customers and reinforce its development and quality enhancement efforts to accelerate its market leadership.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that its latest automotive processor, the Exynos Auto V920, has been selected to power Hyundai Motor Company’s next-generation in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, which are expected to roll out by 2025. This marks Samsung’s first collaboration on automotive semiconductors with Hyundai Motor, a global mobility leader.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Hyundai Motor, a prominent global mobility manufacturer, and we anticipate that this partnership will further solidify our position in the automotive infotainment space,” said Jae Geol Pyee, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through close collaboration with our global customers and ecosystem partners, we will continue to create state-of-the-art automotive chip solutions that offer a safe and enjoyable mobility experience.”

The Exynos Auto V920 is Samsung’s third-generation automotive processor for advanced IVI systems. With considerable upgrades in CPU, graphics and neural processing performance, the V920 will deliver an optimal in-vehicle experience by enabling real-time display of critical driving information, as well as seamless playback of graphics-rich video content and games on multiple displays.

The V920 CPU packs 10 of Arm’s latest cores optimized for autonomous driving, enabling 1.7 times greater processing performance than the previous generation. With support for LPDDR5 memory’s cutting-edge speed, the V920 can efficiently manage up to six high-resolution displays for dashboard, infotainment and rear seat entertainment systems, and up to 12 camera sensors that capture crucial visual information.

Significant improvements have been made to the processor’s graphics and artificial intelligence (AI) performance, enhancing visual presentation on displays and optimizing driver interaction with in-car information. To provide a rich graphical user interface (GUI), the V920 integrates advanced GPU cores with graphics processing capabilities up to two times faster than its predecessor.

By incorporating the latest computing cores, the neural processing unit (NPU) achieves 2.7 times greater performance than the previous generation. This allows the V920 to support enhanced driver monitoring features to better detect the driver’s state and swiftly assess the surroundings, providing an even safer driving environment.

To further bolster driver safety, the V920’s embedded safety island — compliant with Automotive Safety Integrity Level B (ASIL-B) requirements — detects and manages faults in real-time, keeping the IVI system secure.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos Auto products, please visit https://semiconductor.samsung.com/processor/automotive-processor/.

* The 5G logo on the previous product image has been removed as of June 8th, 2023, to better represent the product’s specification.

“Smarter and more connected automotive technologies for enriched in-vehicle experiences including entertainment, safety and comfort are becoming critical features on the road,” said Jaehong Park, Executive Vice President of System LSI Custom SOC Business at Samsung Electronics. “With an advanced 5G modem, an AI-enhanced multi-core processor and a market-proven PMIC solution, Samsung is transfusing its expertise in mobile solutions into its automotive lineup and is positioned to expand its presence within the field.”

Exynos Auto T5123: The Industry’s First 5G Connectivity Solution for Automobiles

The Exynos Auto T5123 is a 3GPP Release 15 telematics control unit specifically designed to bring fast and seamless 5G connectivity in both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) mode to the next generation of connected cars. It delivers essential information to the vehicle in real-time via high-speed download of up to 5.1 gigabits per second (Gbps) and allows passengers to enjoy a host of new services such as high-definition content streaming and video calls on the go.

To efficiently process large amounts of data transmitted and received through the 5G modem, the Exynos Auto T5123 supports a high speed PCIe (PCI Express) interface and a low-power high-performance LPDDR4x mobile DRAM. In addition, the unit comes with two Cortex-A55 CPU cores and a built-in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to minimize the use of external ICs and help reduce product development time. The T5123 meets stringent requirements for automotive components and is Automotive Electronics Council-Q100 (AEC-Q100) qualified.

The Exynos Auto T5123 is currently in mass production and is delivering 5G-based vehicle communication capabilities for the first time in the industry.

Exynos Auto V7: A Powerful Processor for IVI Systems in Mid to High-End Vehicles

The Exynos Auto V7 is the newest addition to Samsung’s automotive-brand processor lineup and is designed for in-vehicle infotainment systems. For powerful processing performance, the V7 integrates eight 1.5-gigahertz (GHz) Arm Cortex-A76 CPU cores and 11 Arm Mali G76 GPU cores. The GPU comes in two separate groups, with three cores in the ‘small’ domain for cluster display and AR-HUD, and eight in the ‘big’ domain for central information display (CID) and others. Such physical separation allows the GPU to support multiple systems simultaneously and brings safer operation as it keeps one domain from interfering with another. In addition to its powerful CPU and GPU, the V7 is equipped with an NPU for convenient services such as virtual assistance that can process visual and audio data for face, speech or gesture recognition features.

For a safer and more enjoyable driving experience, the Exynos Auto V7 supports up to four displays and 12 camera inputs that provide information to assist drivers and passengers. The V7’s imaging system provides bad pixel correction, dynamic range compression and geometric distortion correction to provide noiseless and distortion-free images for features like surround view and parking assistance. For immersive in-car entertainment, the chip comes with three HiFi 4 audio processors that deliver excellent audio quality for songs, movies and even games on the go. To run all these features as smoothly as possible, the V7 has up to 32 gigabytes (GB) of LPDDR4x memory capacity that offers high bandwidth of up to 68.3 gigabytes per second (GB/s).

The Exynos Auto V7 also offers strong data protection through an isolated security processor for crypto operation and provides a hardware key using a one-time programmable (OTP) or physical unclonable function (PUF). Furthermore, for critical functional safety, the Exynos Auto V7 complies with ASIL-B requirements of safety support for a digital cluster and an embedded safety island that detect and manage faults to maintain a safe state with a fault management unit (FMU).

The Exynos Auto V7 is currently in mass production and is being used in Volkswagen’s latest In-Car Application-Server (ICAS) 3.1, developed by LG Electronics’ VS (Vehicle component Solutions) division, to power their next-generation in-vehicle infotainment system.

S2VPS01 – An ASIL-B Certified Power Management IC for the Exynos Auto V Series

The S2VPS01 is a PMIC specifically designed and developed for the Exynos Auto V9 and V7. It is Samsung’s first automotive solution produced under the ISO 26262 functional safety process certification that was acquired in 2019, and it also achieved an ASIL-B certification in 2021.

An Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), specified under ISO 26262, ranges from A to D, with D being the highest level. The Level is assigned by analyzing and assessing the severity, exposure and controllability of vehicle operations in a number of environments. To ensure the safety of vehicle systems, ASIL-B compliance is becoming a key requirement for automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers when selecting partners and solutions. 

The S2VPS01 regulates and rectifies the flow of electrical power, allowing reliable and robust in-vehicle infotainment system performance. It is comprised of highly efficient triple/dual-phase buck converters, and integrates a low-dropout regulator (LDO) and real-time clock (RTC) within the package. For protection from harsh thermal and electrical conditions, the power IC comes with various protection functions including over voltage protection (OVP), under voltage protection (UVP), short circuit protection (SCP), over current protection (OCP), thermal shut down (TSD), clock monitoring and output stuck checks.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos products, please visit http://www.samsung.com/exynos.

In line with its focus on next-generation NPU technologies, Samsung plans to create over 2,000 related jobs worldwide by 2030, which is about 10 times the current headcount. The company will also expand upon its existing collaboration with globally distinguished research institutes and universities, and support the nurturing of future talent in the field of AI, including deep learning and neural processing.

“For the coming age of AI, Samsung is committed to delivering industry-leading advancements brought to life by our NPU technologies,” said Inyup Kang, president of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “As we leverage our differentiated technology, close partnerships with global institutes and active investment in top talent, we are excited to take future AI processing capabilities to the next level.”

Samsung introduced its first NPU in the company’s premium mobile processor, the Exynos 9820, last year and plans to continue offering advanced on-device AI features for high-performance mobile chips. Applications for Samsung’s NPUs will expand into areas such as automotive processors that power in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as well as next-generation datacenters optimized for big data processing.

The System LSI Business and Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology — Samsung’s R&D arm — together plan to extend and evolve the company’s current NPU research into novel AI hardware technologies such as neuromorphic processors that aim to operate at the level of a human brain.