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In the fiercely competitive connected-car market, you’re only as good your latest innovation. Connectivity continues to play a pivotal role in the automotive industry’s digital transformation as it lays the foundation for next-generation, software-defined vehicles.
At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile platform, the latest addition to its Snapdragon Digital Chassis connected-car technology portfolio. Its support for connectivity technologies includes 50% more processing power, 40% power-efficiency gains, up to 200 MHz of aggregated network bandwidth for faster content streaming and autonomous driving, and more than 2X the maximum throughput as compared to the previous generation’s product.
By connecting to 5G and Wi-Fi, and with cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X), the new platform enables vehicles to expand safety, personalization, entertainment, and productivity for end-users. And with 5G, car owners will have the broadband to enjoy the comfort and convenient experiences of a vehicle, home, and office in one space.
The Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2 further “harnesses the power of 5G for vehicles to assist automakers in democratizing access to smart, connected vehicle experiences," said Nakul Duggal, Senior Vice President and GM, automotive, Qualcomm Technologies.
5G AI Processor
Featuring the Snapdragon X70 5G Modem RF System, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is said to be the world’s first and only mobile platform with a dedicated 5G AI processor to harness the power of AI with 10-Gb 5G downloads. Streaming and communication are boosted via low-latency Wi-Fi 7 with speeds of up to 5.8 Gb/s—more than double Wi-Fi 6—all made possible via the company’s FastConnect 7800 Mobile Connectivity System.
Other features include:
- An integrated quad-core CPU and up to 200 MHz of aggregated network bandwidth. It thus provides new opportunities for services and the speeds needed for faster content streaming and autonomous driving. In addition, there’s increased support for vehicle safety in mission-critical and emergency services such as next-generation eCall and support for satellite communications, helping to ensure connectivity is available for applications that utilize two-way messaging.
- Reduced cost with fewer components. This latest version of the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF features a multicore CPU to allow for apps to run directly on the modem. It also features hypervisor support.
- A location engine that improves location accuracy in all environments, enabling use cases such as HD maps, automated valet parking, and more.
- Integrated C-V2X technology to support direct communications, enhancing short-range safety and mobility services.
TelAF and Car-to-Cloud
Automakers and the transportation ecosystem also can leverage the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2’s capabilities to develop and deliver connected services by utilizing the Snapdragon Telematics Application Framework (TelAF). TelAF is a unified development and deployment framework for the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF system.
The Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud service offers cloud and device components that helps the automotive ecosystem enable, manage, and deploy new connected services developed on Snapdragon’s TelAF. In addition, Car-to-Cloud provides secure data connection between cloud and device with cloud-based APIs to develop consumer and fleet solutions on the system.
Qualcomm Technologies is driving the deployment of 5G-connected vehicles via technology collaborations with companies such as Continental, JOYNEXT, LG Electronics, LG Innotek, Quectel, Rolling Wireless, Valeo, and WNC.
Doug Cochrane, head of the telematics product line at Continental Automotive, put it this way, “The future of automotive is faster, increasingly automated, and better connected. Qualcomm Technologies has helped us to provide key connectivity elements to vehicles, contributing to enhanced vehicle safety and improved environmental awareness for advanced driver-assistance systems.”
Compliant with 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 16, the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2 is being sampled by global automakers worldwide for expected commercially availability in late 2023.
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