New-Tech Europe | May 2017

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new products
“S32K marks an inflection point in NXP’s automotive
MCU strategy,” said Manuel Alves, General Manager
GPIS products in NXP’s Automotive Microcontroller and
Processors Business Line. “We are transitioning from
multiple proprietary architectures to a continuous ARM
Cortex MCU portfolio combining future-proof hardware with
software differentiation.”
“The S32K’s software and tool support from NXP and
multiple ARM ecosystem partners, enables fast time-to-
market for developers of all experience levels,” said Paul
Lee, Global Distribution Marketing Manager for NXP’s
Automotive Microcontroller and Processors Business Line.
“Furthermore, the significant investment in automotive-
grade software sets a new standard for an MCU supplier.”
Availability
S32K144 samples and a $49 development board are now
available with production scheduled for the second quarter of
2017. S32K MCUs are included in NXP’s Product Longevity
Program which assures supply for a minimum of 15 years.
For more information visit
ON Semiconductor Unveils Innovative
Modular Automotive Imaging Platform
ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ: ON), driving energy
efficient innovations, has introduced the Modular
Automotive Reference System (MARS) that gives system
and software developers a ready-to-use camera for
research and development activities. The leading-edge
MARS platform enables users to reconfigure cameras with
different lenses, image sensors, image signal processors
(ISPs) and communications options for rapid prototyping
and experimentation. The system is so flexible that it
can be used for the full spectrum of automotive camera
applications including advanced driver assistance systems
(ADAS), surround and rear viewing systems, in-cabin
cameras (for gesture recognition, driver eye monitoring, or
light level inspection purposes), and autonomous driving.
MARS enables shorter design cycles, reduced engineering
costs, and assists automotive design teams in the
implementation of imaging systems by providing them
with a unique mix-and-match solution. Through it, various
items of hardware can be combined in a robust and highly
adaptable system with a compact form-factor. Due to the
many different boards available, engineers have access to
ON Semiconductor’s broad portfolio of image sensors and
co-processors, plus various automotive communications
protocols from a select group of third party supply partners.
This provides extensive scope in terms of finding the
combination that best fits specific system requirements.
The versatile platform can accommodate an almost
limitless number of combinations due to consistent signal/
power definitions for the interconnects utilized by these
respective boards.
The ease of adapting this modular solution means that
undertaking time-consuming activities such as creating
custom boards (each capable of accommodating a different
sensor option), testing out high-speed interface standards,
or writing code for drivers, is no longer necessary. MARS
is supported by a complete ecosystem, encompassing
software development tools, schematics, gerbers, bill-
of-materials (BOM) and much more. A comprehensive
user guide is also included within the accompanying
documentation.
“As image sensing proliferates in automotive applications,
MARS will provide system and software developers tasked
with turning concepts into reliable working applications with
a valuable platform to simplify and speed proof of concept
and development, and offer the scalability to get ideas
from the lab to on-vehicle testing in real-world conditions,”
said Ross Jatou, General Manager and Vice President of
Automotive Solutions Division of Image Sensor Group at
ON Semiconductor. “The flexibility of MARS accelerates
the component selection process by making the constituent
sensors and co-processors totally interchangeable. The
platform avoids the need to construct a multitude of custom
boards to house different sensors for evaluation reducing
engineering effort and shortening project times.”
The support of commonly used communication standards
(such as GMSL, FPD-Link, LVDS, MIPI, Ethernet) enables
direct interfacing with existing vehicle electronic control
units (ECUs). ON Semiconductor is working with an
ecosystem of partners spanning lens developers, third
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