Will integrate IMG BXS GPUs into its CV3 controller.
Do you see what CV3 sees? Ambarella is banking on it, entering into a comprehensive licensing agreement with Imagination Technologies to use IMG B-Series multi-core GPUs—including IMG BXS ASIL-capable GPUs—for safety-critical applications.
The IMG BXS GPU will be integrated into Ambarella’s CV3 automotive AI domain controller SoC family, which can be used to enable advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and Level 2+ to Level 4 autonomous driving systems with, said the company, greater levels of environmental perception in challenging lighting, weather, and driving conditions for driver viewing as well as machine perception and decision-making for autonomous driving.
The two companies said ISO 26262 ASIL-B automotive functional safety use cases will be enabled by combining Ambarella’s autonomous driving AI and high-performance compute capabilities with the Imagination GPUs’ functionally safe (FuSa) rendering techniques for human–machine interface (HMI) visualizations. Examples of these FuSa techniques include Tile Region Protection (TRP) and Workload Repetition Redundancy (WRR) for safety-critical workloads. IMG BXS GPUs enable automotive-grade solutions with functionally safe graphics processing and compute capabilities for visualizations such as cluster graphics and surround view systems (SVS).
Chris Day, VP of marketing and business development, at Ambarella, said, “The movement toward higher levels of vehicle autonomy requires a combination of higher systems performance and trusted functional safety capability. The addition of Imagination’s powerful automotive GPU to Ambarella’s CV3 domain controller SoC family builds upon our image processing and CVflow AI platform to provide advanced safety-critical driver interaction for safe vehicle operation.”
Tony Smith, vice president of product management at Imagination, said, “Combining Imagination’s FuSa GPU solutions and Ambarella’s leading imaging and AI SoC technology will enable safer and more capable self-driving vehicles. Leveraging our respective knowledge and experience will enhance the ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities in Ambarella SoCs, broadening the options for automotive OEMs and tier 1s, and enabling more choice for customers looking to drive innovative vehicles while being protected by the strict functional safety standards of ASIL-B.”
Imagination claims it is the world leader in human–machine interface, with over 50% share of the automotive HMI market. Its IP is used in hundreds of consumer vehicle models today and is licensed for use in autonomous consumer and fleet vehicles. The company claims to have nearly 20 years of experience supplying to the automotive market and guaranteed lifetime support for its automotive technology and says it is the partner of choice for companies seeking to lead in both innovation and safety.
