To address the increasing demand for large-scale digital instrument clusters among all class of vehicles, Renesas Electronics extends the scalable range of the R-Car family of system-on-chip (SoC) devices with the introduction of the R-Car E3 to realize high-end 3D graphics on the largest class of displays used for automotive instrument clusters – 12.3 inches, 1,920 x 720 pixels. Combining the smooth 3D rendering capabilities with integrated audio DSP and other peripheral functions, the single-chip SoC supports instrument clusters as well as in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems with display audio and other capabilities.
The R-Car E3 is an upscale to the predecessor R-Car D3 SoC for 3D graphics clusters, that brings enhanced 3D graphics rendering performance. As part of the Renesas R-Car family, the new SoC also offers the functional safety and security functions that are essential for connected cars as the role of human-machine interface (HMI) becomes more important. With these features, the R-Car E3 simplifies the task of developing robust systems capable of dealing safely with both malfunctions and cyberattacks.
The single-chip design enables the integration of a variety of systems, significantly reducing overall system development costs and achieving substantial space savings. The R-Car E3 shares the scalability of the R-Car H3 and R-Car M3 for integrated cockpits as well as the R-Car D3 for instrument clusters, establishing the highest level of software reuse. Renesas partner companies with extensive experience in the instrument cluster field are ready to provide operating systems (OS) and HMI tools in addition to system integration support. This will greatly reduce the development burden, extending software support to a wide range of vehicles, from the premium class, which currently features the high-end 3D graphics experience, to entry-class vehicles where integrated systems and full graphics are expected to become mainstream.
Renesas works with several OS manufacturers, HMI manufacturers, and system integrators who are leading the instrument cluster and IVI fields. System developers can take advantage of a wide range of automotive solutions by working with the more than 250 Renesas R-Car Consortium partner companies to further reduce the number of development steps and cost for 3D graphics in vehicles ranging from entry to premium class.
Availability
Samples of the R-Car E3 SoC are available now, priced at US$60 per unit. Mass production is scheduled to begin in December 2019, and monthly production volume is anticipated to reach a combined 100,000 units by December 2020.
