Low-Power, High-Performance Jacinto 7 Processor
Meeting Full Vehicle Lineup Needs
with Integrated Software Platform


The accident prevention performance of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) has already proven its effectiveness. In 2016, the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) analyzed accident rates in 23,649 rear-end collision cases, distinguishing between whether accident vehicles were equipped with FCWS (Forward Collision Warning System) and AEBS (Automated Emergency Braking System).

The accident rate was 27% lower in vehicles equipped with FCWS, 43% lower in vehicles equipped with AEBS, and 50% lower in vehicles equipped with both FCWS+AEBS compared to unequipped vehicles. The injury rate from accidents was also 20% lower in vehicles equipped with FCWS, 45% lower in vehicles equipped with AEBS, and 56% lower in vehicles equipped with both FCWS+AEBS compared to unequipped vehicles.

As more vehicles adopt ADAS to reduce accidents and ADAS functions continue to improve, the growth rate of vehicle software code lines is steep. According to McKinsey & Company, the number was at the 10 million line level in 2010 but increased 15-fold to 150 million lines by 2016.

Texas Instruments (TI) held a media briefing on the 16th at the TI Korea Conference Room in Asem Tower, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and announced that it has begun supplying two types of 'Jacinto 7' processors announced at CES 2020.

The Jacinto 7 processor platform addresses ADAS and vehicle gateway application design challenges with deep learning and advanced connectivity features.

The Jacinto 7 TDA4VM processor for ADAS and the Jacinto 7 DRA829V processor for gateways have built-in accelerators that partition and process data-intensive tasks such as computer vision and deep learning. Additionally, with integrated safety MCUs, OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers can support both ASIL-D safety-critical functions and convenience features on a single chip.

Since both devices share a single software platform, developers can reuse software across multiple vehicle models, reducing system complexity and costs.


Jacinto 7 TDA4VM Processor for ADAS
ADAS technology helps automobiles perceive and adapt to their surroundings through camera, radar, and lidar data. To efficiently and multi-layered process information flowing into a vehicle in real-time within the system's power capacity, an SoC is required.

The TDA4VM processor can execute high-performance ADAS with 5–20W of power, eliminating the need for active cooling. It provides on-chip analysis data combined with sensor pre-processing data, delivering efficient system performance. OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers can adopt high-resolution 8-megapixel front cameras to ensure long visibility range and support advanced features such as drive assist.

It simultaneously operates 4–6 3-megapixel cameras and can integrate other sensing functions such as radar, lidar, and ultrasonic in a single chip. The TDA4VM acts as the centralized processor for ADAS, implementing key autonomous parking functions by enhancing the vehicle's 360-degree perception capability including surround view and display image processing.


Jacinto 7 DRA829V Processor for Gateway
As vehicle technology advances, vehicle gateways require more flexible processors for managing greater data capacity, autonomy, and improved connectivity. The DRA829V processor integrates computing functions essential for modern vehicles.

The DRA829V processor integrates an 8-port gigabit TSN-enabled ethernet switch, and integrates a PCIe switch on a single chip to provide high-performance computing capabilities and communication throughout the vehicle.

With computing and communication capabilities supporting both ASIL-D safety-critical functions and non-safety-critical functions, OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers can support mixed-criticality applications on a single device. Through broader bandwidth, developers can also manage software development and verification processes in vehicles and perform updates and upgrades.

Curt Moore, General Manager of Jacinto Processor at TI, said, "The Jacinto 7 processor, which TI designed with a focus on reliability, is an integrated automotive platform that can address all vehicle lineups," and added, "We have already shipped samples to major companies by the end of last year, and by the end of this year, we will be able to see many cars equipped with the Jacinto 7 processor."

Developers can now begin development with the Jacinto 7 processor development kit. The new TDA4VMXEVM and DRA829VXEVM evaluation modules are available for purchase at $1,900 each on TI.com. Pre-production TDA4VM and DRA829V processors are currently available only from TI and can be purchased at $97 per 1,000 units, with mass production scheduled for the second half of 2020.