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and sensors in autonomous vehicles collect vast amounts of data, which must


THE ERA OF


SELF-DRIVING CARS STEPS UP A GEAR


vehicle in the right l be processed in real


ane and operating time to keep the


safely as it heads to its destination.


THE CONNECTED INFRASTRUCTURE Cloud-based networking and


connectivity is another important part of the mix. Autonomous vehicles will be outfitted with onboard systems that support machine-to-machine


communications, allowing themto learn fromother vehicles on the road in order to make adjustments that account for weather changes and shifting road conditions such as detours and in-path debris. Advanced algorithms and deep learning systems are central to ensuring that self-driving cars can quickly and automatically adapt to changing scenarios.


Beyond the specific components, such as scalability of cloud computing infrastructure and intelligent data management, there is a need for


redundancy of mission critical systems, including power sources. There are previously released redundant battery solutions available, like the LTC3871, which works with two batteries that have different voltage ratings, such as a 48V Li-Ion and 12V lead-acid battery. However, most of these existing


solutions do not provide redundancy for same battery voltages, like two 12V, 24V, until now, that is. eed for a


bidirectional buck-b Clearly there is a n or 48V batteries. Up


Bruce Haug fromAnalog Devices Inc. describes a 12V to 12V dual battery bidirectional DC-to-DC controller for redundancy in automotive applications


T


self-driving car revolution is about to he signs are everywhere that the


giants like Google and Uber, as well as companies are joining up with tech shift into full gear. Automotive


that will alter our roads and throughways next-generation autonomous vehicles prominent start-ups, to develop the


Internet of Things (IoT), and the cloud in advances such as machine learning, the cities. They’re harnessing technological and lay the framework for future smart


order to accelerate this development.


disruption already set in motion by vehicles will advance the industry More significantly, autonomous


popular ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. The pieces are coming together


driverless vehicles become the future of to create a world where intelligent and


Eventually, all self-driving cars will transportation.


10 MARCH 2019 | ELECTRONICS


employ a combination of sensors, cameras, radar, high performance GPS, light detection and ranging (lidar), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to achieve a level of autonomy. Connectivity to secure and scalable IoT, data management, and cloud solutions are also important to the mix, as they provide a resilient and high performance foundation on which to collect, manage, and analyse sensor data.


The rise of the connected vehicle has far-reaching societal implications, from environmental benefits to improved safety. Fewer cars on the road also means a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, leading to lower energy consumption and better air quality. For both self-driving cars and smart roadway systems, endpoint telemetry,


essential enablers. The onboard cameras smart software, and the cloud are


oost dc-to-dc


converter that can go between two 12V batteries. Such a dc-to-dc converter could be used to charge either battery and allow both batteries to supply


current to the same load. Furthermore, if one of these batteries should fail, that failure needs to be detected and isolated fromthe other battery, so that the other battery continues to provide power to the load without any disruption. The recently released LT8708 bidirectional dc-to-dc controller fromAnalog Devices solves this critical function of allowing two batteries with the same voltage to be hooked up by utilising the LT8708 controller.


A SINGLE BIDIRECTIONAL IC SOLUTION


The LT8708 is a 98% efficient bidirectional buck-boost switching regulator controller that can operate between two batteries that have the same voltage, which is ideal for


redundancy in self-driving cars. It can operate froman input voltage that can be above, below, or equal to the output voltage, making it well-suited for two 12V, 24V, or 48V batteries commonly


/ ELECTRONICS


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