FEATURE EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGY
STICKING 5G INTO FIFTH GEAR
LG Innotek, part of the LG brand and serving the specialism of components, have developed and here discuss their latest project: a Qualcomm chip-based 5G communication module for the automotive sector
5
G and automotive: two sectors that are experiencing extensive growth, venturing into unknown territory as both benefit from innovations in sensor and networking technology. The combination of the two proves to be an exciting mitosis, particularly in the area of V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) and V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication. LG Innotek has seen potential in this, designing a module that uses 5G mobile telecommunication technology to enable the transmission of data between a vehicle and a cellular base station, through wireless network connection: in other words, it is intended to secure the key necessities for total autonomous driving. As part of its technical make-up, it consists of a communication chip, memory and an RF (radio frequency) circuit, and is generally mounted on the inside of a vehicle, or on its roof. This is significant to the ongoing functionality of autonomous driving systems, particularly when one returns to the trends of sensors and networks: in order for autonomous vehicles to make an accurate judgment and control themselves in real time, data attained must be collected without latency. In the case of LG
there’s the concern of heat. 5G uses high frequency to transmit high-capacity data. As a result, more heat is generated compared to LTE. In addition, installing an external communication system on the vehicle roof, to minimise signal loss, can lead to short product lifespan due to continuous exposure to drastic external temperature changes. Secondly, it is the speed of a wired
Innotek’s module, the response time is 0.001 seconds. Let’s suppose that an autonomous vehicle running at 100km/h (about 28m per second) needs to detect an obstacle and make an emergency stop. If the response time of an LTE module is 0.05 seconds, the vehicle will only start braking after moving about 1.4m. On the other hand, the response time of the 5G module is 0.001 seconds, and the vehicle starts braking immediately after moving 2.8cm. This makes it less likely for the vehicle to collide with an obstacle. However, there is still a lot of homework to be done on 5G. Firstly,
16 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020 | ELECTRONICS
“If a car or system manufacturer applies LG Innotek’s 5G communication module solution, it will be able to develop an integrated system combining 5G wireless communication and C-V2X / DSRC-V2X more effectively”
network inside a vehicle that cannot catch up with the speed of 5G. External data received through 5G communication is transmitted to the central processing unit, through the in- vehicle wired network. Therefore, as the wireless communication
speed becomes faster, the wired network inside the vehicle also needs to be higher in capacity and faster in speed. At the current level, it may be difficult to process data quickly. Finally, it will take a long time for 5G
networks to be deployed in most regions. So, LTE will continue to dominate in automotive communication systems. LG Innotek have made various efforts to solve these limitations when developing their 5G communication module. Starting with the heat generation of the product, LG Innotek has developed
a new epoxy-based material through cooperation with its suppliers, securing the reliability of the product by applying new technologies. In addition, the company’s 5G module provides a solution compatible with 100Base-T (100Mbps)/1000-BaseT (1Gbps) Ethernet communication. The company plans to secure solutions for new communication interfaces such as HD-BaseT, and provide them to its customers in the future. Middleware, necessary for 5G-V2X development, will be provided as a software platform, along with the 5G communication module. Also, the company secured compatibility with Autotalks Chipset-based DSRC-V2X, together with NXP. So, if a car or system manufacturer applies LG Innotek’s 5G communication module solution, it will be able to develop an integrated system, combining 5G wireless communication and C-V2X/DSRC-V2X more efficiently. It can also be used regardless of the region or vehicle type, as it follows the 3GPP Release 15 - the new 5G standard - of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Finally, LG Innotek’s automotive LTE module and 5G module share the same pin map (pin-to-pin design compatible with an LTE module), minimising the time and cost it takes for customers to switch their system from LTE to 5G. So, as 5G slowly encloses around and
ultimately integrates into the cloud, leading the digital network forward, LG Innotek hopes to use its 5G module as an example of how to compete with pre-existing technology, in order to boost the potential of new trends: the competitiveness of the connected car industry lies not only in hardware, but also in soft/middleware technologies that enable customers to efficiently build vehicle communication systems.
LG Innotek
www.lginnotek.com / ELECTRONICS
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