Integrated car cockpit enhances driving experience

The R-Car E2 SoCs integrate technologies that eliminate the need for heat sinks and fans, reducing power requirements and system costs. Designed for entry-level applications, the devices achieve ample performance using a single external DDR module and a 16-bit connection cost by raising the bus frequency of the connection to external DDR memory.

The 2 + 1 CPU configuration consists of dual ARM Cortex-A7 CPU cores and a single SH-4A CPU core, delivering approximately four times the performance of the earlier R-Car E1 devices. The Cortex-A7 CPU core is binary-compatible with the Cortex-A15 CPU core used in the high-end products (R-Car H2 & R-Car M2), allowing the development of software that is compatible across a wide range of products. The functional IP modules and memory maps are also identical, enabling the same drivers and middleware to be used. Using a single platform in this way reduces both development costs and the time required for development.

The R-Car E2 software development board has functions optimised specifically for application and middleware development by partner vendors. The board is being made available at low cost to increase accessibility, streamline the software development and help the expansion of the Renesas ecosystem. Realising standard features for display and audio systems such as smartphone interface, rearview camera and media players, the software development board contributes to faster time-to-market.

Samples of the Renesas R-Car E2 SoC are available now with mass production scheduled to begin in June 2016.