The OLEA U310 integrates the functions of multiple traditional microcontrollers into a single system on chip (SoC), offering substantial benefits for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and consumers.
It is the first of its kind, replacing up to six separate microcontrollers while providing real-time control of various power and energy functions, ensuring maximum safety integrity and future-proofed cybersecurity. This innovative design allows original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to transition from conventional EV domain controls to a highly integrated X-in-1 powertrain, enhancing system performance. It aims to make EVs more energy-efficient, lighter, and ultimately more cost-effective, accelerating global adoption.
The rise of electric vehicles is prompting a significant shift in the automotive industry. Traditional embedded electric architectures are being reimagined to support a software-driven approach. This "software-defined vehicle" concept promises a more sustainable model for car development and a constantly updatable and evolving user experience. However, it requires powerful computational and control solutions that seamlessly integrate hardware and software.
Features of the OLEA U310
The OLEA U310 is engineered for powertrain domain control in electrical architectures with distributed software. It boasts a unique hybrid and heterogeneous architecture that surpasses the capabilities of traditional microcontrollers. A single OLEA U310 can replace up to six standard microcontrollers, controlling in parallel an inverter, a motor, a gearbox, a DC-DC converter, and an on-board charger. The SoC integrates multiple software and hardware programmable processing and control units while embedding functional safety and cybersecurity into its core design. This allows OEMs to run multiple time-based applications while executing various event-based control functions.
OEMs and automotive tier 1s can design multiple variants of system integration with the OLEA U310, including combinations of functions such as traction inverter and electric motor control with gearbox, DC-DC converter control, power factor converter control, on-board charger, air compressor for fuel cell, battery management system, and thermal management system with high-voltage e-compressor control.
Technological Innovations
The OLEA U310 is a three Cortex-R52 cores controller chip, leveraging three unique technologies:
- AxEC 2.0: The Advanced Execution and Events Control is a data processing and real-time control unit based on programmable hardware and configurable peripherals, supporting multiple parallel applications with multi-Flexible Logic Units (FLU) clusters
- SILant 2.0: The Safety Integrity Level agent includes units and functionalities dedicated to the FPCU and system functional safety, ensuring ISO 26262 ASIL-D compliance. It features a deterministic multi-core and multi-FLU cluster that guarantees worst-case execution timing
- FHSM: The Flexible Hardware Security Module is dedicated to the cybersecurity of the FPCU, integrating encryption/decryption accelerators compliant with EVITA Full and ISO 21434. It includes a hardware programmable cluster to support unidentified threats and enhance security
Silicon Mobility is the only provider offering a complete solution that combines hardware and software, according to the company. The OLEA U310 includes a complete software suite to enable the development of concurrent control algorithms for automotive power and energy applications.
- OLEA COMPOSER: This design framework integrates seamlessly with leading development tools throughout the V-Model design cycle, significantly accelerating the development process for OLEA FPCUs. It supports various simulation environments from MiL to HiL and leverages the hardware/software split within the OLEA U310 to reduce development, validation, and calibration times while achieving superior performance
- OLEA LIB: This companion software library provides engineers with modular pre-built, pre-tested functional blocks tailored to common powertrain control tasks. These blocks offer increasing levels of performance based on specific customer and application needs. Models from OLEA LIB can be directly used within OLEA COMPOSER for MiL simulations and automatic code generation, further streamlining the development process
Performance and impact
The OLEA U310 delivers real-time processing capabilities for implementing demanding control algorithms for maximum energy efficiency. It can control up to four traction inverters and their motors in parallel at an impressive speed of 1000 kHz field-oriented control loop with high PWM precision. Benefits include up to 5% energy efficiency improvement, 25% motor downsizing for the same power, 35% less cooling requirement, and up to 30 times passive component downsizing.
The OLEA U310 represents a significant advancement in EV technology, enabling more efficient, safer, and cost-effective electric vehicles, thereby supporting the industry's shift towards a sustainable and software-driven future.
