Imagination's RF IP included in Autotalks: PLUTON2 Chipset

By Tiera Oliver

Associate Editor

Embedded Computing Design

February 20, 2020

News

Imagination CRF4600 enables automotive dual-mode V2X communications.

Imagination Technologies announces that its CRF4600 radio frequency (RF) IP has been integrated into Autotalks’ PLUTON2 RFIC transceiver, which is part of Autotalks’ solution for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The IP is now in silicon and expected to be in production by 2021.

Integrated in the PLUTON2 device, the CRF4600 is a flexible, 5.9Ghz V2X RF solution capable of supporting DSRC (IEEE802.11p), LTE-V2X and NR-V2X, with support for transmit and receive antenna diversity. It also supports a dual-band Wi-Fi up to IEEE 802.11n/ac 2×2 MIMO. The IP provide a compact form factor solution with minimal external components to drive down the costs for mass volumes and allows for flexibility in size, form and function.

PLUTON2 RFIC is a low power, high-performance, flexible, multi-standard radio-frequency integrate circuit (RFIC) providing optimal RF transmitter / receiver functionality. Coupled with CRATON2/SECTON baseband devices, according to the company, it achieves the longest V2X communication range available today.

PLUTON2 maintains radio system performance with optimised adaptations, including integrated pre-PA, low noise and high dynamic range; supports uninterrupted operation in harsh vehicular and mobility environments and at high temperatures (up to 105 degrees Celsius) to support vehicle roof installation.

Pelle Wijk, vice president hardware engineering, Imagination Technologies, says; “V2X communication is heading to mass-market adoption as the leading OEMs equip their cars with the technology. Our production proven and scalable RFIC IP technology enabled us to rapidly add support for both 802.11p and C-V2X while supporting 802.11ac and qualify the product for automotive standards, helping Autotalks to continue to deliver industry leading V2X solutions.”

V2X communication enables vehicles to communicate with each other and their environment. Unlike traditional sensors, such as vision which try to replicate a sense we already have, V2X adds a sensor that can see around corners and beyond any obstruction in a radius of more than a mile.

Autotalks’ chipset was selected earlier this month for a mass production C-V2X program, one of the first be deployed in China.

For more information, visit: https://www.imgtec.com/

Tiera Oliver, Associate Editor for Embedded Computing Design, is responsible for web content edits, product news, and constructing stories. She also assists with newsletter updates as well as contributing and editing content for ECD podcasts and the ECD YouTube channel. Before working at ECD, Tiera graduated from Northern Arizona University where she received her B.S. in journalism and political science and worked as a news reporter for the university’s student led newspaper, The Lumberjack.

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