Product category: Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors) | Subject: SAF3100
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 11 February 2002

Telematics IC is
single-chip in-car solution

Philips Semiconductors reckons it is the first company to bring to market a fully integrated telematics processor combining all key hardware blocks onto one chip

The SAF3100 telematics processor enables extremely cost-effective telematics solutions with easier integration and a small footprint and is suitable for all areas of telematics applications, such as GPS positioning and tracking, offboard navigation, automatic emergency call systems or remote controlled vehicle functions and diagnostics.

Key to the telematics industry is the need to reduce the number and sizes of the required chips in order to integrate telematics functionality into other devices, such as car radios.

The SAF3100 enables easy integration into the car radio by combining all the key hardware onto a single chip, which can be used as the main radio microcontroller.

Besides the main microcontroller, the SAF3100 telematics processor integrates a 12-channel GPS baseband, a dual 14bit A/D convertor - enabling connection to a gyroscope for dead-reckoning - embedded RAM, a CANbus controller and easy interfacing to a cellular phone module via high speed UARTs.

"Ease of integration and cost will dramatically affect how quickly telematics solutions are brought to the mass market", said Niko Veenstra, senior marketing manager for Car Infotainment Systems at Philips Semiconductors.

"We are the first company to offer a cost-effective, fully integrated telematics processor, already compatible with a corresponding front-end device.

The SAF3100 enables the integration of innovative technology and services and underlines our continuous market and technology leadership in car radio chipsets".

Telematics enables transfer of vehicle data, status and position to a service provider, bringing a wealth of extra functionality to the car for improved safety, security and convenience.

Features include automatic emergency call and remote diagnostics; transfer of location based services (LBS) - including traffic data and points of interest close by; offboard navigation; remote control of vehicle functions - such as remote door unlock (should keys be locked in the car) - and vehicle tracking, which can be used for fleet management, road tolling and locating stolen vehicles.

The integrated dead-reckoning of the SAF3100 enables continuous tracking of the vehicle even if the satellite link is momentarily interrupted.

Equipped with extensive interfacing capabilities, the SAF3100 is designed to integrate fully with existing vehicle electronics, including Philips' own industry-leading CAN bus devices, while an ETSI compatible cellular phone modem interface enables communications via GSM and CDMA standards.

Future software upgrades will also include Bluetooth libraries.

The SAF3100 is compatible with Philips Semiconductors' own UAA1570 GPS front-end device for first generation products.

The telematics processor will also be compatible with the UAF1572 GPS front-end, which dramatically reduces the external component count and overall cost of materials as well as the power consumption while increasing the performance (available from Q3 2002).

Samples of the SAF3100 are available now.

Mass production will be ramped up in February 2002.

(This was Electronicstalk's Top Story on 11 February 2002)

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