Infineon is helping Audi mass-produce the world's first cars with autonomous driving capabilities

     Infineon supplies key components for the Audi A8, the world's first mass-produced model to feature Level 3 autonomous driving. There are several different levels of autonomous driving: with level 3 autonomous driving (as explained below), drivers can temporarily take their hands off the steering wheel under certain conditions. For example, the Audi A8 allows this when stopping and leaving, driving slowly or in heavy traffic. Thanks to microelectronics from Infineon Technologies AG, the car can take over the driving task in this driving situation.

     Peter Schiefer, President of Infineon's Automotive Electronics division, said: "About 90 percent of innovation in cars is driven by electronics, and therefore by semiconductors. We have been Audi's recognized semiconductor partner for many years. Thanks to Infineon's "Vorsprung Military Technology" concept and chips, driving cars is now safer, easier and more environmentally friendly. We are proud to contribute to the future of transportation."

     The Audi A8 safe autonomous driving benefits from a variety of chips introduced by Infineon: sensors, microcontrollers and power semiconductors. Radar sensor chips from the RASIC4 series are mounted on the front and corner radars. They send and receive high-frequency 77GHz signals and forward these signals to the central driver Assistance controller (zFAS).

     Microcontrollers from the AURIXW family are the core components of zFAS that ensure reliable autonomous driving. AURIX ensures a reliable connection to the vehicle data bus. It evaluates and sorts packets and starts their processing in the fastest possible time. For example, it initiates emergency braking based on data from radar and other sensor systems. The AURIX series microcontrollers are particularly well suited for autonomous driving purposes due to their high processing power and extensive safety features.

     AURIX microcontrollers are used in several controllers of the Audi A8: on the one hand, they control the functions of the engine. On the other hand, they are used for control shock absorption in the Audi AI active Chassis and electronic chassis platforms. The microcontroller also supports the activation of safety aircords.

     In addition to the electronics for drive, driver assistance and chassis, other semiconductor solutions introduced by Infineon are also installed in body electronics that ensure comfort, such as the LED drivers from the LITIXTM Basic series in the taillights and the bridge drivers from the embedded power series in the windshield wiper.