Qualcomm Reference Design Chipset for ADAS Said to Bridge 4G and 5G Networks

Qualcomm introduced Friday a reference design based around the 9150 Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) chipset to be used in advanced driver assistance systems. The commercial solution, based on 3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 14 specifications for PC5-based direct communications, is said to enhance situational awareness by detecting and exchanging information using low latency transmission in the 5.9 GHz band for vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios without the need for a SIM card, cellular subscription or network assistance. Described as a complement to direct communication transmissions, it is designed to use a wireless operators’ 4G and emerging 5G wireless networks for vehicle-to-network transmissions and operates over licensed operator spectrum to support telematics, connected infotainment and advanced informational safety use cases, said Qualcomm. C-V2X standards include global 3GPP specifications at the radio layers and reuse the established service and application layers defined by the automotive industry, including the Society of Automotive Engineers and European Telecommunications Standards Institute, it said. C-V2X will enable “safer roads, increase productivity and decrease traffic congestion,” while building on intelligent transportation system momentum and investments made over the last decade, said Nakul Duggal, vice president-product management. The 9150 C-V2X chipset is a “major milestone" toward 5G and safe autonomous driving, said Thomas Müller, head of electrics/electronics at Audi. Don Butler, Ford’s executive director-connected vehicle and services, called V2X communications a "critical technology" to improve vehicle safety and efficiency.