Cadence Expands Tensilica Vision Family with Radar Accelerator and New DSPs Optimized for Automotive Applications

Rhea-AI Summary

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. expands its Tensilica IP portfolio with new high-performance Vision DSPs and a radar accelerator to address automotive sensor fusion applications. The new DSPs combine vision, radar, lidar, and AI processing in a single unit, offering energy efficiency and performance benefits. The press release highlights the increasing computational requirements in automotive sensor fusion systems, customer demand for these solutions, and the expected growth in imaging and 4D radar technologies.

Positive

• Cadence introduces new Vision DSPs and a radar accelerator to meet the computational demands of automotive sensor fusion applications.
• The Vision DSPs combine vision, radar, lidar, and AI processing in a single DSP for energy-efficient and high-performance multi-modal system designs.
• A major automotive SoC provider has selected Cadence's Vision 341 DSP for its next-generation automotive SoC, showcasing customer interest in the new solutions.
• Industry experts predict significant growth in imaging and 4D radar technologies, driving the need for advanced sensor fusion solutions like Cadence's new DSPs.
• The Vision DSPs offer improved performance, energy efficiency, and support for various automotive, drone, robotics, and autonomous vehicle applications.
• Cadence's Vision 331 DSP and Vision 341 DSP, along with the Vision 4DR accelerator, provide customers with customizable, programmable solutions for diverse workload requirements.
• The new DSPs support a wide range of vision library functions, AI enhancements, and automotive safety certifications, catering to the evolving needs of the automotive industry.
• Customer testimonials from leading SoC developers like Dreamchip and SemiDrive endorse Cadence's Vision DSPs for their performance, flexibility, and ecosystem support.
• The availability of the Vision DSPs and the upcoming general availability of the Vision 4DR accelerator offer SoC designers timely access to advanced sensor fusion solutions.

Negative

• None.

Market Research Analyst

The expansion of Cadence Design Systems' Tensilica IP portfolio with the introduction of Vision 331 and Vision 341 DSPs, along with the Vision 4DR accelerator, represents a strategic move to capture the growing market of automotive sensor fusion applications. This development aligns with the increasing demand for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and the shift towards software-defined vehicles that require robust sensor processing capabilities. The reported >40% CAGR from 2023 to 2028 for imaging and 4D radar technologies, particularly for in-cabin use, underscores the potential market growth and the relevance of these new DSPs and accelerators in meeting future needs.

The selection of the Vision 341 DSP by a major automotive SoC provider for their next-generation SoC indicates early market validation and could signal a competitive edge for Cadence in the automotive SoC market. This may also influence the stock market as investors often look for companies with innovative products that have secured early customer commitment, suggesting future revenue growth. The long-term implications for stakeholders include sustained market presence and potential expansion into related markets such as drones, robotics and autonomous vehicles.

Financial Analyst

From a financial perspective, the introduction of the Vision 331 and 341 DSPs and Vision 4DR accelerator by Cadence is a significant investment in R&D that could lead to increased revenue streams. The emphasis on energy efficiency and performance in a compact area not only addresses current technological demands but also offers cost savings for customers, which could translate into a competitive pricing strategy and potentially higher sales volumes. The early adoption by a major SoC provider could serve as a proof of concept to other potential customers, potentially leading to a positive impact on Cadence's market share and financial performance.

Investors should note the potential for increased operational costs associated with the development and support of new technologies, which could affect short-term profitability. However, the long-term benefits of capturing a leading position in a growing market could outweigh these initial investments. It is also important to consider the impact of these developments on Cadence's competitors and the broader semiconductor industry, as shifts in technology leadership can have ripple effects on market dynamics and stock valuations.

Automotive Technology Expert

The integration of vision, radar, lidar and AI processing into single DSP solutions like the Vision 331 and Vision 341 is a technological advancement that meets the automotive industry's need for high-performance sensor fusion. The ability to support a broad ecosystem, including OpenCV and OpenCL, is critical for rapid development and deployment of ADAS and autonomous systems. The ASIL-B and ASIL-D certifications indicate a focus on safety and reliability, which are paramount in automotive applications.

The reported performance improvements, such as the 2X and 6X increases over the Vision 230 DSP, are substantial and could lead to more responsive and accurate ADAS features. This might contribute to the overall safety of vehicles and the progression towards fully autonomous driving. The industry-specific terms like 'multiply-accumulate (MAC) capability' refer to the DSP's ability to perform multiple operations used in signal processing tasks, which is crucial for handling complex sensor data. The '4D imaging radar workloads' involve processing data with three spatial dimensions plus time, enhancing the vehicle's perception of its environment.

Highlights:

• Single DSPs for embedded vision, radar, lidar and AI processing boost performance while providing significant area, power and cost savings
• New radar accelerator provides a highly programmable hardware solution for offloading 4D imaging radar workloads, increasing performance
• Designed for sensor fusion processing in multi-sensor automotive, drone, robotics and autonomous vehicle system designs

 

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) today expanded its Tensilica IP portfolio to address the increasing computational requirements associated with automotive sensor fusion applications. The new high-performance Cadence^® Tensilica^® Vision 331 DSP and Vision 341 DSP combine vision, radar, lidar and AI processing in a single DSP for multi-modal, sensor-based system designs, delivering the best energy efficiency in the smallest area. When paired with the new Cadence Tensilica Vision 4DR Accelerator optimized for 4D imaging radar applications, customers can achieve even greater radar performance and higher energy efficiency. A major automotive SoC provider and early access customer has selected the Vision 341 DSP for its next-generation automotive SoC, demonstrating customer demand for these new solutions.

Cadence expanded its Tensilica IP portfolio with two new Vision DSPs and a radar accelerator to address automotive sensor fusion applications. The new high-performance Cadence Tensilica Vision 331 DSP and Vision 341 DSP combine vision, radar, lidar and AI processing in a single DSP for multi-modal, sensor-based system designs, delivering the best energy efficiency in the smallest area. (Graphic: Business Wire)

“Automotive architectures continue to evolve with the current focus on software-defined vehicles and the growing prevalence of driver and occupancy monitoring systems,” said Raphaël Da Silva, Technology and Market Analyst at Yole Group. “With the automotive race towards eyes off, a mix of radars, cameras and Lidars are necessary to ensure optimal safety performance in all conditions. There are more than 40 sensors in a vehicle today, and that number will only continue to grow. Having these capabilities in a single, highly programmable DSP with a broad ecosystem is advantageous, particularly as imaging and 4D radar are expected to grow at a >40% CAGR from 2023 to 2028 and >131% for in-cabin use as noted in the Yole Intelligence Radar for Automotive 2023 report.”

The new Vision 341 DSP and Vision 331 DSPs combine the proven Tensilica ConnX and Vision instruction-set architectures to offer SoC providers for automotive, drone, robotics and autonomous vehicle systems a highly programmable, single-DSP solution for image sensing, radar, lidar and AI workloads. Other features and benefits include:

• The 1024-bit Vision 341 DSP provides 2X multiply-accumulate (MAC) capability compared to the Vision 331 DSP while delivering the best performance and energy efficiency compared to GPUs or CPUs.
• For certain 4D imaging radar workloads, the 512-bit Vision 331 DSP offers up to 4X performance improvement over the Vision 230 DSP in radar boost mode, while the Vision 341 DSP offers up to 6X performance improvement compared to the Vision 230 DSP.
• When paired with the new DSPs for 4D imaging radar applications, the Vision 4DR accelerator offers 3X greater performance and up to 6X greater performance/area advantage compared to a Vision 341 DSP alone and 5X greater performance compared to a Vision 331 DSP alone.
• The new Vision DSPs deliver up to 2X computer vision performance improvements for computer vision filter and NMS algorithms, as well as AI improvements for quantization and depthwise separable convolution.

The Vision 341 and Vision 331 DSPs support the Tensilica Instruction Extension (TIE) language, allowing customers to customize the instruction set. The Cadence NeuroWeave^™ Software Development Kit (SDK) provides neural network support for both DSPs. In addition, the Vision 341 and Vision 331 DSPs support more than 1700 OpenCV-based vision library functions, SLAM Library, Point Cloud Library (PCL), Radar library, Nature DSP library, OpenCL and the Halide compiler for computer vision, imaging, radar and lidar applications. Both cores are automotive ready with ASIL-B hardware random faults and ASIL-D systematic fault certification.

“With the growing prevalence of vision transformers, automotive SoC and systems companies need best-in-class performance for sensor fusion applications. Increasingly, they are seeking a highly flexible single-DSP solution for computer vision, radar and lidar with AI processing,” said David Glasco, VP of R&D for the Silicon Solutions Group at Cadence. “As the leading provider of vision and radar DSP IP, we’re extremely well positioned to capitalize on this growing need by offering our customers the best of both worlds in a single DSP with optional radar acceleration for emerging 4D radar applications.”

Customer Endorsements

“As a leading developer of SoCs for the ADAS market, Dreamchip sees growing use of 4D imaging radar in the near future. We continue to use Cadence Tensilica Vision DSPs in our SoCs and welcome the new DSPs that can accommodate cameras, radar and 4D radar acceleration while offering the highest performance in the smallest area.”
Jens Benndorf, Managing Director, CEO of Dreamchip

“SemiDrive continues to develop innovative SoCs for the infotainment market segments, and selecting an efficient processor and flexible DSP is crucial to our success. We continue to use Cadence Tensilica Vision DSPs in our products and welcome the new DSPs that can accommodate both cameras and radar. Additionally, Cadence’s extensive framework of software libraries and strong partner ecosystem enable rapid deployment for fast time to market.”
Eugene Wang, General Manager, Global Automotive Business at SemiDrive

Availability

Tensilica Vision DSPs support Cadence’s Intelligent System Design^™ strategy, enabling SoC design excellence. The new Vision 331 DSP and Vision 341 DSP are available now, while the Vision 4DR accelerator will be in general availability in the second quarter of 2024. For more information on the Vision 331 DSP and Vision 341 DSP, please visit: https://www.cadence.com/go/vision-331-pr or https://www.cadence.com/go/vision-341-pr. More information on the Vision 4DR accelerator can be found at https://www.cadence.com/go/vision-4dr-accelerator-pr

About Cadence

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to systems for the most dynamic market applications, including consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, industrial and healthcare. For nine years in a row, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn more at cadence.com.

© 2024 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Cadence, the Cadence logo and the other Cadence marks found at www.cadence.com/go/trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Category: Featured

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228430265/en/

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Source: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

FAQ

What is the ticker symbol for Cadence Design Systems, Inc.?

The ticker symbol for Cadence Design Systems, Inc. is CDNS.

What are the key highlights of the press release regarding the new IP portfolio expansion?

The press release highlights the introduction of new high-performance Vision DSPs and a radar accelerator by Cadence to address automotive sensor fusion applications.

What are the main features of the new Vision DSPs introduced by Cadence?

The new Vision DSPs combine vision, radar, lidar, and AI processing in a single DSP unit for multi-modal system designs, providing energy efficiency and performance benefits.

Which major automotive SoC provider has selected Cadence's Vision 341 DSP for its next-generation automotive SoC?

A major automotive SoC provider and early access customer have chosen the Vision 341 DSP for their upcoming automotive SoC, showcasing demand for the new solutions.

What growth trends are expected in imaging and 4D radar technologies as mentioned in the press release?

Industry experts predict a growth rate of over 40% for imaging and 4D radar technologies from 2023 to 2028, with a significant increase of over 131% for in-cabin use.

What benefits do the Vision 341 and Vision 331 DSPs offer in terms of performance and energy efficiency compared to GPUs or CPUs?

The Vision 341 DSP provides 2X multiply-accumulate capability compared to the Vision 331 DSP, delivering superior performance and energy efficiency over GPUs or CPUs.

What additional features do the Vision DSPs support to enhance their functionality in automotive applications?

The Vision DSPs support the Tensilica Instruction Extension (TIE) language, the Cadence NeuroWeave SDK for neural network support, and over 1700 OpenCV-based vision library functions, among other features.

When will the Vision 4DR accelerator be available for general availability according to the press release?

The Vision 4DR accelerator is expected to be available for general availability in the second quarter of 2024, offering enhanced performance for 4D imaging radar applications.