Qualcomm Announces Cellular-V2X for Road Safety and Autonomous Cars

Qualcomm Technologies, has introduced its new Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) commercial solution for Autonomous and Connected cars, based on 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 14 specifications for PC5-based direct communications, the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset.

To meet automaker production demands for road safety using C-V2X solutions, the chipset is anticipated to be available for commercial sampling in the second half of 2018. To help accelerate the automotive ecosystem for commercial readiness, Qualcomm Technologies recently also introduced the new Qualcomm C-V2X Reference Design, which will feature the 9150 C-V2X chipset with integrated GNSS capability, and include an application processor running the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) V2X stack and a Hardware Security Module (HSM).

C-V2X's overarching technologies encompass two transmission modes of direct communications and network-based communications, which are designed to serve as key features for safety conscious and autonomous driving solutions, while complementing other Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors, such as cameras, radar and LIDAR, to provide information about the vehicle's surroundings, including non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. C-V2X direct communications is designed to support active safety and helps enhance situational awareness by detecting and exchanging information using low latency transmission in the globally harmonized 5.9 GHz ITS band for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) scenarios without the need for a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), cellular subscription or network assistance. Complementing direct communication transmissions, the network-based communications is designed to utilize the wireless operator's 4G and emerging 5G wireless networks for Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) and operates over licensed operator spectrum to support telematics, connected infotainment and a growing variety of advanced informational safety use cases. The C-V2X standards include both the 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 (SAE) and European Telecommunications Standards Institute ITS (ETSI-ITS), who utilize investments made by the ITS community allowing for evolution of the upper layers to support new and enhanced capabilities.

"The Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset builds on our leadership in automotive technologies, demonstrating our continued commitment to design and offer advanced solutions for safe, connected and increasingly autonomous vehicles," said Nakul Duggal, VP, product management, Qualcomm Technologies. "With its strong synergy with telematics and an evolution towards 5G, C-V2X offers benefits to the automotive industry by developing new capabilities for improving road safety, and enhancing autonomous driving and advanced connected services, while building on the ITS momentum and investments made over the last decade. C-V2X is expected to support safer roads, increase productivity and decrease traffic congestion. We look forward to seeing our 9150 C-V2X chipset play a key role in assisting the global market to achieve these benefits."

As C-V2X continues to gain momentum, the automotive industry and broad ecosystem for the technology continues to grow and work together.

"Qualcomm Technologies' anticipated 9150 C-V2X chipset serves as a major milestone in paving the road for 5G and safer autonomous driving," said Dr. Thomas Müller, head of electrics/electronics, Audi. "As C-V2X continues to serve as an essential ingredient for enhanced safety for next-generation vehicles, Qualcomm Technologies' 9150 C-V2X chipset will certainly help accelerate the adoption and deployment of C-V2X technologies."