Samsung announces 5G chip for cars for streaming and video calling

Samsung has announced several new chips for use in cars, including a telematics control unit that supports 5G. This TCU can handle download speeds of up to 5.1Gbit/s and is Samsung’s first TCU that can handle 5G.

TCUs are used to send information about cars, such as where they are located or what the technical status of a car is, to a leasing company or a smartphone app, for example. Samsung’s Exynos Auto T5123 can also be used to provide an internet connection for the occupants of a car. With the new chip, those video streams can watch ‘high quality’ and make video calls on the go, Samsung writes.

The Exynos Auto T5123 supports both standalone and non-standalone 5G and has two Cortex A55 cores to process a lot of data. In addition, the chip supports Lpddr4x memory, PCIe and gnss. The new chip is now in mass production. It is not clear in which cars it will be used. Samsung claims it is the first chip that makes 5G possible in cars.

In addition to the TCU, Samsung has announced the Exynos Auto V7, a processor that is used for infotainment systems in cars. This will get eight Cortex A76 cores with a clock speed of 1.5GHz and eleven Mali G76 GPU cores. Those GPU cores are split into two parts. Three cores are used for the instrument panel and AR-hud; the eight remaining cores for the central information screen. The Exynos Auto 7 also has a neural processing unit to enable facial, speech and gesture recognition, and up to 32GB of Lpddr4x memory.

The car processor supports up to four screens and twelve cameras for, for example, surround view and parking assistants. In addition, there is an isolated security processor that provides a hardware key that uses a one time password or physical unclonable function. The Auto V7 is now in mass production and is used in Volkswagens, among others.