Enhancing the Future Driving Experience: The Power of Memory in Camera Monitor Systems

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.19 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. The challenge automakers have is deciding what types of cameras or sensors to implement to help prevent accidents, and making sure they meet various regulations.

Camera monitoring systems or (CMS) represent a significant milestone in the ongoing evolution of automotive technology and safety.  

In this article, we explore how CMS is transforming the driving experience, highlighting its numerous advantages and the vital role of memory technology.

Why CMS on Board?

As an auxiliary device, CMS boasts several advantages over traditional side and rear-view mirrors:

• Wind Resistance and Noise Reduction: Conventional mirrors create wind resistance at high speeds, impacting fuel efficiency. CMS, with its streamlined design, reduces wind resistance and minimizes wind noise, while enhancing a vehicle's aesthetics. In fact, CMS can save up to 1.3% of fuel consumption, a particularly welcome feature for all-day drives.
• Blind Spot Elimination: CMS provides an expanded field of view compared to standard mirrors, effectively eliminating blind spots. It automatically adjusts the viewing angle when changing lanes, reversing, or parking, thereby improving convenience and safety.
• Weather Resilience: Unlike traditional mirrors, CMS remains unaffected by adverse weather conditions, such as mist and ice. It also excels in challenging scenarios, such as low light, poor visibility, or glare.

Requirements for Implementing CMS

While CMS is essentially a camera and display system, its implementation in the automotive environment is intricate.  

Replacing mandatory mirrors with CMS is not yet legal in the US. However, numerous vehicles are equipped with a backup camera, which have been obligatory in all new vehicles manufactured in the US since May 1, 2018.  These systems are subject to regulation by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety No. 111 (FMVSS 111) Rear-visibility standard through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

China GB 15084-2022 imposes stringent requirements on several key CMS components as discussed below. To ensure absolute reliability, the new standard from China GB 15084-2022 requires several key CMS components:

• Camera-Monitor System: The system must maintain a minimum display frame rate of 30FPS, with imaging times of less than 55ms and image  delays under 200ms.
• Alarm Device: The new standard GB 15084-2022 mandate features like blind spot detection and obstacle alerts, requiring the system to promptly notify drivers of any potential dangers through both audible and visual alarms.
• Processor and Sensor: To guarantee reliability under various conditions, the chip must meet AEC-Q100 standards for reliability, adhere to ISO26262 for safety, and comply with IATF16949 for the production system.

The Crucial Role of Memory in CMS

In the context of driving safety, the memory in the camera-monitor system plays a pivotal role. It needs to provide ample bandwidth and transmission speed to handle real-time decoding. DDR3, known for its low power consumption, cost-efficiency, and high performance, is an optimal choice for CMS. Winbond’s 1.5V x8 and x16 DDR3 offers speeds of up to 2133Mbps in standard-compliant configurations, providing excellent cost performance for automotive equipment suppliers.

The reliability of CMS's alarm device necessitates robust memory storage for complex codes. In this regard, OctalNAND, with its larger memory density and cost-effectiveness alternative solution for the high density NOR, becomes the preferred choice. Winbond's OctalNAND offers 1-4Gb density and a maximum throughput of up to 240Mb/s, along with on-chip ECC for improved reliability, making sure the NAND Flash’s reliability is almost as the same as NOR.

Furthermore, the data processing speed of the sensor and the SoC must meet the system's operational requirements to prevent screen freezes or delays. Winbond offers a range of standard DRAM, including DDR, DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4, and LPDDR series memories to fulfil the needs of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and CMS.

Notably, Winbond's memory products not only meet the technical performance requirements of the new CMS standard but also hold various certifications, including AEC-Q100, ISO26262, and ISO16949, ensuring reliability, safety, and production system compliance. This adherence to stringent standards alleviates concerns related to automotive certification for CMS manufacturers.

Memory technology, exemplified by Winbond's solutions, continues to provide crucial support for CMS. With its remarkable cost-efficiency, Winbond's memory products are poised to accelerate the adoption of electronic side and rear-view mirrors, making them more accessible to drivers sooner than later.