Automotive-Friendly and Lightweight Compression

The Challenge of Data Proliferation

As automotive technology advances, the total bandwidth required for data transmission within vehicles ranges from 3 Gbit/s to 40 Gbit/s. With the potential replacement of traditional mirrors by cameras, the volume of data generated will increase significantly. According to the SAE levels of automation, vehicles are currently classified from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (fully autonomous). As cars move toward Level 4 and 5, the existing 4G networks struggle to manage the substantial data streams generated by these vehicles.

The Promise of 5G

The emergence of 5G technology presents a solution to the bandwidth limitations of 4G. Promising speeds of up to 1 Gbps, 5G will facilitate swift communication between vehicles and the external environment, enabling vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. IntoPIX’s TICO-XS technology is designed to encode and decode information transmitted over 5G networks, allowing for the transport of more streams and enabling low-compressed 4K and 8K video.

For manufacturers, managing the proliferation of data is a significant challenge. Utilizing uncompressed images poses costly decisions in terms of bandwidth, storage, and cost.

• Storage Capacity: Uncompressed data increases internal memory size, resulting in higher costs.
• Cloud Solutions vs. On-Car Storage: Both options have their drawbacks. Cloud storage requires more bandwidth, increasing cost, while on-car storage necessitates larger internal memory.

Moreover, latency is a critical consideration. Uncompressed images can introduce delays between sensor input and decision-making, jeopardizing safety.

The table below illustrates the bandwidth generated according to different image resolutions and bit depths. As soon as we combined several sensor, go to 4K resolution or a 24-bit depth capture, traditional 2.5 Gbps cables become insufficient, necessitating compression.

As sensor technology evolves, the limitations of MIPI lanes become apparent. For example, as we reach higher resolutions and increased bit depths, the traditional MIPI lanes may struggle to support the required data throughput. To maintain performance and efficiency, compression becomes essential. With TicoRAW technology, costs can be reduced while preserving lossless quality without adding latency. With a 4:1 compression rate on sensors, bandwidth usage can be cut by four times, allowing for the transport of more resolutions and sensors over the same infrastructure.

Using uncompressed data is not a viable option for the automotive industry. While lossy codecs may allow for faster data flow, they risk misinterpreting crucial information, potentially leading to critical failures. Conversely, overly aggressive compression can degrade image quality, impacting safety and decision-making.

IntoPIX's TicoRAW and TicoXS technologies represent a leap forward in automotive data management.

• TicoRAW: This innovative technology provides lossless quality, low power consumption, and efficient memory usage, making it ideal for latency-sensitive environments. It effectively processes image sensor data while maintaining the full power of the sensor, significantly reducing bandwidth and storage requirements.

• TicoXS: Designed for applications requiring low latency, TicoXS offers lossless quality at low complexity, ensuring that uncompressed video can be transmitted efficiently.