The upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis Gets Connectivity-as-a-Service feature and more.
Earlier this year Qualcomm, the company behind most smartphone chips on Android devices, announced they’d be stepping further into the automotive industry with their ‘Snapdragon Digital Chassis’. As the name suggests, this isn’t a physical vehicle platform, but a set of open, scalable, cloud-connected digital platforms that are integrated into future vehicles.
Basically, instead of becoming software and electronics companies like Tesla, traditional carmakers can use Qualcomm as a vendor to supply a complete digital solution for electric and autonomous vehicles and customise them to their liking. We’re not sure if this project is linked to the work they’re doing with Geely, Visteon and ECARX.
Qualcomm has now announced that the Snapdragon Digital Chassis will be enhanced with new features:
- Connectivity-as-a-Service
- Snapdragon Telematics Applications Framework
- new Wi-Fi 6E automotive chipset
These developments are all very technical and aimed at getting the attention of car manufacturers, OEMs and the stock market, so here’s the press release with the details.
PRESS RELEASE
To meet the increasing demand for premium driving experiences and connected in-vehicle services, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today introduced new and enhanced solutions to its rapidly expanding automotive technology portfolio. Further enhancing its Snapdragon Digital Chassis connected vehicle platforms, Qualcomm Technologies introduced a feature for Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud Services – Connectivity-as-a-Service – that brings new technology collaborations to support out-of-the-box connectivity, integrated analytics and a cloud and device developer environment aimed to deliver new technology features, content and services globally. As integral components of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis, the Snapdragon® Auto Connectivity Platform and Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud Services help build
connected and intelligent vehicles that are safer, customizable, immersive and continually upgradeable.
Qualcomm Technologies also highlighted today an integrated application framework for developing telematics and cloud-connected applications and services, the Snapdragon Telematics Applications Framework. Also introduced is a new Wi-Fi 6E automotive chipset engineered to increase bandwidth for Wi-Fi applications and deliver content at unmatched speeds.
Utilizing the company’s extensive history of supplying the transportation industry with automotive connectivity solutions, these latest enhancements empower automakers to redefine the driving experience for consumers, while also creating opportunities for the automotive ecosystem to develop and deliver new, revenue-generating digital services.
Connectivity-as-a-Service
Designed to support a highly customized user experience that can be continually refreshed throughout the vehicle lifecycle, Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud Services provide a seamless upgrade path with the ability to expand system performance and features, while also having the capability to enable new digital services. Connectivity-as-a-Service expands these capabilities to provide global connectivity on Snapdragon® Telematics SOC-based NAD modules along with an API-driven developer environment, creating on-device and cloud-enhanced apps/services. Fueled by telemetry data and advanced data insights from connected vehicles, the tools provided in the developer environment solve for complexities that OEMs face when building connected services on telematics hardware. Qualcomm Technologies is highlighting new technology collaborations to support Connectivity-as-a-Service and the delivery of new technology features and digital services globally.
These new collaborations include:
• Cognizant, a leading professional services company using its global automotive cloud and device expertise to help transform automakers into modern enterprises. Leveraging its deep understanding of the auto industry and proven reusable components, ready-to-use test frameworks and system integration expertise, Cognizant will work with Qualcomm Technologies to integrate and tailor Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud Services for automakers, with the goal of delivering rich, immersive personalized in-vehicle experiences, new connected solutions and better on-demand services.
• Cubic Telecom, an award-winning global connectivity solutions provider. The solution created from Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud Services with Cubic’s software products (Pace, Insights and PLXOR) provides a single point of control for global out-of-the-box connectivity on Snapdragon Telematics SOC based NAD modules, with support for bundled data and services. The solution also solves for regional regulation complexities with built-in compliance across regional markets.
Telematics Application Framework
Integrated into the Snapdragon Auto Connectivity Platform, the Snapdragon Telematics Application Framework is utilized to simplify application development. Open source and scalable, this set of software tools is designed to seamlessly connect to Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud Services, allowing automotive developers to use telematics functionality across all platforms within the Snapdragon Digital Chassis. Through the Snapdragon Telematics Application Framework, developers can access a unified development environment with common application programming interfaces (APIs), which aids in reducing cost complexities when integrating technology features such as 5G, location services, memory and security into cloud-based applications and services.
Designed to address fragmentation and enable common application development across vehicle lines, the Snapdragon Telematics Application Framework is compatible with present and future platforms within the Snapdragon Digital Chassis. Anticipated to be available in early 2022, plus ongoing enhancements for new features and services, the new application framework allows developers to focus on their core expertise when creating applications that use telematics functionality to bring rich, immersive experiences with enhanced safety to modern vehicles.
Wi-Fi 6E Automotive Chipsets
To further increase bandwidth for connected applications and services, Qualcomm Technologies introduced the Qualcomm® QCA6698AQ, a Wi-Fi 6E 4-Stream Dual Band Simultaneous (DBS) plus Bluetooth version 5.3 combination chip for automotive applications. Building on the latest Qualcomm® FastConnectTM systems, the Qualcomm QCA6698AQ offers simultaneous 802.11ax Dual MAC operation in both 2.4Ghz and the expanded 5/6GHz band to enable one of the highest Wi-Fi speeds in an AEC-Q100 qualified device. Designed to address the complexity of today’s ultra-dynamic automotive ecosystem, the Qualcomm QCA6698AQ is engineered to deliver rich in-vehicle entertainment, exceptional audio experiences, and to dramatically increase bandwidth for concurrent Wi-Fi applications. Samples are available today with automotive grade qualification expected by late 2022. Additional information can be found here.
To learn more about the Snapdragon Digital Chassis and Qualcomm Technologies’ automotive offerings, visit the Qualcomm Technologies automotive website here.
