NXP fuels the solution
The NXP GreenBox 3 development platform enables vehicle manufacturers to efficiently and rapidly take advantage of these market trends. GreenBox 3 is a versatile platform that combines hardware and software into a full system-level solution for EV real-time application development. Developing on the GreenBox 3 platform, automotive engineers can rapidly create safe and efficient solutions for new vehicle architectures and software-defined vehicles, reducing cost and time to market. Built in a rugged, attractive enclosure with extensive communication interfaces and I/O connectors, GreenBox 3 is also an excellent demonstration system for showcasing innovative automotive applications.
As an example application, GreenBox 3 can act as the central hub of the propulsion domain within the architecture of an electrified vehicle. The technology within the platform performs propulsion domain control and hosts integrated and isolated real-time applications for vehicle dynamics, safety processing and vehicle electrification. GreenBox 3 ensures that all start-stop-steer vehicle functions work together for highly optimized energy use and range extension.
The hardware system solution in GreenBox 3 includes multiple NXP devices that are fine-tuned for development of highly integrated, efficient, software-defined vehicles: S32E288 real-time processor for domain control, energy management and compute-intensive AI/ML applications; SJA1110 TSN Ethernet switch for secure networking; MC33664 transceiver for battery management systems and FS86 SBC and PF5030 PMIC for efficient power management and functional safety. The integration of these powerful hardware devices in one development environment accelerates rapid and efficient creation of innovative automotive solutions.
GreenBox 3’s software solution is the NXP S32Z/E Vehicle Integration Platform called GreenVIP. GreenVIP is an integrated reference software platform that is intended to jump-start development of vehicle real-time applications. GreenVIP streamlines S32Z/E real-time processor hardware evaluation and accelerates software development with hardware abstraction, software integration, visual prototyping tools and ready-to-use 3rd party solutions. The full software ecosystem (hardware drivers, OS, partner software, hypervisor, etc.) is integrated into a single environment, ready for customer application software development. GreenVIP also guides the development engineer in making the best use of the unique and powerful hardware features of the S32Z/E real-time processors.
Under the hood: GreenBox 3 ecosystem
Hardware
GreenBox 3 is a complete NXP hardware system solution for developing real-time automotive solutions. The platform is ideal for development and demonstrations of integrated and isolated real-time applications, such as vehicle dynamics, battery and energy management, motor inverter control and power conversion for central, domain and zonal architectures.
High-performance processing and a variety of peripherals, networking and connectivity interfaces are integrated into GreenBox 3, providing a complete hardware solution for real-time automotive applications.
Here’s a summary of the key NXP components that make up GreenBox 3:
Real-Time Processor |
Safe and secure high-performance real-time processor with actuation support and 32 MB integrated flash |
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Microcontroller |
General-purpose microcontroller for low power mode emulation |
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Power management |
System basis and power management chips with advanced functional safety |
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Isolation transceiver |
Isolated high-speed network transceiver for BMS |
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Networking |
10-port automotive TSN Ethernet switch |
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Dual high-speed CAN transceiver |
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FlexRay™ node transceiver |
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Quad-LIN commander transceiver |
Software
The GreenVIP software platform works seamlessly with the GreenBox 3 hardware to support rapid prototyping and development of real-time applications. GreenVIP runs on the S32E288 processor and provides a software environment with pre-integrated NXP, open-source and third party software solutions. A hypervisor enables the integration and isolation of multiple operating systems and applications across processor cores and real-time execution units within the S32E288. Multiple RTOS solutions are included: NXP RTOS, FreeRTOS, Zephyr and EB tresos AutoCore. A system manager running within an isolated partition controls system boot and safety functions within the processor. Networking solutions using the S32E288 FlexLLCE engine are provided to improve CAN network performance. GreenVIP also provides visual development tools to monitor and improve processor performance in real-time. This wealth of features allow developers to easily and rapidly develop real-time applications with GreenVIP running on GreenBox 3.
Rapid real-time application development
Real-time applications require deterministic, and typically fast, execution and response times. For example, the applications that control the movement of a vehicle are considered real-time because they demand sensing and actuation performance that is predictable and highly responsive to driver input. The efficiency and functional safety of a vehicle is extremely dependent on the proper operation of real-time applications such as braking, steering, traction motor control and torque control, to name a few.
GreenBox 3, along with the GreenVIP software environment, is perfectly suited for the development of these demanding, real-time vehicle applications.
Propulsion domain control
Battery management system (BMS)
Electric motor control
Energy efficiency and range extension
Power conversion
See GreenBox 3 in action
See GreenBox 3 in person, running GreenVIP software and demonstrating the massive compute performance and fault isolation capability of the S32E288 real-time processor at the upcoming NXP Tech Days Detroit, October 18-19.
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