Freescale unveiled the S32V vision microprocessor, which is the first automotive vision SoC that will provide safety, reliability and security in the automation and co-pilot driving of self-driving vehicles.

The S32V uses several components of advanced automotive-grade technology to create a new kind of system for self-driving vehicles. Instead of the current "assist" paradigm that is based on the convenience of the passengers, the S32V will enable the vehicle to capture and process data, and allow the controls of the car to be shared with the driver for critical situations.

According to Freescale, such a capability enabled by the S32V will establish the connection from the "assist" paradigm self-driving vehicles of today to the fully autonomous driverless cars of the future.

The S32V vision microprocessor is a part of the company's SafeAssure functional safety program, and features top-quality reliability in its compliance with ISO safety standards and automotive-grade design. The S32V, which also integrates second-gen CogniVue APEX Image Cognition Processing technology, is also able to support the combination of visual data captured and processed by the vehicle with the data retrieved by other data sources, such as radar and ultrasonic systems that will increase the accuracy of image recognition processes and allow for optimal visual resolution.

Freescale applies its zero-defect mentality on the S32V to be able to deliver ultrareliable processors to the automotive market, in addition to the processors showcasing unmatched safety systems. Several processes allow the S32V to shut down and reboot when required without cutting off the vehicle's capability to brake or be steered by the driver.

The S32V is also able to prevent theft of the processor's software algorithms, while at the same time enhancing the overall protection of self-driving cars against external attacks to gain unauthorized access to the vehicle's controls. The processor also uses discrete encryption domains within the network of the vehicle, which means that if a hacker is able to access a node within the system of the car, the other nodes become inaccessible to the hacker.

"Relying on anything less than automotive-grade silicon to take control of a vehicle and make critical driving decisions is simply not acceptable - not for me, not for my family and not for my customers," said Freescale Automotive MCUs senior VP and General Manager Bob Conrad, criticizing the usage of consumer-oriented processors by various self-driving cars as those are not meant to be used in vehicles.

Freescale expects the S32V to be fully available to the market by July of this year.