Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) cover quite a variety of automobile assistance systems, which are connected using connectors, so high-quality connectors will help improve the stability of the system. This article will show you the new connectors introduced by Molex, which will support ADAS towards miniaturization and improve the stability of the systems.
ADAS can reduce driving burdens and improve safety
ADAS refers to various systems used to assist automobile driving and parking, so as to reduce driving burden and increase vehicle safety and road safety. Common driving assistance systems include car navigation systems, adaptive cruise control systems, lane departure warning systems, automatic lane change systems, collision avoidance systems, pedestrian detection systems, etc. They use various sensors and cameras to collect data around and inside the car, and carry out technical processing such as static and dynamic object identification, detection and tracking, so as to provide early warning of possible dangerous situations and let the driver take countermeasures in advance, or use active safety technology that actively intervenes in stopping cars in order to avoid traffic accidents.
These different ADAS systems need different types of vehicle sensors to detect the environmental conditions around the vehicle, including millimeter wave radar, ultrasonic radar, infrared radar, laser radar, image sensors and wheel speed sensors, etc. They are usually installed on the front and rear bumpers, side mirrors, inside the steering wheel or on the windshield of the vehicle, which can detect light, heat, pressure or other changes used to monitor the vehicle state, and then judge by the artificial intelligence system and take corresponding instructions and actions.
Photographer: Maria Geller, Source: Pexels
Unmanned driving trends drive ADAS technology development
It is an important development direction in the automobile industry to move towards fully automatic unmanned driving. According to the automatic driving classification published by the American Society of Automotive Engineers, L0 is a system without driving assistance, L2 and below are defined as ADAS with partial driving assistance, and L3 and above are defined as automatic driving technology. However, for the development of automatic driving technology, L5 is the ultimate goal of the development of automatic driving technology. At that time, cars will be able to drive completely independently without manual intervention.
At present, ADAS applications are still in the middle stage of the development process of fully automatic unmanned driving. Most of the various driving assistance systems now still belong to independent modules, which operate independently according to their functional requirements. In the future, with the maturity of artificial intelligence technology, various driving assistance function modules will be gradually integrated, so that the driving operation will no longer need human intervention, so as to gradually achieve the goal of fully automatic driving.
In the process of moving towards fully automatic driving, various ADAS systems will be gradually introduced into various automobile specifications according to the price positioning of automobiles. With the rapid development of electric vehicles, ADAS has also become the main essential equipment of electric vehicles. According to the estimation of Gartner, a market survey organization, the market for electric vehicles and ADAS-related semiconductors will be 6.4 billion US dollars in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 25%. By 2022, the average amount of ADAS built in electric vehicles will double from 37 US dollars in 2019 to 74 US dollars, with amazing market prospects.
New connectors are easy to assemble by robots
Molex, as the leader in the connector market, has spared no effort in the development of advanced micro-connectors, and launched corresponding board-to-board connectors especially for ADAS applications, which will help the industry realize the miniaturization development of ADAS. Molex's board-to-board solution made of robust materials can be used to meet the growing demand for flexible and reliable connections in the market. These connectors can be assembled by robots and are easy to match because of the wide floating ranges.
Molex introduced SlimStack board-to-board connectors, floating FSB3 and FSB5 series, for ADAS applications. The height of FSB3 is only 3 mm, while that of FSB5 is only 5 mm. They feature wide terminal floating ranges, flexible mating heights, and the smallest sizes in their category. The intelligent design allows robotic assembly and meets small space requirements, which is critical to achieve miniaturization in cameras, radars, and LiDARs.
High-quality connectors for automotive applications
Molex’s SlimStack board-to-board connectors, floating FSB3 and FSB5 series, can meet the automobile temperature requirements, support working environments up to 125℃, and data transmission rates of 6 Gbps, as well as meet the requirements of various ADAS applications. Its flexible spring terminal design allows blind mating and testing according to USCAR-2 and LV214 (selected circuit size).
Molex’s SlimStack FSB3 and FSB5 floating terminals can have a floating range of ±0.50 mm in X, Y, and Z directions, which provides flexibility for design, and has the smallest size in board-to-board connectors with floating terminals with 0.40 mm pitch, and can also provide a vacuum pick-up area for robots to grip in automatic assembly.
SlimStack FSB3 and FSB5 floating terminals are mainly targeted at the connected and automated vehicles market, and their main applications include the connection of cameras, radars, and LiDARs in ADAS, as well as the digital cockpit and in-vehicle infotainment systems, such as digital cluster instruments, central information display, heads-up display, driver monitoring systems, digital rear-view systems, etc, which can meet the miniaturization and stability requirements of these systems.
Conclusion
ADAS has become the main selling point of automobile sales. With the development of unmanned driving trend, ADAS will be more mature and widely used. Molex's SlimStack board-to-board connectors, floating FSB3 and FSB5 series, have a compact size and highly reliable quality, which can meet the development needs of automotive ADAS miniaturization and will become one of the best choices for manufacturers developing ADAS related products.