Compute capability

[Picard]

Does anyone have insights into what Rivian is using to power their MCU and Driver+ modules and what embedded OS they built their UI on? As I read about the "laggy" behavior of the maps, I am starting to wonder if this is all SW (still being ironed out) or whether there is an underlying HW constraint here that SW will need to optimize for.

Its clear that the Rivian (and pretty much every other manufacturer) sees the value in up-selling enhanced capabilities and apps to generate a lucrative revenue stream post purchase of the vehicle. To realize this goal, putting the right compute guts into the vehicle on day 1 is key. I really hope Rivian has nailed this.

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[svet-am]

From their job postings it looks like the OS is QNX (BlackBerry) but I can't really tell what the CPU is. From prior job postings I think it is probably a Renesas device.

 

[koersontap]

From their job postings it looks like the OS is QNX (BlackBerry) but I can't really tell what the CPU is. From prior job postings I think it is probably a Renesas device.

Huh, that's an interesting choice. Wondering why they went with QNX.

 

[R_1_T]

Huh, that's an interesting choice. Wondering why they went with QNX.

They might have wanted a one stop solution with a hypervisor. Much of this depends on if they have a single domain controller for the center stack and cluster displays.

 

[Joel]

Huh, that's an interesting choice. Wondering why they went with QNX.

Because Amazon has a partnership with QNX. They made a big AWS deal awhile back.

 

[Pherdnut]

Does anyone have insights into what Rivian is using to power their MCU and Driver+ modules and what embedded OS they built their UI on? As I read about the "laggy" behavior of the maps, I am starting to wonder if this is all SW (still being ironed out) or whether there is an underlying HW constraint here that SW will need to optimize for.

Its clear that the Rivian (and pretty much every other manufacturer) sees the value in up-selling enhanced capabilities and apps to generate a lucrative revenue stream post purchase of the vehicle. To realize this goal, putting the right compute guts into the vehicle on day 1 is key. I really hope Rivian has nailed this.

They may have not been particularly aggressive here. When asked about games at First Mile they gave a pretty wimpy answer about it not really being in line with the wilderness experience. I was internally like, okay but sometimes the experience is pavement at a grocery store's free level 2 in Chicago.

 

[Joel]

They may have not been particularly aggressive here. When asked about games at First Mile they gave a pretty wimpy answer about it not really being in line with the wilderness experience. I was internally like, okay but sometimes the experience is pavement at a grocery store's free level 2 in Chicago.

I think the mentioned 10k upgrade in the S1 will mainly be a MCU upgrade and probably cameras. The biggest question I have is when was hardware like MCU and cameras locked in with no more improvement?

 

[electruck]

Because Amazon has a partnership with QNX. They made a big AWS deal awhile back.

I suspect Rivian was committed to QNX long before the investment from Amazon.

 

[svet-am]

They might have wanted a one stop solution with a hypervisor. Much of this depends on if they have a single domain controller for the center stack and cluster displays.

Yeah, in my day job I have had recent conversations with QNX about their automotive stack (I work in the industry) and they are now claiming certifiability for the QNX hypervisor up to ASIL-C for sure and depending on configuration, ASIL-D.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

QNX makes sense, imo, as it's a RTOS. QNX has a strong history of use in automotive applications.

 

[Zoidz]

RIvian likely decided to go with the flow and not reinvent the wheel.

" BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced that Strategy Analytics, a leading independent research firm, has determined BlackBerry® QNX® software is now embedded in over 195 million vehicles, an increase of 20 million from the year before.

BlackBerry QNX is the market leader for safety-certified embedded software in automotive. Automakers and Tier 1s, including Aptiv, BMW, Bosch, Ford, GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Volkswagen, trust BlackBerry QNX software for a broad range of critical systems. These include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Digital Cockpits and Secure Data Gateways, all of which are becoming increasingly prevalent in vehicles. Furthermore, BlackBerry QNX is key to the future of the automotive industry, with design wins with 23 of the top 25 electric vehicle automakers, and providing a safe, reliable, and secure software foundation for autonomous drive vehicle systems."

 

[Picard]

I think the mentioned 10k upgrade in the S1 will mainly be a MCU upgrade and probably cameras. The biggest question I have is when was hardware like MCU and cameras locked in with no more improvement?

I am not sure that this implies that MCU and HW need an upgrade for this. The s1 states -

"

Software Enabled Services. We assume the LTR opportunity from software to be $15,500. This is comprised of autonomous driving capabilities of $10,000, and a monthly subscription plan for infotainment, connectivity, diagnostics, and other services valued at $5,500, based on publicly disclosed industry benchmarks.​

"

This leads me to believe that they **expect** that most of this revenue will be from services offered on top of the existing HW platform that they are shipping with (atleast I sure hope it is).

 

[Joel]

I am not sure that this implies that MCU and HW need an upgrade for this. The s1 states -

"

Software Enabled Services. We assume the LTR opportunity from software to be $15,500. This is comprised of autonomous driving capabilities of $10,000, and a monthly subscription plan for infotainment, connectivity, diagnostics, and other services valued at $5,500, based on publicly disclosed industry benchmarks.​

"

This leads me to believe that they **expect** that most of this revenue will be from services offered on top of the existing HW platform that they are shipping with (atleast I sure hope it is).

I will be interested to see where this journey leads. It’s interesting to see how many of the big auto companies are jumping ship from QNX and Moving to Android Automotive OS. I wonder if it’s because it’s maybe lighter weight and easier to accommodate the consumer with apps and such. As we know the legacy auto has had the hardest time moving forward in tech. Or is it because QNX is more difficult to develop and is just slower overall?

 

[Sgt Beavis]

Ford's Sync 4 is also based on QNX. However Ford recently committed to using Android Auto.

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