Continental Automotive | High-Performance Computers

High-Performance Computers are the central elements of server-based vehicle architecture.

The electrical/electronic architectures of today’s vehicles are reaching their limits in terms of complexity and performance. Connectivity, electrification, shared mobility, and last but not least, automated and autonomous driving require great amounts of computing power.

Accordingly, the central computing power with corresponding functions is concentrated in a few, but powerful central High-Performance Computers (HPCs). This supports the decoupling of software and hardware and simplifies continuous updates and improvements to the “lifelong learning” vehicle.

Smart Cockpit HPC

The new solution combines the powerful processors of the Telechips Dolphin family with pre-integrated functions for cluster, infotainment and visualization of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, enabling great user experience beyond
the premium segment.

In collaboration with Google Cloud, Continental integrates generative AI technology directly into the vehicle server. This allows drivers to interact
with their car in a natural dialogue.

More information

News Article

Cross-Domain HPC

With the fusion of cockpit and advanced driver assistance features on one chip, the HPC not only powers a broad set of functions such as automated parking, surround view, holistic motion control or multimedia but also allows for over the air software updates. The cross-domain HPC marks a milestone on the path towards full domain integration.

News Article CES 2024

Continental is Your Partner

Across the Entire Product Lifecycle

As a full stack provider, Continental is your partner of choice along the entire product lifecycle from architecture definition until deployment services.
Continental’s extensive automotive experience and state-of-the-art processes, methods, and tools allow us to manage and develop HPC projects of the highest complexity.

Lifelong Learning Vehicles

Through Over-The-Air Software Updates

High-Performance Computers (HPCs) form the computing backbone of the software-defined vehicle. They provide the necessary computing power for the software functions in the vehicle enabling them to be further developed throughout their life cycle. This allows vehicles to become an integral part of their users’ digital life. With HPCs at the center of service-oriented architectures, improved functions and important firmware or cyber security updates can be installed over-the-air throughout the entire lifetime of a vehicle – just as convenient as on a smartphone.

Increasing system complexity and functional growth bring today’s decentralized electrical/electronic architectures with many singe Electronic Control Units to their limits. Centralized server-based architectures clean up the existing electrical/electronic system in the vehicle. Reduction of stand-alone ECUs and wiring harness allow an overall architecture optimization, leading to less weight and CO2 emissions.

High-Performance Computers enable efficient and consistent separation of hardware and software so that both OEM and 3rd party software can be integrated and updated over the entire lifecycle of the vehicle. This allows HPCs to serve as integration platform for software and services from various providers. Hypervisors on an efficient hardware enable secure processing of feature and functions across domains.

Hosts services as active part of a service-oriented architecture
Ability to continuously update software and to upgrade new features
Hosts multi-vendor software functions
POSIX-based Operating Systems and software frameworks
Hardware-support for hypervisor or other separation methods
Multi-core processing unit(s)
Multiple high-speed communication interfaces

From Domain Centric towards Central HPC

Continental provides High-Performance Computers for all vehicle domains. A customized configuration of hardware and software building blocks allows to tailor features and functions fitting to individual customer needs.

In addition to domain-specific HPCs, Continental offers cross-domain high-performance computing solutions that enable function integration across all vehicle domains.

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Flexible and Scalable

Advanced Mechanical HPC Housing and Cooling Solutions

Continental’s flexible and scalable HPC solutions are adaptable for any vehicle architectures, e.g. Single, Stack, or Rack HPC design with innovative cooling solutions. Thus, we are able to serve all vehicle classes – from economy to premium.

Press Release Plug and Play HPC and Cooling Solutions

Modular Toolkit Approach for Fast Time to Market

High-Performance Computers consist of various hardware and software building blocks. With our modular toolkit approach, OEMs benefit from customized HPC solutions depending on their requirements.

This allows our customers to tailor features and functions fitting to their individual needs while enabling fast start of development.

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Central Computing Backbone of the Software-Defined Vehicle

High-Performance Computers (HPCs)