LeddarTech has delivered the first A-samples of its LeddarCore LCA2 system-on-chip (SoC) (earlier post) to select automotive partners which will be publicly disclosed at a later date this year.

The LCA2 is the autonomous vehicle industry’s first 3D solid-state LiDAR (SSL) SoC and is available now to Tier-1 automotive manufacturers and system integrators via purchase of the LeddarTech LCA2 evaluation kit.

High-volume delivery of the LCA2 will begin in the first half of 2019 for deployment in Autonomous Driving (AD) and Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS).

The LCA2 features 800 million samples per second, up to 1400 waveforms per second, supports flash illumination and is suited for low- to medium-range applications.

The LCA2 uses LeddarTech’s LeddarSP signal processing software to produce raw LiDAR data such as distance, position, and intensity of echoes. LCA2 is suitable for a wide range of applications, can be produced in high volumes for rapid mass-market deployment, and is ideal for SSL used in AD/ADAS.

LeddarTech’s LiDAR technology is supported by an IP portfolio containing 58 patents (44 granted, 14 pending).

LCA2 evaluation kits are available to prospective automotive partners to benchmark the technology against intended application requirements. Kits contain:

• One fully-functional solid-state LiDAR unit integrating an LCA2 SoC

• LeddarSP signal processing software

• Additional software to facilitate evaluation and application development

Tier-1s and OEMs that order an evaluation kit are able to immediately begin application development and integration efforts of their custom LCA2-based LiDAR.

To accelerate and support partner development of LCA2-based LiDAR, LeddarTech is providing engineering services and access to the company’s SSL experts. LeddarTech’s ecosystem partners are also supporting customers in making the proper selection and integration of key components such as lasers and photodetectors.

The LCA3, with engineering samples due out in the fourth quarter, will feature 1.3 billion samples per second, up to 245,000 waveforms per second, support for flash and MEMS beam steering, and is suited for medium-to high-range applications.