Klas, a global provider of edge intelligence solutions, is introducing new hardware purpose-built for autonomous vehicle research & development: the TRX D8. The TRX D8 is an in-vehicle storage and compute system, a ruggedized device designed specifically for logging the massive amounts of data accumulated in autonomous vehicle drive testing. This is critical for developers to better assess and fine-tune algorithms throughout the R&D process so they can ultimately bring autonomous vehicles to market that operate safely in all environments.

Klas said that its experience in developing edge computing solutions for government and rail applications was key to the building of the TRX D8, which is already in market with a leading automotive OEM. The new TRX D8 collects data from onboard Ethernet and Controller Area Networks (CAN) and can hold up to 240 TB of storage in one easy-to-remove cassette.

The compute element of the TRX D8 runs on Klas’ field-proven operating system, KlasOS Keel. Keel is purpose-built for edge locations where security and reliability are critical, and has a built-in hypervisor that provides flexibility to OEMs so they can run their own software and have complete control of their data.

Anyone who’s worked in product development knows how valuable an open software architecture is in terms of risk reduction and design flexibility, which is why we prioritize that approach for all of our solutions, including the TRX D8. This allows our customers to work with their preferred vendors and build bespoke solutions that meet their precise needs, while simultaneously addressing the security risks associated with a full-stack operating system.

—Frank Murray, CTO of Klas

Features of the TRX D8 include:

• Intel Xeon D CPU for rapid data ingest
• Options for 8, 12, or 16 Cores
• Up to 96 GB RAM
• Easy data collection and transfer through removable 8-drive cassette
• Up to 240 TB onboard storage
• SATA/SAS support, each with 12Gb/s or 6Gb/s respectively
• Low power consumption tailored for automotive batteries
• Vehicle power adapter for 10-36 V DC operation
• Localized disk encryption for maximum data security
• Modular architecture for easy iteration and upgrades
• Virtualization layer supports in-vehicle data cleaning and organization

The ruggedized nature of the TRX D8 ensures long-term reliability, a critical benefit due to the high costs of test rigs to build, and also allows for testing in extreme environments. The D8 is also platform-agnostic, easily integrated into R&D test platforms from multiple vendors or combinations of vendors serving the developing AV market. Additionally, the TRX D8 maximizes the time test vehicles can stay on the road while simultaneously offering rapid data transfer to accelerate algorithm development, and ultimately allow OEMs to bring fully self-driving vehicles to market faster.