12 auto and chip companies form SoC research consortium
Honda, Nissan, Renesas and Socionext are among the firms to have launched the "Advanced SoC Research for Automotive" (ASRA) association.
The 12 participating companies are drawn from the automotive, electrical component and semiconductor spaces. They will pool their resources and expertise to research advanced automotive chips for applications such as autonomous driving.
ASRA's primary focus is to develop chiplet technology to install System on Chip applications in mass-production vehicles from 2030 onward.
Among the 1,000 or so semiconductors used in each automobile, SoCs are essential for more advanced applications. For example, they play a critical role in enabling driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous functionalities. By integrating multiple components onto a single chip, SoCs process and analyze data from various sensors in real time. This improves safety systems such as collision avoidance, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.
ASRA's formation looks like an attempt by the auto maker members to compete more effectively with rivals such Tesla, which have built their own in-house R&D facilities for advanced chips.
The founding members of ASRA are Honda, Mazda, Nissan, SUBARU, Toyota, DENSO, Panasonic Automotive, Cadence Design, MIRISE, Renesas, Socionext and Synopsys.
