Imec, the prestigious nanoelectronics research center, announced at the Automotive Chiplet Forum 2024 in Detroit that major companies in the automotive sector, including ARM, ASE, BMW Group, Bosch, Cadence, Siemens, SiliconAuto, Synopsys, Tenstorrent, and Valeo, have joined its new Automotive Chiplet Program (ACP). This program aims to jointly explore the potential of chiplet technology in the automotive industry, a unique collaborative effort.
An evolution in chip architecture for vehicles
With the development of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and immersive infotainment services in vehicles, traditional chip architectures have begun to show limitations. Chiplets, a modular technology that allows the design of specialized chips that can be combined into more complex systems, are emerging as an innovative solution to meet the growing processing demands in the automotive sector.
“The adoption of chiplet technology represents a disruptive change in the design of vehicle central computers, offering significant advantages over traditional monolithic approaches,” explained Bart Placklé, Vice President of Automotive Technologies at imec. “Chiplets not only allow for quick customization and upgrades but also reduce development time and costs.”
Challenges and opportunities for chiplets in the automotive industry
While chiplets have been explored in sectors such as supercomputers and data centers, the automotive sector has shown caution due to its strict durability and reliability requirements. Vehicles need components that operate consistently for over a decade while optimizing energy consumption to preserve battery life. These challenges will be addressed within the framework of imec’s program, which seeks to develop a chiplet architecture that combines energy efficiency, robustness, and integration flexibility while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Pre-competitive collaboration and standard alignment
Imec’s Automotive Chiplet Program fosters collaboration among multiple players in the automotive value chain in a pre-competitive environment, facilitating access to cutting-edge knowledge and resources. This collaboration among automakers and technology providers aims not only to define a standard architecture for chiplets in the industry but also to reduce the risk of dependency on a single supplier and increase supply chain resilience.
Imec, a leader in technological innovation for the future of automotive
With a track record of 40 years in the design and optimization of chip architectures, imec is well-positioned to lead this collaborative research effort. As it is not tied to any specific manufacturer, the research center ensures an impartial approach, benefiting the entire automotive ecosystem.
Bart Placklé concluded, “We are confident that all participants will gain important insights from this collaborative approach, which will enable manufacturers to advance their own long-term innovation roadmaps. Our goal is to guide the industry toward a new chiplet architecture specifically designed to meet the needs of the sector.”
About imec
Imec is a world-leading research center in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, with over 5,500 employees and research centers in various locations around the globe. In 2023, imec reported revenues of €941 million and continues to be a key player in the development of advanced technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to health and mobility.
With this new program, imec reinforces its commitment to fostering innovation in the automotive sector, ensuring that the vehicles of the future will have the technology needed to address the challenges of an increasingly connected and demanding world.
via: Foxconn