Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Denso, Panasonic Automotive, Cadence, Mirise, Renesas, Socionext, and Synopsys Partner for Automotive SoC Development Using Chiplet Technology.
Twelve Japanese industry leaders, including car manufacturers, electrical component, and semiconductor firms, have formed the ‘Advanced SoC Research for Automotive (ASRA) consortium. Their goal is to research and develop advanced digital semiconductors (System on Chip, SoC) for automotive use, leveraging chiplet technology to enable SoC integration in mass-produced vehicles from 2030.
The consortium includes five automakers (Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota), two electrical component companies (Denso, Panasonic Automotive Systems), and five semiconductor organizations (Cadence Design Systems, Mirise Technologies, Renesas Electronics, Socionext Inc, and Synopsys). Toyota’s Keiji Yamamoto chairs ASRA, with Denso’s Nobuaki Kawahara as the executive director. Modern vehicles utilize around 1,000 semiconductors each, varying by application. SoCs, crucial for autonomous driving and multimedia systems in cars, require cutting-edge semiconductor technology for enhanced computing power. Chiplet technology’s benefits include improved performance, higher yield chips, and timely development of optimized SoCs for automotive use.
ASRA focuses on safety and reliability in automobiles, with carmakers at its core. It aims to leverage the collective technological knowledge of its members to implement advanced technologies effectively. The group will explore SoCs using chiplet technology, integrating various semiconductor types.
The initiative targets to establish in-vehicle chiplet technology by 2028 and to start equipping mass-produced vehicles with SoCs from 2030. ASRA plans to combine Japan’s expertise in automotive, electrical components, and semiconductors, promoting collaboration with industry, government, and academia, both domestically and internationally, to position itself as a leading global technology research entity.
