The autonomous driving domain controller research has reached a pivotal point with the development of the One Board/One Chip solution, which is set to revolutionize the automotive supply chain. According to ResearchInChina, the Chinese market has seen a significant increase in the installation of OEM intelligent driving domain controllers in passenger cars, with a penetration rate of 17.4% in September 2024.
The evolution of autonomous driving domain controllers is divided into three stages: Multi-Board, One Board, and One Chip. The Multi-Board solution involves separate circuit boards for each domain controller, while the One Board solution integrates functions and reduces costs by eliminating the need for encoding and decoding between domains. The One Chip solution takes integration to the next level by utilizing a single chip with multiple IP cores interconnected for seamless data sharing and computing power.
Leading OEMs like NIO, Xpeng, and ECARX are at the forefront of adopting the One Board and One Chip solutions. ECARX, for example, has developed a range of products based on domestic production-ready chips, such as the ECARX Skyland Pro and ECARX Antora 1000 Pro computing platforms. These innovations have been successfully implemented in vehicles like Lynk & Co. 08 EM-P and Lynk & Co 07 EM-P.
Desay SV has also made strides with its IPU14 and ICPS01E solutions, which support cockpit-driving integration and autonomous driving functionalities. Z-One’s ZXD2 central brain, Xpeng’s XCCP, and NIO’s ADAM central computing platform are other examples of One Board products that showcase the industry’s rapid deployment of advanced technologies.
The transition to the One Chip solution is expected to have a profound impact on the automotive domain controller and chip supply chain. Advantages include lower system costs, quicker system response, and improved software capabilities for data sharing and computing power. Renesas’ R-Car X5 Series, utilizing a 3nm process and chiplet technology, is a prime example of the future direction of automotive SoC design and manufacturing.
In conclusion, the automotive industry is on the brink of a technological revolution with the adoption of the One Board/One Chip solution for autonomous driving domain controllers. OEMs, Tier1 suppliers, and chip vendors are poised to compete in new technology fields such as multi-domain fusion and chiplets, shaping the future of intelligent driving systems.