How Do You Select and Apply Chips in Through-Type Taillight Solutions?
With the growing popularity of through-type taillights in automotive design, the selection and application of chips in these solutions have become critical. What are the key considerations for choosing between imported chips and Chinese-manufactured chips?
In recent years, through-type taillights have become increasingly popular in automotive design. This article combines current market conditions to provide a detailed introduction to commonly used imported chips and Chinese-manufactured chips in through-type taillight solutions.
1. Overview of Chips
A typical through-type taillight solution generally includes the following types of chips:
- Main Control Chip: Usually uses an MCU with M0 or M4 cores, depending on the software complexity.
- Power Chip: Includes BUCK-type DCDC and 40V withstand voltage LDO.
- Driver Chip: Commonly uses 12/16/24-channel linear constant current chips.
- Communication Chip: Mainly consists of CAN and LIN transceivers.
2. Main Control Chip
The main control chip in the taillight has relatively low resource requirements, typically using an MCU with an M0 core, which provides basic communication and storage capabilities. For applications that require information security or functional safety, the MCU must be equipped with corresponding encryption modules and functional safety certifications. Additionally, if using the AutoSAR platform, the Flash requirements may increase to between 512K and 1MB.
Common MCU models on the market include the NXP S32K1 series, Zhicxin’s Z20K11x series, AutoChips’ AC78013, and Yuntu’s YTM32B1L series. Each brand’s MCU offers advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, supply chain stability, and technical support.
3. Power Chips
The power chips commonly used in taillight solutions are divided into two types: BUCK chips for stepping down the vehicle battery voltage and LDO chips for providing stable power.
3.1 BUCK Chips
BUCK chips from TI, MPS, and Maxim (now part of ADI) are widely used in taillight solutions, particularly for their excellent EMC performance and output current capabilities. Common models include TI’s LM61460 and LM62440, MPS’s MPQ442x series, and Maxim’s MAX20004 and MAX20006.
3.2 LDO Chips
A wide variety of LDO chip brands are used in taillight solutions, including imported brands like TI, ROHM, and MPS, as well as Chinese-manufactured chips from Naxinwei, Silergy, and Luxin. These LDO chips are primarily used to provide a stable 5V power supply for the MCU and CAN transceiver.
4. Driver Chips
The most commonly used chips in through-type taillight solutions are multi-channel LED drivers. As technology advances, multi-channel LED drivers with UART-to-CAN interfaces have gradually become mainstream. Commonly used LED driver chips in the market include TI’s TPS92910, ELMOS’s E522.49, ROHM’s BD18333, and Chinese-manufactured Naxinwei’s NSL21912.
5. Communication Chips
The communication chips used in through-type taillights are mainly CAN and LIN transceivers. In recent years, Chinese-manufactured chips have made rapid progress in replacing imported ones in this area. XINLITIC, Chuantu Microelectronics, Silergy, and Naxinwei are well-known domestic suppliers of communication chips, whose products are gradually matching imported brands in terms of performance and compatibility.
5.1 CAN Transceivers
Chinese-manufactured CAN transceivers are primarily supplied by XINLITIC, Chuantu Microelectronics, Silergy, and Naxinwei. Common models include XINLITIC’s SIT1051, Chuantu Microelectronics’ CA-IF1042, and Silergy’s TPT1051. These chips are increasingly adopted by automakers due to their good cost-effectiveness and stable supply.
5.2 LIN Transceivers
The suppliers of Chinese-manufactured LIN transceivers are similar to those for CAN transceivers, including XINLITIC, Chuantu Microelectronics, Silergy, and Naxinwei. These chips have achieved automotive-grade standards in terms of compatibility and stability, becoming the mainstream choice in the market.
