1. Body domain control chips

The body domain is responsible for controlling a wide range of vehicle functions. As vehicles have evolved, body domain controllers have multiplied, and to cut controller cost and vehicle weight, integration now consolidates functions from the front, middle and rear of the vehicle - rear brake lights, rear position lights, tailgate locks and even twin struts - into one central controller.

A body domain controller typically integrates BCM, PEPS, TPMS and gateway functions, and can be extended with seat adjustment, mirror control and air conditioning control. It manages actuators in an integrated way and allocates system resources efficiently. The functions of a body domain controller are extensive, as shown below, and are not limited to those listed.

Body domain controller function map

(1) Working requirements

Automotive electronics place strong demands on MCU control chips for stability, reliability, safety and real-time behaviour, along with higher computing performance, larger memory capacity and lower power consumption. Body domain controllers have moved from decentralised function deployment to a single large controller integrating the basic drive, key functions, lighting, doors and windows of all body electronics. Body domain control system design combines lighting, wiper and washer, central locking and window control, PEPS smart key and power management, together with gateway interfaces and modules such as CAN, extendable CAN FD and FlexRay, LIN and Ethernet.

Overall, these control functions place requirements on the MCU in terms of processing performance, functional integration, communication interfaces and reliability. Because body applications differ widely - power windows, automatic seats and power tailgates also need efficient motor control and require the MCU to integrate FOC motor control algorithms - and because interface requirements vary between applications, body domain MCU selection usually starts from the function and performance requirements of the specific application and then weighs cost performance, supply capability and technical support.

(2) Performance requirements

Typical reference specifications for body domain MCUs are as follows.

Performance: ARM Cortex-M4F at 144 MHz, 180 DMIPS, 8 KB instruction cache, with a Flash accelerator supporting zero-wait program execution.

Large encrypted memory: up to 512 KB eFlash supporting encrypted storage, partition management and data protection, with ECC, 100,000 erase and write cycles and 10-year data retention; 144 KB SRAM with hardware parity checking.

Rich communication interfaces: multiple GPIO, USART, UART, SPI, QSPI, I2C, SDIO, USB 2.0, CAN 2.0B, EMAC and DVP ports.

High performance analogue peripherals: 12-bit 5 Msps high speed ADC, rail-to-rail independent operational amplifiers, high speed analogue comparators and 12-bit 1 Msps DAC; an independent external reference voltage input and multi-channel capacitive touch keys; and a high speed DMA controller.

Internal RC or external crystal clock input with high reliability reset.

Built-in calibratable RTC with leap year calendar, alarm events and periodic wake-up.

High precision timer and counter.

Hardware security features: cryptographic hardware acceleration engine supporting AES, DES, TDES, SHA1/224/256, SM1, SM3, SM4, SM7 and MD5; Flash encryption, multi-user partition management (MMU), TRNG true random number generator and CRC16/32; write protection (WRP) and multiple read protection (RDP) levels (L0/L1/L2); secure boot, encrypted program download and secure update.

Clock failure monitoring and tamper detection.

96-bit UID and 128-bit UCID.

High reliability operating conditions: 1.8 V to 3.6 V, -40℃ to 105℃.

(3) Industry landscape

Body domain electronic systems are still at an early stage of growth for both international and domestic companies. International companies have deep technical expertise in single-function products such as BCM, PEPS, window and door control and seat controllers, and their broad product lines give them a foundation for system integration. Domestic companies have certain advantages in new energy vehicle body applications. BYD, for example, splits the body domain into left, right and rear domains in its new energy vehicles, redefining system integration products. In body domain control chips, however, the main MCU suppliers remain international semiconductor companies such as Infineon, NXP, Renesas, Microchip and ST, while domestic chip makers still hold a low market share.

(4) Industry barriers

From a communications perspective, the architecture is evolving from the traditional layout to a hybrid architecture and eventually to a vehicle computer platform. The key factors are changes in communication speed and falling prices for base computing power with high functional safety, which may in future allow basic controllers to host different functions at the electronics level. A body domain controller, for instance, can integrate conventional BCM, PEPS and anti-pinch functions. The technical barrier for body domain control chips is relatively lower than for the powertrain and cockpit domains, so domestic chips are expected to make the first significant breakthrough in the body domain and gradually achieve import substitution. In recent years domestic MCUs have already gained strong momentum in the body domain OEM and aftermarket.

2. Cockpit domain control chips

Electrification, intelligence and connectivity have accelerated the shift of automotive electrical and electronic architectures towards domain control, and the cockpit domain is developing rapidly from in-car infotainment towards the smart cockpit. The cockpit presents itself through the human-machine interface, but whether it is the earlier infotainment system or today's smart cockpit, a powerful SoC alone is not enough: a highly responsive MCU is also needed to handle data exchange with the vehicle. The spread of software-defined vehicles, OTA and AUTOSAR in the smart cockpit domain places ever higher demands on cockpit MCUs, with growing FLASH and RAM requirements, rising pin counts, stronger program execution for more complex functions and richer bus interfaces.

(1) Working requirements

In the cockpit domain the MCU mainly handles system power management, power-up sequencing, network management, diagnostics, vehicle data exchange, keys, backlight management, audio DSP and FM module management, and system time management.

MCU resource requirements:

- Clock frequency of at least 100 MHz and computing power of at least 200 DMIPS.

- Flash storage of at least 1 MB, with physically separate code and data Flash partitions.

- RAM of at least 128 KB.

- High functional safety level, up to ASIL-B.

- Multiple ADC channels.

- Multiple CAN FD channels.

- AEC-Q100 Grade 1 automotive qualification.

- Support for over-the-air updates (OTA) with dual-bank Flash.

- A SHE or HSM-light grade or higher information encryption engine with secure boot support.

- Pin count of at least 100.

(2) Performance requirements

IO supporting wide voltage supply from 5.5 V to 2.7 V and overvoltage tolerance. Many signal inputs fluctuate with the battery supply voltage and can be subject to overvoltage, so overvoltage-tolerant IO improves system stability and reliability.

Memory endurance: a vehicle lifetime extends beyond 10 years, so automotive MCU program and data storage must last longer. Program and data storage need separate physical partitions. Program storage is erased and written less often, so endurance above 10K cycles is sufficient, while data storage is written frequently and needs higher endurance - typical data Flash figures are endurance above 100K cycles, 15 years at fewer than 1K cycles and 10 years at fewer than 100K cycles.

Communication bus interfaces: bus traffic in vehicles keeps rising, so conventional CAN no longer meets communication needs and demand for high speed CAN FD is growing. CAN FD support is becoming standard on automotive MCUs.

(3) Industry landscape

Domestic smart cockpit MCUs still account for a very small share, and the main suppliers remain international MCU makers such as NXP, Renesas, Infineon, ST and Microchip. Several domestic MCU companies have entered the field, but their market performance remains to be seen.

(4) Industry barriers

Automotive grade and functional safety levels for smart cockpits are relatively moderate, and the main barrier is accumulated know-how, which requires continuous product iteration and refinement. Because few domestic wafer fabs have automotive MCU lines and their process nodes are relatively behind, building a fully domestic supply chain will take time and may carry higher costs, increasing competitive pressure against international suppliers.

3. Domestic control chips for body and cockpit domains

Vehicle control chips are mainly automotive MCUs. Leading domestic companies - including Unigroup Guoxin, Huada Semiconductor, Shanghai Xintai, GigaDevice, AutoChips, SemiDrive, Beijing Junzheng, Shenzhen Xihua, Shanghai Chipway and Nations Technology - all offer automotive-grade MCU product lines benchmarked against overseas giants. Most are based on the ARM architecture, and some companies have also begun RISC-V development. Domestic vehicle control domain chips are mainly used in the OEM market and have reached production in the body and infotainment domains.

Applications of domestic body and cockpit domain controller chips

4. Body and cockpit control chips must pass AEC-Q100

(1) AEC-Q is the entry threshold for the international automotive electronics industry

AEC stands for the Automotive Electronics Council, an American organisation founded in 1994 by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Its membership now spans major vehicle makers, automotive electronics companies and semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. Components meeting AEC specifications can be adopted by all three founding carmakers at the same time, which encouraged component makers to exchange product characteristic data and promoted standardisation of automotive parts, laying the foundation for rapid growth of the automotive component market. AEC-Q is the automotive reliability test standard issued by the AEC organisation and is an important ticket for component makers entering automotive electronics and the tier-one supply chain.

AEC-Q100 was the first AEC standard. It is a stress test standard designed for integrated circuits used in automotive applications and is important for improving product reliability and quality assurance. AEC-Q100 guards against potential fault conditions by confirming the quality and reliability of every chip under strict criteria, with standardised testing of product function and performance.

(2) Automotive ICs required to pass AEC-Q100

Control chips, driver chips, computing chips, memory chips, sensor chips, communication chips, power chips, power supply chips, security chips and analogue chips.

(3) AEC-Q100: operating temperature grades for integrated circuits

Grade 0: ambient operating temperature range -40℃ to 150℃.

Grade 1: ambient operating temperature range -40℃ to 125℃.

Grade 2: ambient operating temperature range -40℃ to 105℃.

Grade 3: ambient operating temperature range -40℃ to 85℃.

(4) AEC-Q100 qualification flow for automotive IC products

(5) AEC-Q100 test groups

Group A - accelerated environmental stress tests (PC, THB/HAST, AC or UHAST or TH, TC, PTC, HTSL): 6 tests.

Group B - accelerated lifetime simulation tests (HTOL, ELFR, EDR): 3 tests.

Group C - package assembly integrity tests (WBS, WBP, SD, PD, SBS, LI, BST): 7 tests.

Group D - die fabrication reliability tests (EM, TDDB, HCI, BTI, SM): 5 tests.

Group E - electrical verification tests (TEST, HBM, CDM, LU, ED, FG, CHAR, EMC, SC, SER, LF): 11 tests.

Group F - defect screening tests (PAT, SBA): 2 tests.

Group G - cavity package integrity tests (MS, VFV, CA, GFL, DROP, LT, DS, IWV): 8 tests.

(6) NTEK chip testing capability against AEC-Q100 requirements

About NTEK

NTEK Group was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Shenzhen. The group provides quality research and technical services covering R&D verification, inspection and testing, failure analysis, simulation and market access for intelligent connected vehicles, electronic communications and new energy.

NTEK has extensive experience in automotive-grade electronic certification and has helped more than 100 companies pass AEC-Q series certification, confirming the quality and reliability of each chip case against AEC-Q100. Driven by the need of vehicle makers to localise automotive-grade chips and supported by the domestic semiconductor industry, NTEK provides comprehensive testing and certification services, applying AEC-Q100 automotive standards to control the safety and quality of automotive chips, supporting the growth of domestic automotive-grade chips and adding new momentum to the intelligent vehicle safety system.