ZF and SiliconAuto, the joint venture between Stellantis and Foxconn, has introduced a new input/output (I/O) interface chip along with a companion microcontroller designed for automotive high-performance computing systems.
The technology, aimed at advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving applications, was showcased publicly for the first time in a live demonstration at Embedded World 2026 in Nuremberg.
The system pairs a newly developed I/O interface chip from German auto supplier with SiliconAuto’s XMotiv M3 microcontroller, which serves as a safety controller.
In the demonstration setup, the microcontroller handled functions including fast and secure boot, power sequencing, clock control and reset supervision.
These functions are supported by peripherals operating at a 160 MHz core speed.
According to the companies, the I/O interface chip integrates automotive sensor interface intellectual property along with sensor pre-processing capabilities.
These functions include low-latency camera image signal processing and radar signal processing carried out directly on the chip.
The architecture is designed to work with various high-performance system-on-chip platforms through standardised high-speed interfaces such as peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) and Ethernet.
This approach enables vehicle manufacturers to integrate computing platforms based on their own preferences.
The system is intended for automotive high-performance computers used across vehicle categories, ranging from entry-level models to premium vehicles.
ZF said the design could reduce power consumption by limiting data transfers to double data rate memory and lowering clock speeds.
The architecture also shifts sensor data acquisition and pre-processing tasks away from the central processing unit on the performance system-on-chip.
The companies said the design is modular and upgradeable, allowing manufacturers to update individual chiplets rather than redesigning entire computing systems.
The platform also enables deterministic data streaming with time stamping and synchronisation across connected sensors.
Future development may include support for open standards-based die-to-die interconnects such as universal chiplet interconnect express (UCIe).
UCIe is an open industry standard enabling chiplets within a single package to communicate and function together as one system.
This would allow the I/O chip to function as a fully compliant chiplet within modular automotive computing architectures.
