NXP expands automotive networking and connectivity portfolio

With increased adoption of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), such as in-cabin digital cockpits for software-defined vehicles (SDVs), NXP Semiconductors has acquired automotive networking company Aviva Links, in order to accelerate asymmetrical multi-gigabit connectivity in vehicles.

Aviva claims to have set the industry benchmark for infrastructure bandwidth and performance, solving some of the most difficult problems faced by modern vehicle architects. Its services are said to have been designed to securely move “unprecedented” amounts of data across the vehicle from advanced sensors to the processors with ultra-low latency.

With the $242.5m acquisition of the California-based automotive tech company, NXP said it has gained the industry’s most advanced Automotive Serialiser/Deserialiser (SerDes) Alliance, ASA, compliant portfolio, supporting point-to-point (ASA-ML) and Ethernet-based connectivity (ASA-MLE) with data rates up to 16Gbps. It added that the deal will also enable OEMs and Tier-1-suppliers to benefit from “complete” networking and connectivity, covering asymmetrical and symmetrical links, helping to make the SDV a reality.

The ASA, formed in 2019 with NXP as a founding member, helps participating automakers to migrate to open source, interoperable networking services to meet the needs of their increasingly software-defined vehicle offerings. ASA aims to bring an open standard with data rates scalable from 2 Gbps to 16 Gbps and including link-layer security. In addition to establishing SerDes point-to-point communication, the standard looks to address the migration to Ethernet-based sensor connectivity.

Furthermore, NXP said its research calculated that the addressable market for ADAS and IVI asymmetrical links is set to grow from $1bn in 2024 to $2bn in 2034. Aviva Links’ acquisition by NXP is expected to help boost this growth by shifting the market from today’s proprietary links to open standard ASA SerDes connections. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2025 subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

ASA currently has over 150 members including car manufacturers such as BMW, Ford, Stellantis and General Motors, tier-one suppliers, semiconductor vendors, cable and connector manufacturers, test tool vendors, and test houses. BMW Group was the first car manufacturer to have publicly announced series production with ASA-ML this decade.

Offering rationale for its purchase, NXP said the demands of the new automotive industry with new levels of electrification make necessary the adoption of highly asymmetric camera and display networks with high downstream and low upstream bandwidth. Yet it also believes that current proprietary, sole sourced asymmetrical links limit automakers to non-standardised services.

NXP is confident that the acquisition will address this issue through gaining the ASA-compliant portfolio of Aviva Links, which has already secured design wins at two major automotive OEMs and is sampling its devices to various OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.

“NXP is one of ASA’s founding partners, and we are thrilled to add asymmetrical multi-gigabit ASA links to our portfolio,” said Meindert van den Beld, senior vice-president and general manager of in-vehicle networking at NXP. “This complements and expands our leadership position in automotive networking solutions ranging from CAN and LIN to Ethernet switches and physical layer devices.

“This portfolio enables us to offer OEMs complete networking solutions directly, making the software-defined vehicle a reality. Furthermore, we are excited to have Aviva Links’ highly knowledgeable team join NXP’s automotive innovation ranks.”