First automotive multi-domain SoC built with 3nm process technology

Renesas Electronics Corporation has launched the new generation of automotive fusion SoCs serving multiple automotive domains including ADAS, IVI, and gateway applications on a single-chip. Built employing the latest 3nm automotive process technology, the highly anticipated R-Car X5H SoC, which is the first device in the R-Car X5 series, delivers the highest level of integration and performance in the industry, allowing OEMs and Tier 1s to shift to centralized ECUs for streamlined development and future-proof system solutions. It is among the first in the industry to provide highly-integrated, secure processing solutions on a single chip for multiple automotive domains, thanks to its unique hardware-based isolation technology. Also, the new SoC offers the option to expand AI and graphics processing performance using chiplet technology.

As the highest-performance device within the fifth-generation (Gen 5) R-Car Family, the R-Car X5H directly addresses the growing complexity of Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) development. These challenges comprise optimising compute performance, power consumption, cost, hardware and software integration – while ensuring vehicle safety. By tightly coupling application processing, real-time processing, GPU and AI compute, large display capabilities, and sensor connectivity on a single chip, these devices allow a new class of automated driving, IVI and gateway applications.

The new SoC series allows AI acceleration of up to 400TOPS with industry-leading TOPS/W performance, and GPU processing of up to 4TFLOPS. It incorporates a total of 32 Arm Cortex-A720AE CPU cores for application processing, delivering over 1,000K DMIPS performance; and six Arm Cortex-R52 dual lockstep CPU cores delivering over 60K DMIPS performance with support for ASIL D capabilities without external MCUs. Manufactured using one of TSMC’s most advanced process nodes, the new SoC series achieves both top-end CPU performance and a 30-35% reduction in power consumption compared to devices designed for a 5nm process node. These power-efficient features greatly lower overall system costs by eradicating the necessity for extra cooling solutions while also extending vehicle driving range.