“Now, in the automotive industry, the demand for high-performance automotive semiconductors is increasing due to the development of autonomous driving technology and the introduction of SDV, and in particular, the use of LiDAR has become a key technology for precise environmental perception for rapid decision-making and reliability of vehicles. “Among these, Texas Instruments’ newly released LMH 13000 high-speed laser driver will revolutionize the performance of automotive LiDAR systems with its small size and high power efficiency.”

Texas Instruments Korea held a media briefing and press conference at its Samseong-dong office on the 23rd and introduced its new portfolio of automotive LiDAR, clock, and radar chips.

TI Korea Director Lee Myeong-sik, who was in charge of the announcement that day, said that modern automobiles are transforming from simple machines into smart devices with integrated advanced electronic systems, and that in particular, with the development of autonomous driving technology and the introduction of the SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) concept, the demand for semiconductors in automobiles is rapidly increasing.

He noted that while in the past a few semiconductor chips were used for engine control and simple electrical systems, now semiconductors that perform various functions such as sensors, processors, and network modules are essential.

The main reasons for the increase in semiconductor use are the introduction of autonomous driving technology and the advancement of in-vehicle infotainment systems.

As vehicles enter autonomous driving stages of Level 2 and higher, semiconductors with higher reliability and performance are required. The sensor fusion system that constitutes ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) technology integrates cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and even LiDAR to enable more accurate environmental recognition.

In particular, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a technology that uses lasers to map the surrounding environment in high-precision 3D, and it has been said to provide superior detection capabilities than existing cameras or radar sensors.

LiDAR precisely determines the distance and location of obstacles by emitting laser pulses and measuring the time it takes for them to reflect and return, and it is said to be one of the key technologies that helps vehicles detect obstacles and respond quickly, especially in complex urban environments.

The advantages of LiDAR are high detection accuracy and long detection range. While conventional ultrasonic sensors and radars operate in limited environments, LiDAR can precisely analyze distance, shape, and surface characteristics, greatly improving the safety of autonomous vehicles.

Additionally, it can be used in various driving environments thanks to its strong performance in response to changes in weather and lighting.

The core of automotive LiDAR systems lies in reliable and high-performance laser driver technology.

Meanwhile, the LMH 13000 developed by TI is a single-chip solution that offers a smaller size and higher power efficiency than existing lidar systems. While existing laser drivers required complex components, the LMH 13000 integrates them into a single chip, allowing vehicle manufacturers to design simpler systems.

The main advantages of the LMH 13000 are its fast response speed and long detection range.

This product implements fast rise and fall times of 800ps (picoseconds), enabling more precise control of laser pulses.

This plays a key role in improving the vehicle's real-time decision-making speed and providing a wider detection range.

It is also designed to be four times smaller than existing models and can maintain high performance without external components.

This helps maximize space savings and power efficiency in automotive design, and helps manufacturers implement more stable and reliable LiDAR solutions.

The LMH 13000 has high reliability, maintaining consistent performance in both high and low temperature environments, and is expected to play an important role in the future automotive industry.

In addition, electronic components within ADAS and in-vehicle infotainment systems must operate reliably even in environments where temperature changes, vibrations, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) occur. It has to work.

Leveraging the benefits of TI’s Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) technology, the new CDC6C-Q1 oscillator, LMK3H0102-Q1 and LMK3C0105-Q1 clock generators deliver a failure-in-time (FIT) rate as low as 0.3, improving reliability by 100x over traditional quartz-based clocks.

High clock precision and high tolerance in extreme environments enable safer operation, clearer data communication, and high-speed data processing across next-generation vehicle subsystems.

TI also introduced the AWR2944P front and corner radar sensor, based on its widely used AWR2944 platform.

This radar sensor enhances vehicle safety by expanding detection range, improving angular accuracy, and implementing more sophisticated processing algorithms.

“As automotive electronic systems become more sophisticated, the importance of semiconductor technology is growing,” said Director Lee Myung-sik. “With the advancement of SDV architecture, automobiles will be equipped with real-time data communication, OTA (Over-the-Air) updates, and AI-based driving systems.” “As the number of semiconductor chips in vehicles increases, HPC systems are being introduced, which will contribute to further enhancing safety and reliability, and advanced semiconductor products such as the LMH 13000 will play a key role at the center of this.”