NCN "Nextchip, Enters Autonomous Parking Semiconductor Market with Arm"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] NCN's subsidiary Nextchip announced on the 19th that it will officially begin development of an ADAS SoC for Automated Valet Parking (AVP) and autonomous driving that satisfies ISO26262 functional safety through strategic collaboration with Arm.

The new product 'Apache6' developed by Nextchip is the successor to 'Apache5,' which applied a dedicated deep learning NPU. To be applied to AVP and autonomous driving, significantly enhanced computing power and video data processing capabilities are required compared to the existing product, and for this purpose, it is being developed with high-performance CPU, GPU, NPU, as well as various specialized function IPs.

This product will perform numerous functions such as multi-camera input AVM for AVP, deep learning-based object recognition and segmentation, self-positioning using VSLAM, and driving path search and tracking. In particular, it is planned to be designed to meet functional safety requirements of at least ASIL-B level, and to this end, Arm's automotive IP that satisfies computing performance and functional safety requirements will be introduced.

The Arm IP to be applied to Apache6 includes the main processor Cortex-A65AE core CPU, Mali-G78AE GPU, and subsystem IPs, which are newly released IPs supporting the automotive semiconductor standard ISO26262, and Nextchip will be the first in Korea to apply them to a product. For successful product development, Nextchip and Arm will closely cooperate, aiming to release a prototype in the second half of next year.

Kim Kyungsoo, CEO of Nextchip, said, "Based on Nextchip's top-level Image Processing and Sensing technology, we will apply Arm's CPU and GPU optimized for automotive." He added, "Through Apache6, the next-generation product reborn as a fusion solution with multi-channel video input and heterogeneous sensors such as radar, LiDAR, and ultrasonic, we expect to firmly establish a leading position in the specialized ADAS market."

Hwang Sunwook, Head of Arm Korea, said, "Apache6, based on Arm's IP verified in the automotive market and including safety functions, is a core product developed by a Korean fabless company targeting the global automotive market." He added, "Through cooperation with Gaonchips, an Arm Approved Design Partner, we will do our best to support Nextchip in developing competitive products."