LG Innotek Announces Entry into 'Automotive AP Module' Market... Targeting Automotive Electronics Sector

400 Components Including Chipset in a 6.5 cm Module
Plans to Expand Automotive Business into Vehicle Semiconductor Sector

LG Innotek is targeting the automotive parts market with a new vehicle application processor module (AP module). The company plans to expand its existing automotive parts business into the vehicle semiconductor sector.

According to LG Innotek on the 19th, the vehicle AP module is a semiconductor component installed inside vehicles that integrates and controls automotive electronic systems such as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and Digital Cockpit. It functions as the brain of the vehicle, similar to a computer's central processing unit (CPU).

Vehicle AP module developed by LG Innotek. Photo by LG Innotek

With the advancement of connected cars including autonomous driving, the demand for AP modules is rapidly increasing every year. This is because PCB-based semiconductor chips alone have limitations in processing the vast data of advanced ADAS and high-resolution displays equipped in digital cockpits. The industry expects the number of AP modules installed in vehicles worldwide to grow from 33 million units this year to 113 million units by 2030, increasing at an average annual rate of 22%.

The biggest strength of LG Innotek’s newly introduced 'vehicle AP module' is its compactness and simplicity. A small module measuring 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm contains more than 400 components, including an integrated chipset (SoC, System on Chip) that controls various systems such as data and graphics processing, display, and multimedia, memory semiconductors, and power management integrated circuits (PMIC).

Applying this product allows for a reduction in the size of the mainboard, increasing design freedom for automaker customers. The shorter signal distance between components also enhances the control performance of the module.

LG Innotek plans to continuously advance the vehicle AP module. Within this year, it aims to improve the module’s heat dissipation performance to operate at up to 95℃ and significantly shorten the AP module development period through warpage prediction using virtual simulation. LG Innotek is actively promoting the product to global semiconductor companies, including those in North America, with the goal of first mass production in the second half of this year.

CEO Moon Hyuk-soo said, "The development of the vehicle AP module has accelerated the expansion of our semiconductor parts business. LG Innotek will continue to introduce products that provide differentiated customer value and become a trusted innovation partner for global customers."