Towards a New Era: Tongxin Micro Launches the THA6206 Next-Generation Automotive MCU to Empower the Automotive Industry

On the morning of July 11, the 2024 China Semiconductor Industry Association's 16th Semiconductor Market Annual Conference and the UNISOC Rebranding Launch were successfully held in Beijing. During the event, UNISOC revealed its rebranding, changing its name to Tsinghua Unigroup, and also unveiled its new brand identity.

In the afternoon, as part of the event, the Semiconductor Industry Innovation Sub-forum took place. Tongxin Micro invited key figures from government, industry, academia, and research sectors to gather and engage in in-depth discussions on the topic of "Automotive Electronics", sharing insights and exploring the bright future of the intelligent era.

1. A New Era for Tsinghua Unigroup: Tongxin Micro Continues to Empower Automotive Electronics

In response to the changing times, Tsinghua Unigroup has not only undergone a rebranding but has also defined a strategic development direction for the smart technology industry. The group has established eight major business sectors and is working closely with its partners to drive ongoing innovation and mutual development.

As the core company in the automotive electronics and intelligent chip segment of Tsinghua Unigroup, Tongxin Micro has aligned its operations with the group's latest development strategy. In his opening speech at the sub-forum, Yue Chao, President of Tongxin Micro, pointed out the key challenges facing China's automotive electronics industry. He proposed three feasible solutions: "Gradually breaking through underlying technologies, optimizing system-level solutions based on industry and customer demands, and collaborating with upstream and downstream partners to explore new service models." These strategies are designed to support the healthy development of the automotive industry, providing new methods and pathways.

Building on its deep experience in R&D and mass production of security chips, Tongxin Micro has become a leading provider of semiconductor solutions. In the automotive electronics sector, the company has established a business framework focused on cybersecurity and functional safety, while gradually expanding its product portfolio to include supporting products. Tongxin Micro's products are widely applied in scenarios such as powertrain, chassis, body, intelligent driving, cockpit, and domain control unit, earning recognition from multiple OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.

2. Launch of the THA6206: The Next-Generation Automotive MCU

Driven by ongoing innovation in automotive electronics, Tongxin Micro has made a significant technological breakthrough in automotive MCUs. At the sub-forum, the company proudly launched its second-generation automotive domain control chip—the THA6206, which is the first Arm Cortex-R52+ ASIL D MCU in China.

The THA6206 is on par with those from international giants in terms of security, reliability, computing power, and real-time performance. It provides a reliable foundation for E/E architectures, meeting the demands of applications such as powertrain, chassis, body, battery management, and vehicle control.

The THA6206 is powered by Arm's most advanced real-time processor core, with a clock speed of up to 400 MHz. It integrates the latest GTM module, supports high-resolution PWM, and has received ISO 26262 ASIL D functional safety process and product certification. It also achieves the highest EVITA-Full level of cybersecurity. The chip is built on the Armv8 architecture, offering exceptional computing power, a built-in hardware RDC module, and support for both software and hardware decoding of resolver signals, making it ideal for domain control applications. Additionally, the THA6206 integrates a variety of advanced functional modules and a rich set of peripheral interfaces, ensuring compatibility with mainstream industry debuggers, compilers, and other toolchains, making it suitable for complex automotive application environments.

Tongxin Micro's Senior Vice President, Huang Jun, stated, "This product is specifically designed for automotive safety applications, addressing the urgent demand for MCUs with higher safety and faster real-time response capabilities in the new automotive E/E domain architecture. Currently, several OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers are conducting development and testing based on this chip."

3. Building the Chip Ecosystem to Propel China's Automotive Industry

At the sub-forum, Professor Li Jianqiu, a professor and doctoral advisor from the School of Vehicle and Mobility in Tsinghua University, and Mr. Dai Weimin, Chairman and President of VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd., delivered keynote speeches on The Current Status and Trends of Automotive Semiconductors in China and The Chiplet-Based Smart Mobility Chip Platform, respectively. They shared their profound insights into the direction of the automotive industry development and technological innovation.

Professor Li pointed out that the intelligent electrification trend is driving the rapid development of the automotive semiconductor industry in China, fostering the rapid growth of domestic automotive electronic components. He also provided deep insights and forward-looking predictions on the future development direction and potential trends of the automotive semiconductor industry, offering valuable reference and guidance for the industry.

Mr. Dai emphasized the importance of autonomous driving chips and the advantages of chiplet technology. Through case analysis and technical explanations, he demonstrated the potential of chiplets in solving challenges in large chip designs and improving computing power integration. He also predicted market development trends and provided corresponding strategic recommendations.

During the themed roundtable discussion, representatives from Tongxin Micro, Tsinghua University, the National New Energy Vehicle Technology Innovation Center, Lin Control, and Unigroup Smart Mobility Automotive, together with industry experts and scholars, engaged in an in-depth discussion on Catching Up and Surpassing—Innovation and Development of China's Automotive Chip Industry. The participants agreed that China's automotive chip industry faces both challenges and opportunities. In the context of intensified industry competition and rapid iteration, achieving domestic substitution requires the collective effort of the entire industry chain. Establishing a comprehensive, deeply integrated, and collaboratively developed industrial innovation ecosystem is of utmost importance. In particular, as the demand for automotive chips continues to grow, automotive semiconductor companies must increase investment in R&D, enhance product reliability and practical value, and strengthen the foundation for realizing the "new four modernizations" of the automotive industry.

Embracing new challenges and opportunities, Tongxin Micro, with over 20 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, has deepened its understanding of industry patterns and evolving technological trends. Meanwhile, it has fostered communication and collaboration across the entire industry chain ecosystem. By prioritizing customer needs, the company aims to fulfill both its business goals and social responsibilities. Moving forward, Tongxin Micro will continue to uphold Tsinghua Unigroup's philosophy of "aiming high, acting with vision, and creating value." Tongxin Micro will continue to expand into the cutting-edge field of automotive electronics, collaborate with upstream and downstream partners, explore technological innovation, and embark on a new chapter of growth, all while contributing to a greater cause and improving lives through the power of technology.