Intel-GloFo rumors; semiconductor investments; in-vehicle data transmission; AI updates

Investments – both announced and rumored – make up a significant part of this week’s news roundup. More updates concern automotive applications and AI chips.

Intel reportedly in talks to buy GlobalFoundries

According to the Wall Street Journal, Intel is exploring a deal to buy GlobalFoundries, in a move that would represent its largest acquisition ever. A deal could value GlobalFoundries at around $30 billion, sources said. It isn’t guaranteed that the acquisition will take place; alternatively, GloFo could proceed with a planned initial public offering. GlobalFoundries is owned by Mubadala Investment Co., an investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government. As noted by WSJ, AMD remains a big customer for GlobalFoundries, and that could complicate a takeover by Intel.

Rohm to invest in semiconductor startups

Japanese chipmaker Rohm has reportedly launched a 5 billion yen ($45.3 million) venture capital fund to invest in next-generation semiconductor technology. Among first beneficiaries is US startup Locix, a developer of cloud-based spatial intelligence solutions for commercial buildings, consumer homes and connected devices. Locix solutions capture location, visual and sensor data and combine them with data analytics to provide spatial awareness.  Based in San Bruno, CA, Locix is backed by several other Japanese investors, too.

SK Siltron to expand SiC capability in Michigan

SK Siltron’s U.S. unit is reportedly planning to invest $300 million in Michigan to expand its silicon carbide wafer manufacturing and add 150 jobs to support U.S. electric vehicle production. SK Siltron CSS, a unit of South Korea-based SK Siltron, said the investment over the next three years would more than double the company’s workforce in Michigan and add a new 140,000-square foot site in Bay City, Mich., to join its current facility in nearby Auburn, Mich.

Q2 21 venture investment boom is not a bubble, analysts say

According to market intelligence firm CB Insights, venture investment to startups worldwide exploded to new highs in Q2’21 setting a new global funding record, up 157% year-over-year. These numbers are raising concerns about a possible new “dot com bubble”, similar to what happened in 1999. CB Insights’ analysts, however, think that this is not the case, as the situation today is different. Among the differences, a lot more funding today is going to enterprise tech/SaaS vs. heavy consumer; to building product vs. racks of servers, colocation facilities, etc.; to perceived winners vs. speculative early-stage companies. “So yes — the market is exuberant and probably a touch frothy. But it ain’t 1999,” CB Insights concluded in a newsletter.

MIPI A-PHY is now an IEEE standard

The MIPI A-PHY v1.0 specification has been adopted as an IEEE standard (IEEE 2977-2021). Developed by the MIPI Alliance, A-PHY is an asymmetric, long-reach, SerDes physical layer interface for automotive applications. With a reach of up to 15 meters, MIPI A-PHY provides an asymmetric data link in point-to-point or daisy-chain topologies, with high-speed unidirectional data (16 Gbps, with a roadmap to 48 Gbps and beyond), embedded bidirectional control data, ultra-high noise immunity and optional power delivery over a single cable. It also offers a packet error rate of 10‑19. With the approval of IEEE 2977, MIPI A-PHY becomes accessible to a broader network of system engineers beyond the MIPI membership – which should expand the ecosystem, increase interoperability and vendor choice, ultimately helping economies of scale.

Analog is better than SerDes for in-vehicle HD video, Renesas says

The new Automotive HD Link (AHL) technology from Renesas enables to deliver high-definition video inside vehicles over low-cost cables – such as UTP, unshielded twisted pair – and connectors that currently support standard-definition video. The solution – based on the RAA279971 encoder and RAA279972 decoder chips – supports definitions up to 1080p/30. Key to the possibility of using UTP cables is a modulated analog signal that enables a 10 times smaller data rate compared to a digital transmission. According to Renesas, digital links such as SerDes require expensive heavily shielded cables and high-end connectors, may need replacement after 5-7 years and are difficult to route due to bending radius limitations. Renesas is also claiming a safety benefit for AHL, as a weak signal would only cause a minor image degradation.

RoboTaxis silicon content

Revealed at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference recently held in Shanghai, the new AutoX’s Gen5 self-driving platform employs ON Semiconductor components and enables the first fully driverless RoboTaxi. ON Semiconductor provides twenty-eight high-resolution AR0820AT 8 MP image sensors and four SiPM arrays for LiDAR sensors, providing a full surround view with zero blind spots. Founded by Jianxiong Xiao, a self-driving technologist from MIT and Princeton University, AutoX is the first and currently only company in China operating a fully driverless RoboTaxi service on public roads without safety drivers. AutoX is also the second company to obtain California DMV’s completely driverless RoboTaxi permit.

AI updates: Innatera, Canaan

Dutch startup Innatera, developer of neuromorphic processors, has appointed Prof. Alberto L. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli as Chairman of its Board of Directors. A longtime professor at Berkeley University, Sangiovanni-Vincentelli also co-founded Cadence and Synopsys. Innatera expects to sample its Spiking Neural Processor to select customers in the second half of 2021. The company’s silicon engineering is complemented by the development of an innovative SDK.

Alberto L. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli. Source: Innatera

At the above-mentioned World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Chinese chip developer Canaan announced the release of the Kendryte K510, an independently designed and developed RISC-V based edge AI chip. The chip is mostly targeted at vision applications, such as drone aerial photography, panoramic video conferences, robotics, etc.

Acquisitions

Austin-based Cirrus Logic has entered into an agreement to acquire Lion Semiconductor for $335 million in cash. With operations in San Francisco and Seoul, Lion specializes in switched-capacitor architectures for wired and wireless fast-charging for smartphones and laptops.

Mobix Labs, a fabless RF component company, has acquired all the assets and intellectual property of Cosemi Technologies, a developer of high-speed connectivity solutions. Both companies are based in Irvine, CA.

Upcoming events

DesignCon will take place in San Jose, CA, from August 16 to 18, co-located with Drive World+ESC.

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