Automotive SerDes chips: Smart cars are high-speed arteries, and domestic substitution is making a full breakthrough

1. What is SerDes?Why is it indispensable for cars?

• Convert multiple parallel data into high-speed serial signals to achieveLong distance, low interference, less wirestransmission
• Key technologies: PLL, CDR clock recovery, LVDS, equalization, FEC error correction, 8B/10B encoding, etc.

Three major demand scenarios

1. ADAS autonomous driving

   8 million pixel camera bandwidth ≈ 5.75Gbps

   L4 needs to transmit 12+ channels of high-definition video at the same time,Only SerDes can carry
2. Smart cockpit multi-screen linkage

   Central control + instrument + HUD three-screen total bandwidth requirement >50Gbps

   Far more than LVDS (≈3Gbps), traditional Ethernet (1Gbps)
3. In-vehicle real-time communication

   End-to-end latency is nanoseconds, supporting V2X, lidar, and domain control high-speed interconnection

Bicycle usage

• L2/L3: 8–16 serializers + 2–4 deserializers
• L4 and above:>20 pieces
• Rate: Mainstream 6–8Gbps, towards12.8Gbps / 24Gbps(PAM4)Upgrade

2. Market structure: TI + ADI have a total monopoly of 92%, and domestic products are accelerating to break through.

International giant (private agreement + ecological binding)

• TI（FPD-Link）
  Global share ≈ 60%, strong cockpit screen, supports 8K, 16Gbps
• ADI (GMSL, formerly Maxim)
  Share≈32%, ADAS camera fieldMarket share exceeds 90%
• Inova (APIX), ROHM, Sony (GVIF), NXP (acquisition of Aviva)

Domestic manufacturers (open standards + cost advantages + full independence)

• Norelsys: HSMT standard, top three in domestic market share, cumulative shipments >4 million units
• Nanocore Micro: HSMT 6.4Gbps, FEC + retransmission, stronger anti-interference
• Kangzhi Technology (AIM): HDL protocol, vehicle certification, supply to Changan and SAIC
• First introduction of microelectronics:Dual protocol (HSMT + MIPI A-PHY), breaking brand binding
• Yu Taiwei: MIPI A-PHY route, 6.4Gbps Estimated samples by the end of 2025
• OmniVision Group: 2Gbps OTX9211/9342 has been designated, and 6Gbps products will be launched in Q3

3. Core advantages of domestic substitution

1. Standards broken

   HSMT (China industry standard) + MIPI A-PHY + ASA open protocol popularization

   Dual-protocol chips can interoperate across brands and are no longer locked by TI/ADI.
2. Significantly lower costs

   Domestic products are cheaper than imported products30%–50%, faster delivery and more flexible service
3. Entire industry chain independence

   Design + wafer foundry + packaging and testing are all domestically produced, and the supply chain is safe and controllable

   Howell and other CIS manufacturers have joined together to form a camera + SerDes combination solution
4. Strong support from car companies

   Domestic smart driving and cockpit penetration rates lead the world, and car companies are willing to give domestic manufacturers the opportunity to get on board.

   In 2025, the annual domestic automotive SerDes demand is expected to reach300 million pieces

4. Future trends and window period

• 2025–2027 YesKey window period for domestic production
• speed direction12.8Gbps、24GbpsUpgrade, high-end market reshuffled
• Open protocols (HSMT/A-PHY) will continue to squeeze the share of private protocols
• Institutional forecast:The share of domestic automotive SerDes is expected to exceed 30% in 2030

5. Summary