ROHM’s PMICs for SoCs Have Been Adopted in Reference Designs for Telechips‘ Next-Generation Cockpits

ROHM has announced the adoption of its PMICs in power reference designs focused on the next-generation cockpit SoCs ‘Dolphin3’ (REF67003) and ‘Dolphin5’ (REF67005) by Telechips, a major fabless semiconductor manufacturer for automotive applications headquartered in Pangyo, South Korea. Intended for use inside the cockpits of European automakers, these designs are scheduled for mass production in 2025.

ROHM and Telechips have been engaged in technical exchanges since 2021, fostering a close collaborative relationship from the early stages of SoC chip design. As a first step in achieving this goal, ROHM’s power supply solutions have been integrated into Telechips’ power supply reference designs. These solutions support diverse model development by combining sub-PMICs and DrMOS with the main PMIC for SoCs.

For infotainment applications, the Dolphin3 application processor (AP) power reference design includes the BD96801Qxx-C main PMIC for SoCs. Similarly, the Dolphin5 AP power reference design developed for next-generation digital cockpits combines the BD96805Qxx-C and BD96811Fxx-C main PMICs for SoC with the BD96806Qxx-C sub-PMIC for SoC, improving overall system efficiency and reliability.

Modern cockpits are equipped with multiple displays, such as instrument clusters and infotainment systems, with each automotive application becoming increasingly multifunctional. As the processing power required for automotive SoCs increases, power ICs like PMICs must be able to support high currents while maintaining high efficiency. At the same time, manufacturers require flexible solutions that can accommodate different vehicle types and model variations with minimal circuit modifications. ROHM SoC PMICs address these challenges with high efficiency operation and internal memory (One Time Programmable ROM) that allows for custom output voltage settings and sequence control, enabling compatibility with large currents when paired with a sub-PMIC or DrMOS.

Moonsoo Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of System Semiconductor R&D Center, Telechips Inc.

“Telechips offers reference designs and core technologies centered around automotive SoCs for next-generation ADAS and cockpit applications. We are pleased to have developed a power reference design that supports the advanced features and larger displays found in next-generation cockpits by utilizing power solutions from ROHM, a global semiconductor manufacturer. Leveraging ROHM’s power supply solutions allows these reference designs to achieve advanced functionality while maintaining low power consumption. ROHM power solutions are highly scalable, so we look forward to future model expansions and continued collaboration.”

Sumihiro Takashima, Corporate Officer and Director of the LSI Business Unit, ROHM Co., Ltd.

“We are pleased that our power reference designs have been adopted by Telechips, a company with a strong track record in automotive SoCs. As ADAS continues to evolve and cockpits become more multifunctional, power supply ICs must handle larger currents while minimizing current consumption. ROHM SoC PMICs meet the high current demands of next-generation cockpits by adding a DrMOS or sub-PMIC in the stage after the main PMIC. This setup achieves high efficiency operation that contributes to lower power consumption. Going forward, ROHM will continue our partnership with Telechips to deepen our understanding of next-generation cockpits and ADAS, driving further evolution in the automotive sector through rapid product development.”

Telechips SoC [Dolphin Series]
The Dolphin series consists of automotive SoCs tailored to In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and Autonomous Driving (AD) applications. Dolphin3 supports up to four displays and eight in-vehicle cameras, while Dolphin5 enables up to five displays and eight cameras, making highly suited as SoCs for increasingly multifunctional next-generation cockpits. Telechips is focused on expanding the Dolphin series of APs (Application Processors) for car infotainment, with models like Dolphin+, Dolphin3, and Dolphin5, by leveraging its globally recognized technical expertise cultivated over many years.

Terminology

PMIC (Power Management IC)

An IC that contains multiple power supply systems and functions for power management and sequence control on a single chip. It is becoming more commonplace in applications with multiple power supply systems in both the automotive and consumer sectors by significantly reducing space and development load vs conventional circuit configurations using individual components (i.e. DC-DC converter ICs, LDOs, discretes).

SoC (System-on-a-Chip)

A type of integrated circuit that incorporates a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, interface, and other elements on a single substrate. Widely used in automotive, consumer, and industrial applications due to its high processing capacity, power efficiency, and space savings.

AP (Application Processor)

Responsible for processing applications and software in devices such as smartphones, tablets, and automotive infotainment systems. It includes components such as a CPU, GPU, and memory controller to efficiently run the Operating System (OS), process multimedia, and render graphics.

DrMOS (Doctor MOS)

A module that integrates a MOSFET and gate driver IC. The simple configuration is expected to reduce design person-hours along with mounting area and to achieve efficient power conversion. At the same time, the built-in gate driver ensures high reliability by stabilizing MOSFET drive.