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Global semiconductor manufacturer ROHM (headquartered in Kyoto, Japan) today announced a joint development with leading automotive chip company Xinchih Technology for the smart cockpit reference design “REF68003”. This reference design primarily covers Xinchih Technology’s smart cockpit SoC*1 “X9SP” product, which is equipped with ROHM’s PMIC*2 product, and was showcased at the Xinchih Technology booth during the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show.
Photo from the Xinchih Technology booth at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show
Right three: Xinchih Technology Founder Qiu Yujing
Left two: Xinchih Technology Founder CTO Sun Mingle
Left three: ROHM Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Chairman Mizuho Hideo
Xinchih Technology’s X9 series products comprehensively cover instrument clusters, IVI, cockpit domain control, and integrated cabin applications from entry-level to flagship scenarios, with over a million units shipped and rich mass production experience, forming a mature ecosystem. According to the latest data from the GaiShi Automotive Research Institute (domestic passenger car insurance volume), from January to March 2025, among models priced above 100,000 yuan, Xinchih Technology’s X9 series cockpit chips (including instrument clusters, central control, and domain control) ranked first in domestic installations, covering over 50 mainstream models from automakers such as SAIC, Chery, Changan, FAW, GAC, BAIC, Dongfeng Nissan, and Dongfeng Honda, as well as many models exported overseas.
Xinchih Technology and ROHM began technical exchanges in 2019 and have been committed to jointly developing applications for smart cockpits. In 2022, the two parties signed an advanced technology development cooperation agreement in the automotive field. To date, they have jointly developed reference designs for smart cockpits by combining Xinchih Technology’s automotive SoCs “X9H”, “X9M”, and “X9E” with ROHM’s PMIC, SerDes IC*3, and LED driver ICs.
In 2025, targeting mid-to-high-end smart cockpits, Xinchih Technology and ROHM jointly developed a new reference design “REF68003” based on the automotive SoC “X9SP”. ROHM provides PMICs for SoCs “BD96811F44-C”, “BD96806Q04-C”, “BD96806Q05-C”, and “BD96806Q06-C”, which comply with ISO 26262 and ASIL-B*4, helping to achieve various high-performance automotive applications. In the future, ROHM will continue to develop products suitable for automotive infotainment systems, contributing to the enhancement of vehicle convenience and safety.
Sun Mingle, CTO of Xinchih Technology stated: “With the rapid development of automotive intelligence, the requirements for automotive electronics and components are also increasing. The X9SP is the core flagship product of Xinchih’s X9 series high-performance cockpit SoCs, designed for smart cockpits and cross-domain integration scenarios, featuring high performance and reliability, particularly suitable for integrated cabin solutions. The newly developed reference design combines ROHM’s PMIC with the X9SP to enhance the overall system’s stability and energy efficiency. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with ROHM to provide various innovative in-vehicle solutions in the future.”
ROHM Director and Senior Executive Officer Tetsuo Ishi stated: “We are very pleased to collaborate with Xinchih Technology, a leading company in the automotive SoC field, to develop new reference designs. The smart cockpit, which integrates various functions such as infotainment and ADAS function monitoring, is accelerating in popularity, especially in the next generation of electric vehicles, where the role of automotive analog semiconductor products such as PMICs is becoming increasingly important. The PMIC for SoCs provided by ROHM is a power IC that can be flexibly applied to the next generation of automotive power supplies while meeting functional safety requirements. In the future, by deepening our communication and collaboration with Xinchih Technology, ROHM will accelerate the development of products that support the multifunctional development of the next generation of smart cockpits, contributing to the further development of the automotive industry.”
Background
In recent years, the smart cockpit, which is becoming popular, not only integrates various functions such as instrument clusters and infotainment systems but also accelerates the adoption of large displays. At the same time, the processing power required for automotive SoCs is also increasing, thus requiring power ICs such as PMICs, which serve as core components, to support current and operate efficiently.
ROHM provides PMICs for SoCs that not only have high stability and efficiency but also allow for arbitrary output voltage settings and sequencing control through internal memory (OTP). With minimal circuit changes, power systems can be constructed for various vehicle models and types, contributing to reducing development time for automotive manufacturers.
– About the reference design “REF68003” equipped with “X9SP” and ROHM products
“REF68003” is equipped with Xinchih Technology’s smart cockpit SoC “X9SP” and ROHM’s PMIC for SoCs. Currently, this reference design has been validated by Xinchih Technology. Utilizing this reference design, a smart cockpit that meets safety level ASIL-B can be achieved. Additionally, the PMIC for SoCs provided by ROHM can use internal memory (OTP) for arbitrary output voltage settings and timing control, thus efficiently and flexibly supplying power according to specific circuit requirements.
This reference design utilizes Xinchih Technology’s proprietary hardware virtualization support function, allowing multiple operating systems (OS) to run on a single SoC. At the same time, using a hardware security management module, commands from the OS can be transmitted to the SoC and GPU. Furthermore, by replacing it with other pin-compatible SoCs from Xinchih Technology, specifications can be quickly changed without altering the circuit.
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About Xinchih Technology’s smart cockpit SoC “X9SP series”
https://www.semidrive.com/product/X9SP
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About ROHM’s reference design page
Detailed information about the reference design and the products equipped within it has been published on ROHM’s official website.
URL: https://www.rohm.com.cn/reference-designs/ref68003
For more detailed information about the reference design, please consult a sales representative or visit the “Contact Us” page on ROHM’s official website.
＜Terminology Explanation＞
*1） SoC (System-On-a-Chip): An integrated circuit that integrates CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, interfaces, etc. It is widely used in automotive, consumer, and industrial devices to achieve high processing power, energy efficiency, and space reduction.
*2） PMIC (Power Management IC): An IC that contains multiple power systems and integrates power management and timing control functions on a single chip. Compared to circuit structures composed of standalone DC-DC converter ICs, LDOs, and discrete components, it can significantly save space and shorten development cycles, thus becoming a common device in applications with multiple power systems in both automotive and consumer electronics.
*3） SerDes IC: A general term for two ICs used in pairs for high-speed data transmission and communication mode conversion. The serializer converts data into a format suitable for high-speed transmission (converts parallel data to serial data), while the deserializer converts the transmitted data back to its original format (converts serial data to parallel data).
*4） ISO 26262, ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level): ISO 26262 is an international standard related to the functional safety of automotive electronic and electrical systems, officially issued in November 2011. It is a standardized development process aimed at achieving “functional safety”. It requires calculating the fault risk in automotive electronic controls and embedding mechanisms to reduce that risk as one of the functions in the system. This standard covers the entire lifecycle of vehicle development from the vehicle concept phase to system, ECU, embedded software, device development, production, maintenance, and disposal stages. ASIL is a risk classification system defined in ISO 26262, divided into four levels, with higher risk levels requiring higher functional safety standards..
About ROHM
ROHM is a semiconductor electronic component manufacturer established in 1958. Through a global development and sales network, it provides high-quality and reliable ICs, discrete semiconductors, and electronic component products for automotive and industrial equipment markets, as well as consumer electronics, communications, and many other markets. In the power electronics and analog fields where ROHM excels, its advantage lies in providing comprehensive optimization solutions for systems, including silicon carbide power devices and driver ICs that fully utilize their performance, as well as transistors, diodes, resistors, and other peripheral components. For more information, please visit ROHM’s official website: https://www.rohm.com.cn/
About Xinchih
Xinchih Technology is a leader in full-scenario intelligent vehicle chips, focusing on providing high-performance, high-reliability automotive-grade chips that cover the smart cockpit and intelligent vehicle control fields, encompassing the most critical chip categories in future automotive electronic and electrical architectures.
All series of Xinchih chips have been mass-produced, with shipments exceeding8 million units. Xinchih currently has over200 fixed-point projects, serving over260 customers, covering more than90% of domestic major manufacturers and some international mainstream automakers, including SAIC, Chery, Changan, Dongfeng, FAW, Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen, and Li Auto.
Five Certifications for Xinchih’s Success
· TÜV Rheinland ISO 26262 ASIL D functional safety management system certification
· AEC-Q100 Grade 1/Grade 2 reliability certification
· TÜV Rheinland ISO 26262 ASIL B/D functional safety product certification
· TÜV Rheinland ISO/SAE 21434 automotive cybersecurity management system certification
· National Certification for Information Security by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Cryptography Administration
