Article reposted from Jiwei-net
From March 25 to 27, the 21st Automotive Lighting Industry Development Technology Forum and Shanghai International Automotive Lighting Exhibition (ALE) was grandly held in Kunshan, Jiangsu, where intelligent vehicle lighting and interactive technologies took center stage. As a leading Chinese analog and mixed-signal company, awinic Technology made a major appearance at the event with comprehensive solutions spanning in-cabin ambient lighting and exterior intelligent vehicle lighting. Leveraging 16 years of expertise in automotive lighting communication technology and its full-stack product portfolio, the company garnered significant industry attention. During the exhibition, a representative from awinic Technology accepted an exclusive interview with Jiweinet, offering in-depth insights into automotive lighting technology trends, the core advantages of domestic substitution, and future R&D strategies.
Technology Renewal: Full-Scenario
Product Matrix Drives Interactive Upgrades
As a vital aspect of automotive intelligence, vehicle lighting has evolved from
a mere illumination tool into a core medium for emotional interaction and
personalized expression. At this year’s ALE exhibition, Awinic Technology
showcased a renewed suite of solutions for both interior and exterior
applications, centered on "intelligent interaction."
"With 16 years of deep expertise in LED lighting communication technology, we have introduced a full-series LED driver product matrix ranging from 3 to 216 channels, forming a differentiated 'Awinic Lighting Communication' technology system," the representative explained. The core solutions presented at the exhibition included static and dynamic ambient lighting, ISD interactive taillights, starlight headliners, and a groundbreaking, industry-leading dedicated solution for in-car music rhythm synchronization—fully addressing the evolving demands for intelligent lighting interaction.
Among these, the in-car music rhythm & AI emotional ambient lighting stood out as a star product and solution, creating an immersive lighting interaction experience for intelligent cockpits and drawing significant interest from visitors. The Awinic Technology representative noted that this solution leverages AI music style recognition technology to instantly analyze music genres and automatically match lighting effects. By employing both time-domain and frequency-domain analysis, it achieves ultra-low-latency, precise synchronization of sound and light, deeply integrating cockpit ambient lighting with music. Complemented by a real-time screen color tracking algorithm, it automatically generates adaptive lighting effects based on the screen’s dominant hue, ensuring a highly cohesive interior color scheme. This approach moves beyond monotonous, rigid lighting, elevating traditional cockpit illumination into a "warm, emotional, and atmospheric" cabin experience. The solution is widely adaptable for automotive applications such as AI-based music style recognition and full-scenario cockpit ambient lighting. It incorporates Awinic Technology’s music rhythm MCU AW32F010QNR-Q1, 36-channel true-color RGB constant-current driver AW21036QPY-Q1, and static ambient lighting SoC AW23003QNR-Q1.
(On-site photo of in-car music rhythm & AI emotional ambient lighting)
The AW32F010QNR-Q1 pairs perfectly with the 216-channel matrix LED driver chip AW20216EQPY-Q1. The latter can independently control 216 monochrome LEDs or 72 RGB LEDs with a single chip, with each channel supporting 256-level DC current adjustment and 256-level PWM dimming. This enables 16.78 million color adjustments, supports an autonomous breathing mode, and features a built-in comprehensive diagnostic module. The combined solution can effortlessly realize high-end scenario applications such as dynamic music rhythm synchronization, starlight headliners, and intelligent interactive lighting.
The reporter also learned that the AW20216EQPY-Q1 utilizes an 18*12 LED driver design, coupled with a 10MHz SPI high-speed communication interface, achieving extremely fast animation refresh rates for lighting effects without stuttering or ghosting. In common taillight screen applications with 2,000 to 5,000 LED beads, this solution requires only 10 to 25 driver chips, significantly reducing hardware costs and PCB complexity compared to the 42 to 105 chips needed in traditional solutions.
Demand Evolution: A Triple Shift from Feature Stacking to Emotional Interaction
Awinic Technology's continuous launch of highly integrated, high-performance product matrices is driven by its keen insight into the profound evolution of industry demands. As automotive lighting transitions from a high-end option to a standard feature, industry data projects that ambient lighting penetration will reach 80% by 2028, with 10 to 40 units installed per vehicle. Against this backdrop, the demands of OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers are undergoing significant transformation.
The representative summarized, "The current industry demand exhibits three core shifts. First, the shift from 'feature stacking' to 'emotional interaction.' Lighting is no longer merely decorative but has become a central medium for human-vehicle interaction. This requires not only emotional interaction based on occupant heart rate, fatigue level, and music style but also cross-domain integration with intelligent driving alerts, infotainment systems, and fragrance systems. Second, personalization and user co-creation have become core demands. OEMs urgently need lighting solutions that support customizable colors, dynamic effects, and trigger logic. Third, high-lumen ambient lighting is becoming the mainstream standard, placing higher demands on driver chip integration, reliability, high-current control capability, and compact packaging."
This trend aligns closely with the intelligent and electrification transformation of the automotive industry. Data shows that in 2025, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales exceeded 16 million units for the first time, accounting for 47.94% of total vehicle sales. Some analysts predict that penetration could reach 80% by 2030. NEV manufacturers have higher demands for design freedom, technological sophistication, and intelligent interaction in lighting, and are also more willing to experiment with local supply chains, creating vast opportunities for domestic companies like awinic Technology.
Addressing Application Challenges: Software-Hardware Synergy Solves Industry Pain Points
In response to the upgrade demand for in-cabin ambient lighting from "decoration" to "dynamic interaction," Awinic Technology has developed a full-chain optimization solution. At the color control level, the automotive-grade LIN RGB SoC AW23003QNR-Q1 stands out. It integrates three constant-current drivers, each supporting 256-level current adjustment and 65,536-level ultra-high-precision PWM dimming. Combined with its proprietary high-precision spatial color conversion and LED temperature compensation algorithms, it achieves color consistency under all operating conditions, with target color coordinate deviation controlled within ±0.005, far exceeding standard industry levels.
In terms of dynamic effects and system design, the high integration of the AW20216EQPY-Q1 is a key advantage. A single chip can drive 216 LEDs, reducing system costs by over 20% compared to conventional solutions. Paired with LIN bus single-bus, multi-node control capability, it significantly simplifies vehicle wiring harness layout. Meanwhile, the music rhythm-dedicated MCU AW32F010QNR-Q1 supports multiple differential signal inputs, compatible with PA differential output, MIC output, and HEADPHONE output. It requires only one IIC bus to connect four AW21036QPY-Q1 chips, controlling up to 144 LED channels to achieve smooth, seamless sound and light synchronization.
Addressing pain points in exterior intelligent vehicle lighting—such as high power density, high heat dissipation, and high communication rates—Awinic Technology also offers targeted solutions. The AW20216EQPY-Q1 delivers a transient current of up to 100mA per channel, supporting independent constant-current dimming and PWM dimming, making it ideal for applications like Mini LED taillights and ISD interactive taillights. It adopts an automotive-grade QFP package and a large thermal pad, capable of withstanding a wide temperature range from -40°C to +125°C, meeting the stringent requirements of exterior automotive environments. For reliability, the chip integrates monitoring and protection functions for conditions like LED open/short circuits and over-temperature. It is AEC-Q100 Grade 1 qualified, and the entire process—from design and packaging to testing—complies with automotive-grade quality management standards.
Domestic Substitution: Three Core Strengths Forge Competitive Barriers
The ability to confidently address multi-scenario challenges stems from the robust barriers Awinic Technology has established in the automotive electronics sector. The triple transformations of electrification, intelligence, and global expansion in the automotive industry, coupled with policy support for domestic substitution, have solidified Awinic Technology's first-mover advantage, creating a strong competitive edge in automotive electronics.
The on-site representative summarized this advantage as resting on three core pillars: "technological expertise, service responsiveness, and supply chain security."
On the technology front, awinic Technology has focused on R&D in high-performance analog and mixed-signal, power management, and signal chain chips for 18 years. It has built a comprehensive portfolio spanning five major product lines ("sound, light, electricity, shooter, and driver"), over 40 product subcategories, and nearly 2,000 products available on the market. Specifically in automotive lighting drivers, the company boasts 16 years of accumulated experience, offering full-stack solutions from chips to systems.
In 2024, Awinic Technology's R&D investment reached RMB 510 million, accounting for nearly 17% of its revenue, with technical staff comprising over 74% of its workforce. In 2025, the company continued to increase R&D investment, with R&D expenses in the first half of the year rising 19.2% year-on-year to RMB 263 million. It has accumulated 684 domestic and international patents, 131 software copyrights, and 610 integrated circuit layout registrations, demonstrating industry-leading innovation investment and technological strength.
Regarding service responsiveness, Awinic Technology has established technical support centers in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Chengdu, as well as in South Korea and North America. This enables rapid response to customer needs throughout the R&D, debugging, and mass production processes, offering greater flexibility and efficiency advantages compared to international manufacturers.
In terms of supply chain and quality assurance, Awinic Technology has formed deep strategic partnerships with leading domestic wafer fabs and packaging/testing houses, establishing a stable and independent supply chain. It operates the first CNAS-accredited integrated circuit reliability and FA analysis laboratory among Chinese IC design companies, possessing comprehensive in-house capabilities for reliability verification and failure analysis. The company has also built a 6,000-square-meter automotive-grade testing center (with a second phase of 110,000 square meters scheduled for operation in 2026), supporting automotive-grade three-temperature testing and full AEC-Q100 qualification testing, achieving full lifecycle quality control from design to mass production. Additionally, the company has obtained IATF 16949:2016 automotive quality management system certification and ISO 26262:2018 ASIL D certification (the highest level for automotive functional safety), providing a solid guarantee for product reliability.
At present, Awinic Technology's solutions—including static and dynamic ambient lighting, music rhythm synchronization, and ISD interactive lighting—have been widely adopted by major domestic automakers such as BYD, Harmony Intelligence Mobility, Xiaomi, GAC (including Hyptec), Changan (including Avatr), Chery, and Leapmotor, as well as leading Tier 1 suppliers. Several core products have achieved mass production. Among them, five products, including the automotive-grade audio amplifier chip AW85601QPR-Q1 and the ambient lighting chip AW23003QNR-Q1, have been successfully included in the 2025 China Automotive Chip Supply Manual. Throughout the process of integrating into mainstream automakers' supply chains, Awinic Technology has passed rigorous, multi-dimensional evaluations by customers, leveraging its long-term supply reliability and business continuity, establishing itself as a benchmark enterprise for domestic automotive chip substitution.
Future Layout: On-Device AI + Full-Scenario Collaboration Ushers in a New Era
When asked about future breakthrough points in automotive lighting chip technology, Awinic Technology stated, "The core focus will be on two main directions: 'emotionally intelligent interaction empowered by on-device AI' and 'full-scenario collaboration between interior and exterior lighting.' Lighting will be thoroughly upgraded into a core intelligent medium for human-vehicle interaction and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, achieving a leap from 'passive response' to 'active perception and intelligent adaptation.'"
Based on this vision, Awinic Technology has initiated forward-looking R&D initiatives: In the field of on-device AI-driven lighting interaction, the company is focusing on developing AI emotional interaction ambient lighting solutions. By integrating multi-sensor data from the cockpit—such as facial recognition, heart rate monitoring, and fatigue detection—these solutions will enable real-time analysis of occupant emotions and proactive adaptation of lighting effects. In music rhythm technology, the company has achieved a breakthrough in AI-based music genre recognition, enabling automatic matching of lighting effect modes and color schemes based on musical style. Future iterations will continue to refine on-device AI music rhythm algorithms. In the area of full-scenario collaboration, Awinic is advancing the development of high-partition Mini LED drivers, automotive-grade high-speed bus drivers, and multi-domain collaborative lighting control chips to achieve seamless coordination between in-cabin ambient lighting, exterior interactive lighting, and intelligent driving systems.
Awinic Technology's long-term goal is to achieve automotive electronics revenue accounting for 20% of its total by 2029-2030. To this end, the company plans to successively launch new products, including CAN/LIN dynamic ambient lighting SoCs, dedicated Mini LED drivers, and on-device AI music rhythm chips, further refining its automotive-grade product portfolio.
Amidst the wave of electrification and intelligent transformation in the automotive industry, intelligent vehicle lighting, as a core interactive medium, is experiencing continuous market growth and escalating technological value. Leveraging its deep technological expertise, full-scenario product portfolio, and independently controllable supply chain system, Awinic Technology is steadily transitioning from consumer electronics to the high-value field of automotive electronics. Looking ahead, this leading Chinese analog and mixed-signal company will provide the global automotive industry with more competitive "China Chip" solutions, propelling the intelligent vehicle lighting sector into a new era of emotional, intelligent development.
沪ICP备10011954号 |
沪公网安备 31011202011955号
EN