Industry Research: With the rise of domestic automotive CAN IC, can it challenge NXP?

Changes in automotive architecture drive growth in CAN bus demand

In-vehicle networks are beginning to migrate from a domain architecture to a zone architecture, an approach that will use fewer protocols, less wiring, simplifying and accelerating communications in the vehicle , and ultimately reducing costs. With the development of autonomous driving technology, it is expected that by 2030, the number of ECU units in autonomous vehicles will increase to 120, the number of sensors will reach 100, and the number of actuators will increase to 200. This trend emphasizes the importance of efficient and reliable communication networks in automotive design.

Comparison of different vehicle buses , source: Analog Dev ic es

As a communication bus in the automotive field, the vehicle bus refers to the communication network used to interconnect the underlying vehicle equipment or vehicle instruments in the vehicle network. It realizes the integration and coordination of various systems within the vehicle. There are many types of traditional vehicle bus technologies . Currently, the main vehicle bus types include CAN, LIN, MOST, FlexRay, LVDS , A2B, etc., which are applied in different electronic systems in cars.

The traditional automobile wiring harness is 1,610 meters long, has nearly 300 connection points, has a total mass of about 35 kilograms, and costs more than 1,000 US dollars. Its complex wiring takes up a lot of space in the car, limiting the development of automobiles in the direction of electronics and intelligence . . After switching to CAN bus, the length of the wiring harness can be shortened to 200-1000 meters, the weight is reduced by 9-17 kilograms, the wiring is greatly simplified, and the reliability and real-time performance of the system are significantly improved. Currently, more than 80% of CAN controllers on the market are used to build in-vehicle network systems, showing the widespread application and importance of CAN technology in the automotive industry.

Typical CAN transceiver system application circuit diagram

CAN (Controller Area Network) is a world standard serial communication protocol for data exchange in cars jointly developed by Bosch and Intel . It connects multiple nodes through twisted pairs to form a bus-type, serial, and broadcast-type network, which can simplify the design and installation of electronic control units (ECUs), reduce wiring weight, and reduce space requirements. The CAN controller receives and processes the data and passes it to the CAN transceiver, which is responsible for the electrical signal conversion and transmission of the data.

CAN supports different speed network protocols : low-speed CAN up to 125 Kbps, high-speed CAN up to 1 Mbps, and CAN FD up to 15 Mbps. High-speed CAN is mainly used in engine control, drive systems, ABS, ESP, instruments and sensors, requiring fast and stable signal transmission; low-speed CAN is used in in-car comfort systems such as air conditioning, seat adjustment, etc., which has lower real-time requirements. CAN FD, as an upgraded version of CAN, increases the transmission rate to 8Mbps.

CAN bus technology development history, source: compiled by Yufei Research Institute

CAN bus technology has been widely used in the automotive and industrial control fields since the 1980s due to its high performance, ease of use and high reliability . With the advancement of technology and the growth of application requirements, CAN bus is facing the challenge of the surge in data volume and number of devices, especially in the fields of automotive electrification and industrial automation. This has led to the development of CAN FD technology, which inherits the core characteristics of CAN, such as the physical layer and arbitration mechanism, while introducing variable communication rates and longer data lengths, significantly improving the data transmission capability and efficiency of the network.

With the launch of the CAN FD standard and the official recognition of the international standardization organization, the development of CAN technology has entered a new stage. This stage not only witnessed the advancement of technology, but also reflected the industry’s continuous pursuit of high-efficiency and high-reliability communication protocols. The successful implementation of CAN bus and CAN FD technology has greatly promoted the development of automotive electronic systems, improved vehicle performance and safety, and also provided an efficient and reliable communication solution for industrial control systems .

Main applications and characteristics of automotive CAN IC

Main application scenarios of automotive CAN&LIN transceivers, source: Xinlit

In modern automobile applications, with the development of electrification and intelligence, the number of electronic control units (ECUs) in the car may reach more than 70, covering engine control, transmission system , airbags, ABS, cruise control, electric power steering (EPS) ), sound system, door and window control and battery management, etc. The interconnection between these ECUs is critical to achieving automotive safety, economy, and convenience. CAN bus technology, as the main way to realize data transmission of these ECUs, greatly simplifies the wiring complexity and cost of in-vehicle electronic systems, and promotes the transformation from point-to-point connections to bus-type connections.

The CAN bus is not only widely used in automobile control systems, but also plays an important role in the field of automobile diagnosis, allowing ECUs to quickly obtain diagnostic information. Its multi-master linear topology , addressing mechanism through message identifiers, and message priority-based conflict detection and arbitration mechanism (CSMA/CD+AMP) jointly ensure the efficiency and reliability of the CAN bus. sex. These characteristics of the CAN bus, such as broadcast message transmission, event-driven communication, and message identifier addressing, make adding nodes on the bus more flexible.

Main applications and characteristics of vehicle CAN IC, source: compiled by Yufei Research Institute

The diverse applications of CAN bus in the field of automotive electronics involve many aspects from basic body control to advanced driving assistance systems . CAN bus has been widely used in the field of automotive electronics due to its high reliability, low cost and flexibility. As cars develop toward electrification and intelligence, dependence on the CAN bus is expected to continue to grow.

Globally, CAN technology has become an important standard for automotive computer control systems and embedded industrial control LANs due to its standardization and openness. With the continuous development of technology and the expansion of applications, CAN bus and CAN FD technology will continue to play a key role in intelligent transportation systems , intelligent manufacturing and other fields, promoting technological progress and industrial upgrading of related industries.

Can the rise of domestic automotive CAN IC challenge NXP's monopoly?

1987年，Intel和Philips推出了第一款CAN控制器芯片，标志着CAN技术在汽车电子化领域的应用开始商业化。到2019年，中国汽车工业协会统计分析显示，中国汽车产量达到2572万辆，国内市场对CAN通讯芯片的需求达到了约30亿元人民币。估算显示，国内每年需求CAN芯片约12.5亿颗，全球需求超过45亿颗。LIN芯片年使用量约1亿颗，年增长率约为13%，其中CAN/LIN SBC芯片约占总市场的10%。

市场上主要的CAN/LIN芯片供应商包括NXP、德州仪器（TI）、英飞凌、瑞萨、意法半导体和安森美，以及国内的北京君正、芯力特等。其中NXP在全球市场占据垄断地位，而TI和安森美通过价格策略逐步提升了市占率。

国产CAN/LIN/SBC芯片的研发起步较晚，因为车规等级的芯片研发周期长、难度大、成本高，而且单个芯片售价不高、单个客户的采购量不大，且客户众多而且分布广泛。该市场的售价已经被国外厂商掌握，因此大多数国内公司更加关注于某一两款特定芯片，以争夺细分市场。目前国内通过能实现AEC-Q100能力的公司并不多，所以该类产品留给国内公司的市场空间巨大。随着2022年车规芯片的大缺货，目前各大国产厂商纷纷加速进入CAN IC市场进行布局。

包括金升阳、川土微电子、芯力特、北京君正、络明芯、3PEAK、英飞凌、茂睿芯、Holtek、晶焱科技、信路达等公司通过技术创新和产品优化，提供了一系列支持CAN和CAN FD协议的收发器芯片。这些芯片不仅支持高速数据传输，而且具备低功耗、高可靠性、强大的电磁兼容性（EMC）和静电放电（ESD）保护功能，能够适应恶劣的汽车应用环境。

尽管市场前景广阔，但车载网络领域的技术挑战仍然存在。如何在保证高数据传输速率的同时，进一步提高系统的可靠性和安全性，减少外部干扰，提高电磁兼容性，是厂商们面临的主要技术难题。此外，随着5G、物联网（IoT）等新技术的融合应用，未来车载网络将更加复杂，对收发器芯片的性能提出了更高的要求。

在汽车电子和智能化快速发展的背景下，国产半导体制造商推出的CAN总线和CAN FD收发器芯片在提升通讯速率、降低功耗、增强电磁兼容性（EMC）和静电放电（ESD）保护方面竞争激烈。以目前市面上主流的CAN控制器产品——NXP的TJA1055T/3/1J为例，目前各大国产厂商都推出替代的IC产品，有不少在技术参数上都更具优势，以下为与非研究院整理的部分CAN IC玩家及产品介绍：

NXP - TJA1055T/3/1J

NXP的TJA1055T/3/1J是针对低速应用设计的接口控制器，提供差分接收和发送功能，适用于乘用车最高125 kBd。它是TJA1054和TJA1054A的增强版，提供额外的改进，如更好的错误处理能力和在异常情况下的单线传输模式，确保了更高的通信可靠性。

金升阳 - SCM3425ASA

金升阳的SCM3425ASA是满足AEC-Q100车规级测试的CAN总线收发器，支持CAN FD。其耐压能力为-42V～42V，具有出色的电磁干扰（EMI）防护和极低的电磁辐射能量，保证了在恶劣环境下的稳定运行。

川土微电子 - CA-IF1042VS-Q1

川土微电子的CA-IF1042VS-Q1是车规级CAN收发器，获得德国C&S兼容性认证和AEC-Q100 Grade 1认证。其通过C&S兼容性认证意味着该产品能够与主流通讯网络无障碍地互联互通，为整车系统提供了广泛的适应性。

芯力特

芯力特在CAN/LIN芯片领域处于领先地位，其产品基于BCD工艺，满足车载市场和其他新兴市场的应用需求。自2018年成功量产国内第一款自主研发CAN总线收发器芯片以来，芯力特已发布二十余款CAN/CAN FD/LIN收发器芯片，累计出货量超过1亿颗，打破了国外的技术垄断。

北京君正 - Lumissil

北京君正旗下的Lumissil品牌推出了CAN SBC IS32IO1163和LIN SBC IS32IO1028芯片，支持CAN FD并符合多项国际标准。这些芯片集成了LDO及CAN收发器，提供了强大的ESD保护能力和抗电磁辐射能力，适用于各种车载网络系统。

络明芯

络明芯推出的LIN SBC和CAN FD SBC芯片通过AEC-Q100 grade 2认证，为车载网络提供了稳健可靠的通讯解决方案。这些新的SBC芯片满足了汽车电子复杂化、智能化需求的不断增长，提供了更大的价值和更好的通讯实现。

3PEAK - TPT1145Q等系列

3PEAK的TPT1145Q等系列芯片提供高速CAN收发功能，符合ISO11898-2：2016规范，支持高达5Mbps的CAN FD。这些产品具有超低功耗睡眠模式和强大的±10 kV IEC61000-4-2接触放电保护，确保了高性能和高可靠性。

市场主流CAN IC厂商及产品（部分），来源：与非研究院整理

车载CAN总线的五大发展趋势

在过去，汽车网络的运行速度普遍低于100Mbps。然而，随着汽车开始根据各个区域的输入做出更为重要的决策，数千兆位的速度将被引入车辆中以实现数据的快速移动。这种变化预示着汽车通信网络的重大转型，其中10/100/1000BASE-T1汽车以太网和低速总线（如CAN及其变体）将在很长一段时间内继续为大多数低速通信提供服务。

由于CAN总线技术的局限性，特别是在最高传输速率仅为1Mbps的背景下，对于数据密集型的应用场景，如自动驾驶和多媒体传输，这种传统的通信协议显得力不从心。为了应对日益增长的数据传输需求，行业内部开始发展新的通信协议和技术，包括CAN FD、MOST、LVDS和以太网等，以满足更高数据传输速率的需求。

随着高档乘用车车载电子装置的迅速增加，CAN总线的应用使整车控制系统形成“局部成网、区域互联”的格局。展望未来，关于下一代CAN通信技术的讨论在业界激烈进行中。

In the new generation of automotive communication networks, CAN FD technology is regarded as an important development. Compared with traditional CAN, CAN FD can transmit more data at a higher speed, with a maximum data transmission rate of up to 5Mbps, and an 8-fold increase in data payload, reaching a maximum support of 64 bytes. This makes CAN FD a strong competitor for the next generation of mainstream automotive bus systems. The introduction of CAN FD provides higher communication performance for automotive electronic systems and better supports data-intensive applications such as autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems ( ADAS ).