Melexis and Geely join hands to create a new era of automotive lighting design

November 19, 2024, Tessenderlo, Belgium - Melexis, a global microelectronics engineering company, announced that the well-known automobile manufacturer Geely Automotive Group has selected Melexis chips and innovative MeLiBu® technology to equip its Link & Co. brand's first electric car, the Z10 model, with advanced daytime running lights (DRL) and full-color lighting effects RGB LED taillights . In order to challenge and exceed the boundaries of vehicle lighting design, Geely Auto Group has specifically selected Melexis' intelligent RGB LED driver MLX81116, which is known for its excellent complex dynamic lighting control capabilities and advanced communication interfaces.

As automotive lighting gradually becomes a key visual element in modern car design, Geely Auto Group actively explores unique daytime running lights (DRL) and full-color lighting dynamic RGB taillight layouts for its first electric vehicle. In order to achieve stable and reliable color-changing dynamic lighting effects in safety-critical components such as front and rear DRLs, a series of stringent technical requirements must be met, so the use of high-performance solutions has become crucial.

The MLX81116 intelligent 12-channel RGB LED driver is the ideal solution to meet this need. This mature, high-performance chip not only provides a comprehensive and reliable solution, but also, combined with Melexis’ application support, provides Geely Auto Group with the ability to create unique and eye-catching lighting features for its first electric vehicle.

The MLX81116 has a self-synchronization function and is equipped with a high-speed and powerful communication system. It is designed for applications that require the management of a large number of LEDs, highly animated effects, complex control logic, and a wide dynamic range. The chip has an integrated microcontroller unit (MCU) that can execute enhanced LED control algorithms to achieve accurate color mixing effects and comprehensive diagnostic functions. It is worth mentioning that the color mixing accuracy of the MLX81116 reaches 1% ΔUV, and it can effectively compensate for the fluctuations of red, green, and blue LEDs due to temperature changes without any external components.

The MLX81116 uses Melexis' MeLiBu® high-speed communication technology, which is designed for the intelligent dynamic automotive lighting required by automakers. MeLiBu® combines the advantages of the CAN-FD physical layer and UART communication technology to provide powerful communication support for automakers. For automakers, MeLiBu® is not only a key differentiating advantage of Melexis products, but also greatly facilitates seamless integration with automotive electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture. In addition, its user-friendly features have won wide recognition from other outstanding suppliers involved in the project.

“This model is not only eye-catching because it is the first masterpiece of the car brand into the field of electric vehicles, but also because of its innovative lighting design, which is refreshing.” Ms. Song Linhong, Marketing Manager of Melexis, said, “The challenge facing automakers is how to establish an emotional bond with consumers through innovative technology. The application of MeLiBu® technology, especially in the innovation of dynamic daytime running lights (DRL) and full-color lighting dynamic effect RGB taillights, makes this goal possible.”

Geely Auto Chip Expert said: "LED dynamic lighting has become an indispensable design element of automobiles. We are very pleased to cooperate with Melexis. RGB drive technology is an upgraded product of Melexis. We believe that their technology will bring excellent performance and a brand new and brilliant experience to our smart electric vehicles. This cooperation will further strengthen our leading position in the field of electric vehicles and bring better and newer driving experience to our customers."