January 23, 2024, Hsinchu City, Taiwan -- Airoha Technology specializing on fixed broadband network infrastructure and advanced Artificial Intelligence of Things, launched the AG3335MA satellite positioning chip series in the end of December 2023, which has passed the AEC-Q100 Grade 2 reliability qualification tests for automotive applications. Additionally, the company has successfully integrated this series of chips with its parent company, MediaTek, and their Dimensity Auto platform, providing highly integrated solutions and technical testing services to automotive manufacturers worldwide.

The reliability and safety requirements for automotive electronic components are significantly higher than those for consumer electronic products. AEC-Q100 is the certification standard specifically designed for automotive chips. In the standard declaration process, Airoha Technology's AG3335MA series chips have obtained AEC-Q100 certification conducted by a third-party quality management system with an automotive specification laboratory. This certification is divided into five Grades based on the extreme temperature range within the vehicle usage scenarios. The AG3335MA series chips have achieved certification at the Grade 2, covering a temperature range from -40 to 105 degrees Celsius for reliability testing.

The AG3335MA series are satellite positioning chip known for its ultra-low power consumption, high endurance, dual-frequency capability, support for the five major global satellite systems, and NavIC. This chip series can operate reliably in extreme environments, ranging from -40 to 105 degrees Celsius. It features a professional-grade GNSS receiver measurement engine with an ultra-low satellite tracking sensitivity of -167 dBm and an extremely short cold boot positioning time of 25 seconds. Additionally, it boasts an internationally leading signal frequency support capability, allowing it to simultaneously receive and process signals from all visible satellites in the sky. This capability ensures accurate positioning in all weather conditions and effectively addresses challenges such as adverse weather and complex road conditions faced by vehicle drivers.

Airoha Technology is consecutively under the development of GNSS technology since 2017. The product market share has consistently ranked among the top three globally. With the automotive industry undergoing a significant transformation, there is a substantial increase in demand for related chips, presenting Airoha Technology’s automotive satellite positioning chips with significant growth opportunities on top of their existing foundation. “Airoha Technology’s automotive GNSS chip series not only complies with AECQ100 standards but has also been designed-in by several key customers.” Said by Yuchuan Yang, Senior Vice President of Airoha Technology. “Currently, we are actively pursuing ISO 26262 automotive functional safety process and product certification, demonstrating Airoha Technology’s commitment to the safety and reliability of its automotive GNSS chips and its determination to enter the automotive market.”

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AEC-Q100 Reliability Qualification Standards comprises 13 technical standards, including High Temperature Operating Life (HTOL), Preconditioning, Early Life Failure Rate (ELFR), High Temperature Storage (HTS), Powered temperature Cycling (PTC), etc.

AEC-Q100 according to operating temperature divides into 5 Grades:
Grade 0: operating temperature ranges from -40 ˚C ~150 ˚C
Grade 1: operating temperature ranges from -40 ˚C ~125 ˚C
Grade 2: operating temperature ranges from -40 ˚C ~105 ˚C
Grade 3: operating temperature ranges from -40 ˚C ~85 ˚C
Grade 4: operating temperature ranges from -40 ˚C ~70 ˚C

5 GNSS satellite constellations and NavIC: include GPS (US), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) of Japan, Galileo of Europe, Beido of China, and Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) the Indian regional navigation system.

GNSS: (Global Navigation Satellite System): is a general term describing any satellite constellation in global that provides positioning, navigation services. These satellite constellations include 5 major global constellations and some regional ones with limited coverage.

dBm: receiver sensitivity refers to the lowest level of electromagnetic wave energy that a receiver can detect, measured in dBm. Sensitivity is expressed in negative values, with smaller negative values indicating the receiver’s ability to detect weaker signal strengths and thus higher sensitivity.

ISO 26262: is internally recognized automotive functional safety standards provide a comprehensive definition of the automotive product safety lifecycle standard. It encompasses not only products at the system and hardware levels but also serves as essential assessment guidelines for software-level product development. Manufacturers must adhere to steps to ensure the safety of each component, reducing the risk of product failures that can subsequently impact the safety and reliability of other hardware or systems. ISO 26262 provides the automotive industry its own proprietary identification system to assess the level of vehicle safety integrity. The higher the level, the more stringent the development process.