Next-Generation Automotive Exterior Lighting Solutions

Article By : STMicroelectronics

Next-generation lighting design will enable more customized and animated lighting patterns through control of hundreds of individual OLEDs. Technology will give unique design styling to Audi cars and provide additional value in safety to customers

STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, announced its collaborative efforts with Audi AG (FWB: NSU), among the most successful automobile manufacturers in the premium segment, to conceive, design, industrialize, manufacture, and deliver the next generation of innovative automotive exterior OLED lighting. The first demonstration of this effort was the showing of next-generation digital OLED technology presented by Audi at the 2019 International Symposium on Automotive Lighting (ISAL). The parties target to release this new technology in future car models of the Audi AG.

ST has been a member of Audi’s Progressive Semiconductor Program (PSCP) since 2012, with the long-term strategic relationship initially focusing on reduction of CO2 emissions, safety and security, and infotainment and comfort.

The current cooperation expands the relationship and builds on Audi’s creativity and success in automotive lighting solutions and ST’s broad expertise in automotive semiconductors, and specifically controllers and drivers for automotive lighting applications. The next-generation lighting design will enable more customized and animated lighting patterns, by controlling and diagnosing hundreds of individual OLEDs. In addition to the flexibility to give unique design styling to Audi cars, the animated patterns will provide additional value in safety to customers.

In the recent ISAL demonstration presented by Audi, ST contributed a complete plug-and-play system to control and continuously adjust the brightness of the numerous individually energized OLED pixels by means of an innovative high-speed automotive communication layer, specifically adapted by ST for lighting architecture and embedded in the actuator IC.

Please visit www.st.com/auto-led-drivers to watch our video on digital OLED technology enabled by tailored multi-channel high-side driver ICs.

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