LX Semicon begins supplying automotive MCUs to Hyundai and Kia

LX Semicon, South Korea's largest fabless semiconductor company, has begun supplying its first automotive microcontroller unit (MCU), the LX61101, to Hyundai Motor and Kia. This marks the first time a domestically developed MCU has been adopted by these automakers.

The LX61101 is designed to control small motors responsible for functions such as power windows, mirrors, and aerodynamic flaps. It utilizes a 40MHz Arm Cortex-M3 core and has met essential reliability and safety standards, including AEC-Q100 and ISO 26262. The chip is expected to appear in vehicle models produced starting in the second half of this year, with adoption intended to expand over time.

This development is a key part of LX Semicon's strategy to diversify its business beyond its primary revenue driver, display driver ICs (DDIs), which accounted for 87.6% of its sales in the first quarter of 2024. The company aims to reduce its dependence on the display chip market by expanding into automotive semiconductors and thermal substrates.