ST andAutoCoreJointly Launch Ethernet-Based ZCU Distributed Audio Solution and Establish Strategic Collaboration

With the accelerated arrival of the "Software-Defined Vehicle" (SDV) era, in-vehicle electronic and electrical architecture (E/E architecture) is undergoing a profound transformation from distributed ECUs to domain controllers, and further to zonal controllers. Amid this wave of change, STMicroelectronics (ST) and AutoCore Technology (Nanjing) Co., Ltd.(AutoCore) today jointly announced that they have reached astrategiccooperation and together launched an industry-disruptive innovation — an Ethernet-based ZCU distributed audio solution.

The launch of this solution marks a new milestone in in-vehicle audio transmission technologyand alsodemonstratesST andAutoCore’sdetermination toleveragetheir complementary strengths to provide global OEMs with high-performance, cost-effective, and highly competitive smart mobility solutions.

In the joint development of this solution, ST fullyleveragedits deepexpertisein automotive-grade semiconductors, taking responsibility for the overall hardware architecture design and underlying software platform of the zonal controller (ZCU). Meanwhile,AutoCore, with its leading advantage in automotive foundational software, provided the core TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) protocol stack support. Through highly integrated hardware and software collaboration, the two parties jointly overcame technical challenges related to real-time performance, determinism, and synchronization accuracy in Ethernet audio transmission.

For a long time, in-vehicle audio systems havemainly reliedon proprietary protocols such as A2B (Automotive Audio Bus) for transmission. Although A2B played an important role in the past, its drawbacks have become increasingly apparent in next-generation vehicle architectures: high licensing and chip costs associated with proprietary protocols, increased vehicle weight due to dedicated physical harnesses, and complex wiring designs have become pain points for OEMs striving to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Meanwhile, in-vehicle Ethernet, with its high bandwidth and standardized features, has gradually become the mainstream backbone network for in-car communication. The question "Why not directly use the existing Ethernet backbone to transmit high-quality audio?" has become a common industry exploration direction. The joint solution from ST andAutoCoreperfectly addresses this challenge.

The newly launched Ethernet-based ZCU distributed audio solution completely abandons traditional external independent amplifiers and A2B buses, innovatively integrating audio functions into the zonal controller itself, directly utilizing the in-vehicle Ethernet backbone for audio data transmission.

• Significant Cost Reduction:
  Eliminates expensive A2B transceiver chips and dedicated harnesses, greatly reducing system BOM costs by reusing the Ethernet network.
• Extreme Lightweight Design:
  Speakers are connected locally to their respective zonal controllers (ZCU), significantly shortening harness length, reducing harness weight, and simplifying overall vehicle assembly.
• High Performance and Low Latency:
  Thanks to the strong support of Stellar G MCU HW modules such as internal ETH switch, Audio PLL and MSP(TDM) for distributed audio solutions, as well as the industry-leading high-performance TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) protocol stack, the solution achieves end-to-end audio transmission path latency of less than 2 ms with extremely low jitter (< 100 µs), fully meeting or even exceeding the stringent requirements of high-fidelity in-car audio systems.
• Perfect Support for Active Noise Cancellation:
  With microsecond-level audio synchronization accuracy and ultra-low latency, the solution provides ideal foundational support for advanced acoustic algorithms such as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Road Noise Cancellation (RNC), effectively enhancing cabin quietness and the overall driving experience.
• Optimized Architecture:
  Audio amplifiers are distributed across different zonal controllers, making heat dissipation management easier and more efficient compared to centralized high-power amplifiers.

This solution is tailor-made for the next-generation vehicle electronic and electrical architecture — the Zonal Architecture. Under this architecture, the system fully leverages the deployed in-vehicle Ethernet backbone as the audio transmission network, eliminating the need for additional dedicated audio data transmission cables. Through the integrated high-performance TSN protocol stack, the cockpit SoC (System on Chip) can establish highly synchronized audio transmission channels with zonal controllers (ZCU) distributed at different locations throughout the vehicle. Upon receiving audio signals, each ZCU uses its internally integrated audio power amplifier to directly drive the speakers within its zone. This design not only simplifies the system topology but also enables flexible deployment and precise control of audio functions.

The successful implementation of this innovative solution is attributed to the deep technical expertise and engineering experience accumulated over years by both ST and AutoCore in their respective fields, as well as their shared understanding, deep integration, precise division of labor, and efficient collaboration on this solution.

ST: Building a Comprehensive Controller Foundation

As a global leader in the semiconductor industry, ST is primarily responsible for the overall hardware design and underlying software platform of the zonal controller (ZCU) in this solution. The core of the solution adopts ST’s latest generation Stellar series MCUs, which feature built-in routing accelerators, hardware-assisted virtualization technology, integrated audio PLL, and I2S/TDM audio interfaces, providing powerful computing and hardware support for handling complex Ethernet traffic and real-time audio data. Additionally, ST offers high-performance automotive-grade Class D audio amplifiers, including the HFDA series, ensuring excellent audio quality output with low latency, and spanning from single to multi-channel and from low to very high output power ensuring excellent audio quality output.

AutoCore: Providing Key Software Enablement

As a leader in automotive foundational software, AutoCore provides the core middleware and protocol stack support for this solution. AutoCore is responsible for developing and integrating the critical TSN (Time Sensitive Networking) protocol stack, including IEEE 802.1AS (clock synchronization), IEEE 1722 (AVTP audio transport protocol), 802.1Qav/Qat (traffic shaping and reservation), among others. Notably, AutoCore’s TSN protocol stack boasts high cross-platform portability, capable of deployment not only on the ZCU side but also on cockpit SoCs or other central computing platforms, thereby offering OEMs an end-to-end TSN solution covering the entire vehicle backbone network. AutoCore’s efficient and stable software stack ensures deterministic, low-latency transmission of audio data over complex Ethernet networks, fully unleashing the hardware’s potential.

The launch of the Ethernet-based ZCU integrated audio solution is not only a technological breakthrough and innovation but also the starting point of a strategic collaboration between ST and AutoCore. Both parties agree to deepen cooperation, combining ST’s deep accumulation in automotive chips with AutoCore’s comprehensive solution capabilities in distributed communication, SOA architecture, platformization, and real-time computing, to jointly explore more future-oriented intelligent mobility computing scenarios.

On the journey toward software-defined vehicles, ST and AutoCore will work hand in hand to help OEM customers build smarter, more efficient, and cost-advantaged next-generation automotive electronic architectures, jointly composing a beautiful symphony for the future of mobility.

At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com

AutoCore is a provider of high-performance, scalable, and functionally safe system software for intelligent mobility computing platforms. AutoCore offers a complete software platform to help OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in automotive, robotics, aerospace, and industrial control build reliable and secure foundational software platforms. The company has established strategic partnerships with leading enterprises across industries, with its products successfully deployed in multiple mass production projects.