AutoCore and STMicroelectronics Showcase Next-Gen Distributed Audio over Automotive Ethernet at STARTUP AUTOBAHN Expo 2026

[Jul 3, 2026 | Nanjing / Stuttgart] — AutoCore, in collaboration with STMicroelectronics, showcased a joint pilot project at STARTUP AUTOBAHN Expo 2026 on July 2, 2026, in Stuttgart, Germany. Under the theme "Next-Gen Car Audio: Distributed Amps on Central Zonal & TSN," the project demonstrates a production-ready Distributed Amplifier over Automotive Ethernet solution built for the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) era.

As central-zonal architecture evolves and the number of in-vehicle speakers grows, traditional A2B and centralized amplifier architectures face increasing constraints — lengthy wiring harnesses, heterogeneous audio sub-networks, and limited scalability. AutoCore and STMicroelectronics validated a reusable, scalable distributed amplifier system that leverages the existing in-vehicle Ethernet backbone, removes the need for a standalone audio network, and enables high-precision synchronized playback across multiple nodes.

Full-Stack SDV Platform: CCU and ZCU

The solution is built on AutoCore's full-stack SDV platform spanning the Central Computing Unit (CCU) and Zonal Control Unit (ZCU). AutoCore's CCU software architecture provides a layered foundation covering domain-specific applications, unified SOA services, AutoCore.OS platform middleware, hardware abstraction, multi-OS deployment, and heterogeneous computing hardware. This architecture supports independent application deployment and OTA updates, cross-domain service reuse, communication via SOME/IP, DDS, shared memory (SHM), TSN, and PCIe, as well as built-in diagnostics, OTA updates, and time synchronization.

Complementing the CCU, the AutoCore ZCU is designed around an automotive-grade Cortex-M multi-core MCU with asymmetric multi-processing (AMP). The service-core partition runs a lightweight automotive RTOS and supports SOA services, SOME/IP, DDS, TSN, service discovery, pub/sub, cross-ZCU routing, and lightweight OTA. The safety-core partition runs AUTOSAR Classic CP for real-time actuator control, power management, fault response, and ASIL B/D safety functions. The safety cores remain isolated from Ethernet, with data exchange handled through inter-core channels such as IPC, shared memory, inter-processor interrupts, and RPMsg Lite.

Example Case: Distributed Amplifier over Automotive Ethernet

The joint pilot project uses distributed in-vehicle audio as a use case to prove the value of central computing plus zonal architecture. Instead of routing audio through a dedicated A2B sub-network and long analog harnesses, the system places amplifier functions closer to speakers and uses the vehicle Ethernet backbone for deterministic transmission.

• E/E architecture evolving toward CCU + ZCU topologies
• Electrical architecture moving to 48V zonal distribution with localized supply
• Multiple speakers and multi-zone audio becoming increasingly common in next-generation vehicles

• Complex wiring: A2B plus analog routing is heavy and costly
• Audio quality degradation: Long analog links are vulnerable to interference and EMC issues
• Limited scalability: Heterogeneous audio sub-networks are difficult to scale across future vehicle platforms

• Lighter: Ethernet backbone reuse and localized amplifiers reduce harness weight
• More cost-effective: Eliminating the standalone A2B sub-network reduces transceivers, cables, and connectors
• More scalable: Reusable Ethernet-based architecture supports future speaker count growth and zonal E/E evolution
• Higher fidelity: Shorter analog links and precise TSN synchronization support reliable, synchronized playback

Joint Solution and Technical Division of Work

STMicroelectronics and AutoCore contributed complementary capabilities to deliver the end-to-end system:

• STMicroelectronics provided the ZCU and low-level drivers for audio and TSN, leveraging its automotive-grade MCU capabilities and hardware real-time precision.
• AutoCore provided the full TSN/AVB stack, including 802.1AS, Qbv, CB, Qat, Qav, and AVTP, and led the software architecture, system integration, and validation.

Key project challenges included achieving microsecond-level multi-protocol timing on real hardware and enabling coordinated operation across multiple protocols. Together, the teams built a full-stack pipeline from hardware drivers to the TSN/AVB protocol stack and audio applications, achieving deterministic Ethernet transmission and microsecond-level synchronized multi-node playback.

Key Outcomes

Benchmarked against a 32-speaker in-vehicle audio system, the pilot delivered measurable benefits:

• Per-vehicle cost reduction of approximately $30: By reusing Ethernet and eliminating the dedicated A2B audio sub-network, the combined audio harness and transceiver cost (A2B transceiver + A2B harness + analog harness) can be reduced by about $30 per vehicle.
• Audio harness weight reduction of approximately 40%: Shorter analog wiring and a simplified distributed architecture reduce overall audio harness weight by roughly 40%.
• Microsecond-level synchronized playback: Integration of 802.1AS, Qbv, CB, Qat, Qav, and AVTP enables low-latency, reliable Ethernet audio with high-precision multi-node synchronization.
• Validated scalability over about six months: The cost benefits were confirmed over around six-month period and are projected to grow as the number of in-vehicle speakers increases.

The joint validation reinforces STMicroelectronics' ZCU audio/TSN platform capabilities and validates the maturity of AutoCore's TSN stack, giving OEMs a production-ready solution aligned with central computing and zonal E/E architecture trends.

Future Outlook

Building on the validated distributed audio architecture, AutoCore and STMicroelectronics will continue to explore next-generation audio use cases, including full-scenario Active/Road Noise Cancellation (ANC/RNC) and immersive multi-zone personalized audio.

To learn more about STMicroelectronics' perspective on Audio over Ethernet and the Software-Defined Vehicle, visit ST's insights page: Audio over Ethernet & Software-Defined Vehicle — ST Essentials & Insights.