Inova Semiconductors ILaS Technology Agreements by NXP and Microchip for Smart Light and Sensor Networks in Automotive Applications

Munich, Germany – July 18, 2022 - Inova Semiconductors announced today that NXP®  Semiconductors and Microchip Technology have entered into technology agreements for the use of Inova Semiconductors’ ILaS (ISELED Light & Sensor Network) protocol in their microcontrollers, for automotive applications. The ILaS network enables a fast and highly efficient, packet switched communication between the Microcontroller as initiator and the connected clients - in both directions and throughout the car via single pair UTP cable. All devices connected to the ILaS bus like Smart ISELED LEDs, touch/proximity sensors or stepper motors are controlled via the ILaS protocol implemented in the microcontroller. The ILaS network is deterministic, unlike other bus systems where all the control resides with the microcontroller making it especially suitable for modern network concepts such as zone architectures with centralized control. “Microchip’s 8-, 16- and 32-bit microcontroller portfolio, paired with our optimized ILaS SW stack provide higher data rates and flexibility to our customers. Combined with our automotive Ethernet portfolio such as our latest 10BASE-T1S products and with dedicated HMI ICs, we support complete solutions for innovative lighting applications and offer a fast and low-risk development path for our customers”, stated Matthias Kaestner vice president of Microchip’s automotive products unit. “The new ILaS protocol will enable car makers to enhance the driver and passengers’ comfort without breaking their architectures and can leverage the NXP’s S32K3 microcontrollers for zonal controllers to deliver a software-defined in-cabin experience”, said Manuel Alves, VP and General Manager of the General Purpose and Integrated Solutions product line at NXP. "Inova has been pioneering innovations in the field of display links for many years" said Robert Kraus, CEO of Inova Semiconductors and Chairman of the ISELED Alliance. “In the car concepts of tomorrow, we recognize that light and display are converging. With our latest ISELED/ILaS technology next to our legacy APIX link for displays, we now also offer solutions to economically control the ever more increasing number of LEDs and sensors throughout the car." ILaS® and ISELED® are trademarks of INOVA Semiconductors GmbH.

About Inova Semiconductors Inova Semiconductors GmbH is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Munich, Germany. The company was founded in 1999 and specialises in high-performance products for Gbit/s serial data communication. In addition to the successful APIX (Automotive Pixel Link) products, which have been delivered in high volumes – well over 170 million – and which are already available in the third generation, Inova introduced ISELED - the "Digital LED" in 2016 and has already produced 100 million of these chips. This was followed in 2020 by IlaS, the "ISELED Light and Sensor Network", which is due to go into series production in vehicles from 2025. Inova's semiconductor products are produced by leading manufacturers (foundries) in Asia and marketed via a global distribution network. More information: https://inova-semiconductors.de/main.html