Microchip and Marelli demo open-standard in-vehicle display link
Microchip Technology and Marelli have jointly demonstrated a display connectivity solution for software-defined vehicles (SDVs), using ASA Motion Link (ASA-ML), an open standard developed by the Automotive SerDes Alliance (ASA). The demonstrator streams graphics and video from a vehicle's central computer directly to in-cabin displays, and the two companies say it can simplify display architectures, reduce costs and give vehicle makers greater supplier flexibility.
In the joint setup, Microchip's VS7000 ASA-ML chipset handles the processing and transmission of video content over a high-speed standardised link. Marelli takes responsibility for the display-side integration, configuring and optimising the ASA-ML deserialiser to decode incoming video streams at the display itself. The arrangement is designed to handle camera feeds, navigation maps, infotainment graphics and vehicle control interfaces from a centralised compute source, rather than relying on distributed, display-specific processing hardware.
Why open standards matter here
The push toward software-defined vehicles is reshaping the electronics architecture of the modern car. As central-compute platforms consolidate functions previously handled by dozens of discrete electronic control units, the links between that central computer and the displays, sensors and actuators around the vehicle become critical infrastructure. Proprietary SerDes technologies from established players have historically locked vehicle makers into single-vendor supply chains, making cost control and mid-cycle updates difficult.
ASA Motion Link is designed to break that dependency. The ASA consortium includes vehicle makers, Tier 1 suppliers and semiconductor companies, and the standard supports data rates up to 16 Gbps, link-layer authentication and encryption, lossless transmission with high electromagnetic-noise immunity, and embedded Time Division Duplex functionality to reduce power consumption. Microchip is a founding ASA member and has previously demonstrated interoperability for camera connectivity; the Marelli collaboration extends the standard's reach to the display side.
Kevin So, vice president of Microchip's communications business unit, said the collaboration "demonstrates how ASA Motion Link provides automotive manufacturers with a secure, interoperable and scalable connectivity solution that simplifies integration across the ecosystem."
Competitive and regulatory context
The automotive connectivity market is contested. Proprietary high-speed SerDes technologies from suppliers such as Maxim Integrated (now part of Analog Devices) and Texas Instruments are embedded across current-generation vehicle platforms. MIPI Alliance standards are widely used for camera and display interfaces in consumer-grade designs. ASA-ML's case to vehicle makers rests on multi-vendor interoperability and an explicit path toward Ethernet-centric architectures, which aligns with longer-term SDV roadmaps from the major OEMs.
On the regulatory side, cybersecurity requirements for connected vehicles are tightening. The UN Economic Commission for Europe's WP.29 framework, which underpins the ISO/SAE 21434 standard for automotive cybersecurity, is now in force for new type approvals in the EU, UK, Japan and South Korea. The embedded authentication and encryption built into ASA-ML is directly relevant to compliance with those requirements, and is likely to feature prominently in any commercial pitch to European or Japanese OEMs.
Marelli, which supplies electronics, lighting and exhaust systems to most of the major global vehicle makers, brings significant integration credibility to the demonstrator. The company emerged from a complex restructuring in 2023 and has been repositioning itself around software and open-standards partnerships. The Microchip collaboration is consistent with that strategic direction, though neither company disclosed a timeline for moving from demonstrator to production-ready supply.