Automotive SoC for Keyless Entry Systems

SoC for keyless entry in automotives

Enabling seamless, connected vehicle access by integrating semiconductor solution for modern automotive systems

5 min read

Powering next-generation automotive keyless entry

As vehicles become smarter and more connected, features like keyless entry are shifting from convenience to expectation. Enabling these systems requires highly integrated semiconductor solutions that can deliver reliable performance, energy efficiency and consistent operation under demanding automotive conditions.

Our client, a leading semiconductor company partnered with us to develop a compact, single-chip solution to support next-gen automotive access systems. By integrating multiple functions into a unified SoC, the solution helps automotive manufacture simplify design, reduce costs and optimize battery performance—while meeting stringent reliability and environmental requirements.

The Challenge

Navigating complexity in advanced SoC design

To enable a highly integrated SoC for automotive keyless entry, our client undertook the challenge of navigating multiple layers of design and engineering complexity.

Complex integration: Integrating processor subsystems (CM33), memory, interfaces and multiple analog/digital IPs—including DCDC, LDO and PLL—required advanced design and verification capabilities.

Highly competitive Specifications: Design was targeted for the smallest possible die size, ultra-low power consumption and high reliability, which required special considerations during design and validation.

Automotive constraints: The solution needed to operate reliably across extreme temperatures (-40°C to 125°C), meet rigorous automotive safety and reliability standards and achieve ultra-low power consumption within a tightly constrained die size.

The Objective

Driving efficiency in automotive chip design

The primary objective was to deliver a cost-effective SoC solution capable of powering automotive keyless entry systems. This required optimizing for ultra-low power operation with four power domains to extend battery life, while ensuring compliance with automotive-grade safety and reliability standards. At the same time, the design needed to balance high integration density with minimal die size and efficient performance across a range of real-world automotive conditions.

The Solution

End-to-end semiconductor engineering execution

Our team of experts deployed an end-to-end SoC development approach—from specification to qualification—to address the complexity of the design. The solution encompassed digital logic design, analog IP development, physical design, Design-for-Test (DFT) and post-silicon validation.

We quickly aligned a team to handle the majority of SoC design and validation in-house
Partners were engaged when necessary to deliver a complete SoC development solution and reduce client involvement
In-house test lab infrastructure was used for Silicon Validation services for the SoC
A large resource pool at various locations in India and abroad supported resourcing needs throughout the SoC development lifecycle
Strong support from IT, Admin, and Sales facilitated smooth project execution.

Key semiconductor engineering interventions included:

Development and integration of CPU subsystem, bus interconnect, memory subsystem (MRAM, SRAM), system controller, IO pin mux Logic and high-speed interfaces (CAN, RLIN, I2C, SPI, UART)
Design and validation of analog IPs, including power management blocks (DCDC, LDO), ADC, PLL and temperature sensors
Implementation of advanced verification methodologies such as linting, formal verification, low-power verification and mixed-signal validation
Robust DFT strategies including scan, MBIST and ATPG to ensure high test coverage
Full physical design flow execution, including synthesis, floor-planning, Clock tree synthesis (CTS), place-and-route and static timing analysis.
Functional validation, ATE, Electrical validation and qualification.

This comprehensive approach ensured design integrity while accelerating readiness for silicon validation and automotive qualification.

The Impact

Advancing efficiency and reliability at scale

The integrated SoC enabled a high-performance, reliable foundation for automotive keyless entry systems while optimizing cost and efficiency.

Reduced BOM and reduced die size by 28%, lowering manufacturing costs
Accelerated time-to-market through proven SoC design flows and IP reuse
Achieved automotive-grade reliability with full verification and qualification coverage
Delivered a scalable SoC solution supporting next-generation automotive access systems

By combining our decades of semiconductor industry experience with deep engineering expertise, we delivered a robust, cost-efficient SoC platform—enabling next-generation automotive access systems with dependable, production-ready reliability.