BYD Semiconductor 4D Millimeter-Wave Radar Chip Enters Mass Production

BYD Semiconductor Advances In-House Radar Integration

BYD Semiconductor, a unit of BYD (HKEX: 1211), has begun mass production of its next-generation 4D millimeter-wave radar chip, marking another step in the automaker’s strategy to vertically integrate smart-driving technologies. The chip uses a satellite architecture centered on BYD’s internally developed Xuanji A3 smart-driving chip. BYD Semiconductor said the new radar solution is intended to address perception limitations associated with conventional millimeter-wave radar, particularly its lack of elevation-angle information. This capability is important for increasingly complex urban driving environments, where advanced driving systems require more detailed and reliable information about surrounding vehicles, objects, and road conditions.

28-Nanometer Architecture Targets High-Resolution Radar

The new radar chip is manufactured using a 28-nanometer automotive-grade process and is designed for high-resolution radar systems. It incorporates a high-speed MIPI CSI-2 interface and supports several mainstream serializer/deserializer, or SerDes, technologies, enabling integration with widely used smart-driving computing platforms. BYD Semiconductor said the chip has completed integration and tuning with the Xuanji A3 and satisfies detection-performance requirements specified by Tier 1 module suppliers. The architecture is therefore designed not only as a standalone semiconductor component but also as an integrated part of broader smart-driving systems, supporting the automotive industry’s increasing demand for higher-resolution sensing and compatibility across different electronic architectures.

Radar Performance Supports Level 2 to Level 4 Applications

Solutions based on the chip can support Level 2 through Level 4 smart-driving applications, according to BYD Semiconductor. Potential applications include highway navigation assistance, urban driving functions, automated parking, and blind-spot monitoring. The semiconductor enables stable detection at distances exceeding 400 meters, while providing horizontal angular resolution of 0.8 degrees and parking-grade range resolution of 0.05 meters. These specifications are intended to improve the system’s ability to identify and localize objects across different driving scenarios. The combination of long-range detection, angular resolution, and fine range measurement gives the radar a role in supporting perception requirements for increasingly sophisticated driver-assistance and automated-driving functions.

Eight-Channel Transmit and Receive Architecture

The single-chip solution integrates eight transmit channels and eight receive channels, creating an architecture intended for high-resolution automotive radar applications. It is designed to comply with the ISO 26262 ASIL B functional-safety standard and AEC-Q100 automotive reliability requirements. The chip’s operating junction-temperature range extends from minus 40 to 150 degrees Celsius, which BYD Semiconductor said represents the widest range in the industry. These specifications address key requirements for automotive semiconductor deployment, where components must maintain reliability across demanding temperature conditions while supporting functional-safety requirements. The combination of multi-channel radar architecture, automotive qualification, and broad temperature capability is intended to support integration into production-oriented smart-driving systems.

Xuanji A3 Provides the Computing Foundation

The radar chip is designed to work with the Xuanji A3, which BYD unveiled in May. The Xuanji A3 is described as China’s first smart-driving chip built using a 4-nanometer process and supports Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving. BYD said in May that a single Xuanji A3 provides more than 700 TOPS of computing power, while three chips working together can deliver more than 2,100 TOPS. The combination of high-performance onboard computing and higher-resolution radar sensing reflects BYD’s broader approach to developing core semiconductor technologies internally. The radar chip’s integration with Xuanji A3 also creates a closer connection between perception hardware and the computing platform responsible for advanced driving functions.

Potential 2027 Production Vehicle Deployment

The Xuanji A3 was unveiled as part of BYD’s broader smart-driving semiconductor strategy, with potential production-vehicle deployment becoming an important next step. Chinese media outlet LatePost previously reported that BYD plans to debut the Xuanji A3 in a mass-produced Denza model in 2027. The reported timeline places BYD’s internally developed computing platform on a path toward broader commercial deployment beyond technology demonstrations. Combined with the new radar chip entering mass production, the company is building an internally controlled semiconductor stack that can connect sensing, computing, and smart-driving functions. Such integration can give an automaker greater control over hardware development and system optimization as automated-driving capabilities become more important to vehicle differentiation.

BYD Expands Semiconductor Research and Manufacturing

BYD’s semiconductor strategy is supported by substantial research and development resources. The company said in May that its cumulative research and development investment in semiconductors had exceeded 100 billion yuan, equivalent to $14.73 billion. Its chip research and development team had more than 7,000 members, supported by four research and development bases and five wafer fabs. This infrastructure gives BYD control across multiple stages of semiconductor development and manufacturing rather than relying entirely on external suppliers. The mass production of the new radar chip therefore represents part of a larger investment in internally developed automotive semiconductor capabilities, particularly as smart-driving systems increasingly depend on specialized computing, sensing, and electronic components.

China’s EV Makers Pursue In-House Smart-Driving Chips

The development reflects a wider semiconductor strategy among electric-vehicle manufacturers in China, where internally developed chips are increasingly viewed as a way to establish differentiation in the AI-driven automotive market. Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO), Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV), and Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) have all deployed their own smart-driving chips in production vehicles. For automakers, internal semiconductor development can provide greater control over computing performance, hardware-software integration, product road maps, and system optimization. BYD’s combination of the Xuanji A3 computing platform and its new 4D radar chip extends that strategy into both processing and perception hardware, strengthening the company’s ability to develop increasingly integrated smart-driving architectures for future production vehicles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BYD Semiconductor’s new 4D millimeter-wave radar chip designed to do?
The new chip is designed to provide high-resolution radar sensing for advanced smart-driving systems by adding elevation-related perception capabilities that conventional millimeter-wave radar lacks. Built on a 28-nanometer automotive-grade process, it supports detection beyond 400 meters, 0.8-degree horizontal angular resolution, and 0.05-meter parking-grade range resolution. The solution integrates eight transmit and eight receive channels and supports applications from Level 2 through Level 4, including highway navigation assistance, urban driving, automated parking, and blind-spot monitoring. It is also designed to meet ISO 26262 ASIL B and AEC-Q100 requirements for automotive safety and reliability.