Bosch, the German industrial giant, is partnering with U.S. chip startup Tenstorrent to develop a platform aimed at standardizing automotive chip building blocks, according to Tenstorrent executives.
The collaboration focuses on creating a standard method for using chiplets, the building blocks of modern chips, to design systems that meet the diverse needs of vehicles, said David Bennett, Tenstorrent’s chief customer officer.
By combining different types and quantities of chiplets, Bosch and Tenstorrent aim to cut costs and accelerate the development of new silicon products for the automotive sector.
“(Bosch is) collaborating with us to essentially redefine how automakers look at silicon – purchasing silicon and building silicon,” Bennett said.
With the rise of electric vehicles, cars are evolving into advanced computer systems powered by batteries on wheels. The shift to electrification and integration of automated driving technologies have introduced complex technical challenges. As a result, automakers are exploring new methods to develop or acquire the specialized chips needed to power these next-generation vehicles.
Chip giants like Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Intel-owned Mobileye develop various driver assistance chips and software. The goal of Bosch’s collaboration with Tenstorrent is to standardize the chiplet building blocks, which could help lower costs, said Tenstorrent’s chief customer officer, David Bennett.
Automakers would save money by producing a standard chiplet in large quantities, which can be added or removed based on each application. It would also provide them with more customization options than buying ready-made parts, noted Tenstorrent’s automotive VP, Thaddeus Fortenberry.
Currently, the collaboration does not involve specific products or sales to automakers. Tenstorrent, led by Jim Keller—who previously headed Tesla’s autonomous driving chip design—has a strong chip design legacy, with Keller having worked on chips for AMD and Apple.
