LG Innotek develops upgraded vehicle communication module
By Yu Ji-sooPublished : March 29, 2023 - 17:34
LG Innotek said Wednesday it has successfully developed an upgraded vehicle-to-everything communication module that drastically improves data transmission speed.
The second-generation 5G network-based module, using Qualcomm chips, is considered a crucial safety component for autonomous driving.
The company said it is seeking to start promotional activities targeting global car and parts makers, with an aim to debut the final product by 2025. The official product name is 5G-V2X Cellular Module.
The new module comes after the company launched the first-generation 5G vehicle communication module in 2019, the first of its kind globally.
The module, consisting of communication and memory chips and radio frequency circuits, serves as a platform for data exchange between vehicles and various entities such as other vehicles and pedestrians.
With the growing demand for autonomous driving functions, industry watchers predict that the average load of data generated by a self-driving car will amount to about 4 terabytes, calling speed the key to dealing with such a large volume of data.
The latest LG Innotek module has an increased data download speed of 150 megabits per second, making it four times faster the first-generation model.
The size is also 20 percent smaller, just about as big as a credit card, which makes it easy for it to be attached to any part of a car.
Despite the decreased size, the company said, the number of components installed inside has increased 67 percent relative to the first module, adding up to a total of 800 parts.
The module’s enhanced compatibility is also expected to help the company secure more corporate clients regardless of their nationality, geography and car types.
“Our second-generation communication module will lead a new era of fully autonomous cars,” Yoo Byaeng-kuk, head of automotive component business unit, said in a statement.