Domestic Automotive-Grade High-Voltage Direct-Drive Ultrasonic Sensor Chip TCAU33 Achieves AEC-Q100 Certification and Enters Mass Production

Shanghai Taisil Microelectronics has announced that its automotive-grade high-voltage direct-drive ultrasonic sensor chip, TCAU33, has passed AEC-Q100 Grade 1 reliability certification and entered mass production. As China’s first and currently only mass-produced transformerless direct-drive ultrasonic radar chip, the TCAU33—launched in September 2025—has completed automotive qualification, system solution development, and pilot production validation, and has already been adopted in projects by multiple Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs. Key performance specifications of the TCAU33 include: - Stable blind-zone detection down to 18 cm (with ±1 cm variation); - Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) consistently above 4 across the 20 cm to 170 cm range; - Echo amplitude variation within 10% over 100 consecutive tests at echo distances between 40 cm and 80 cm. The chip features two core technological advantages: 1. A proprietary technique effectively suppresses false triggers caused by ringing split, eliminating the need for transducer screening on the production line and significantly improving manufacturing yield; 2. An integrated automatic bias-voltage cancellation circuit removes the requirement for external high-voltage isolation capacitors, reducing overall system BOM cost. The TCAU33 is suitable for a variety of automotive applications: 1. **Ultrasonic Parking Assist (UPA)**: Supports ultra-short blind-zone detection at 18 cm and operates reliably under challenging conditions such as rain or fog, compatible with both ICE and new energy vehicles—addressing a longstanding gap in domestic chip availability for this segment; 2. **Wading Depth Detection**: Mounted on the vehicle underbody or side mirrors, it continuously monitors water depth and triggers audible/visual alerts when exceeding safe thresholds; 3. **Knock/Vibration Detection**: Used for anti-theft alarms, low-speed collision recognition, and monitoring the status of components like doors and chassis; 4. **Other Applications**: Includes in-vehicle fluid-level sensing (e.g., windshield washer fluid, brake fluid) and piezoelectric button detection. Comprehensive hardware and software evaluation platforms, testing tools, and calibration software are now available to support customer solution development and mass-production ramp-up.