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PCIe 7 Switch IP with Time Division Multiplexing: Powering the Next Generation of AI Connectivity
Ceva and LG Electronics have partnered to remove a key barrier to ultra-wideband (UWB) adoption by integrating a complete radio, baseband, and software stack into a production system-on-chip (SoC), targeting semiconductor companies seeking precise ranging, positioning, and sensing for automotive, industrial, and consumer devices. Their joint platform combines Ceva-Waves UWB baseband intellectual property and software with an RF front end developed by LG Electronics’ SoC Center, designed for TSMC’s 22-nanometer process. This silicon-ready solution reduces interface validation, physical-design work, and performance tuning compared to sourcing radio and baseband separately, addressing challenges like precise timestamping, interference, multipath reflections, and non-line-of-sight conditions while keeping power and area low for battery-powered devices. Ceva’s next-generation architecture supports IEEE 802.15.4ab, improving extended-range and non-line-of-sight ranging, interference resilience, new channels, and UWB radar sensing—expanding UWB beyond phone-assisted item finding and vehicle digital keys to secure passive entry, occupant detection, factory tool tracking, and spatially aware smart-home controls. The business model licenses Ceva’s IP, allowing customers to embed UWB in differentiated SoCs alongside processors and security engines, with LG contributing RF expertise and process-specific implementation. A major U.S. semiconductor supplier has already adopted the solution, providing early commercial validation. ABI Research expects annual UWB device shipments to rise from 597 million in 2026 to nearly 1.18 billion by 2030, and this validated RF-to-software platform can help supply meet demand, increase competition, and bring precise spatial awareness to more edge devices.