NXP simplifies infotainment design with single-chip radio and audio solution
NXP Semiconductors has announced the SAF9800, a new automotive audio and radio processor designed to simplify infotainment architectures. To achieve this, NXP has integrated analog radio (AM and FM) and AI/ML-enabled audio processing into a highly flexible single-chip solution that meets the needs of a vast range of next generation vehicles. The solution enables automakers to reduce system complexity and scale features across global vehicle platforms.
SAF9800 combines analog radio reception and high-performance audio processing into a single integrated solution. This innovative approach empowers OEMs to consolidate functions that have traditionally required multiple discrete radio and audio components into a single, scalable device.
Furthermore, SAF9800 leverages AI-driven acoustic source separation technology that transforms in-cabin microphone data by isolating critical sounds like vocal commands, mechanical failures, or emergency sirens from overwhelming background noise. Traditional filtering often fails in complex acoustic environments like vehicle cabins, making machine learning the premier solution for dynamic, real-time audio extraction.
SAF9800 integrates a HiFi 5 audio DSP with integrated neural-network processing capabilities together with NXP’s hardware-based biquad accelerators, delivering more than 10x audio processing performance compared to previous generations. This enables advanced audio use cases such as real-time noise reduction, voice and sound classification, and more adaptive in-cabin listening experiences—using data-driven algorithms rather than fixed signal processing
Designed for software-defined architectures, the solution supports feature scalability through software – allowing automakers to configure, upgrade, and differentiate radio and audio capabilities without changing hardware.
NXP also offers support, like its latest generation of AM denoising technology (EVAM-lite) on the new SAF9800 product series to address signal interference challenges come primarily from EVs into the AM frequency band.
