In this teardown, we examine a T-BOX (Telematics Box) component from the AITO M7. Given that the T-BOX handles wireless communication, a full metal enclosure would shield the signals; therefore, most T-BOX units on the market utilize plastic enclosures.
Teardown
Upon disassembly, the enclosure reveals a single PCB (Printed Circuit Board).
SanDisk eMMC flash memory chip (model SDINBDE2-4G), primarily used for storing the operating system, communication firmware, and temporary vehicle cache data.
Renesas 32-bit automotive-grade MCU (model R7F7010453AFP), primarily responsible for the T-BOX's core logic and peripheral control.
Texas Instruments Class-D stereo audio amplifier (model TPA3136D2), utilized for audio output and sound amplification.
Fujitsu signal relay (model FTR-B3GA003Z-B10).
The wireless communication module is a compact PCB in an LGA package mounted on the main board. It features a HiSilicon chipset solution (excluding storage):
Elite Semiconductor SDRAM (model EM6BD4D2GXA) provides temporary runtime memory for T-BOX data processing, working in tandem with the eMMC flash to form a complete storage-memory subsystem.
HiSilicon 4G LTE baseband chip (model Hi2152) handles all cellular network protocols, serving as the core for remote control, OTA updates, and data uploading.
HiSilicon PMIC (model Hi6559), acting as the companion power management IC, provides power distribution and power-on sequencing for the Hi2152 baseband and its peripheral circuits.
HiSilicon 4G LTE multi-mode RF transceiver chip (model Hi6361) sits between the baseband and the RF front-end, converting digital signals to analog RF signals and vice versa for transmission, reception, and demodulation.
HiSilicon low-band power amplifier (model Hi6D13) specifically amplifies low-band 4G signals.
HiSilicon mid/high-band power amplifier (model Hi6D03) amplifies mid- and high-band 4G signals.
HiSilicon RF front-end chip (model Hi6D21) works with the aforementioned PA chips to form a complete domestic RF transmit chain.
As observed, from the baseband to power management, and through the RF transceiver to the RF front-end, HiSilicon provides a comprehensive communication chipset solution. Such fully integrated in-house capabilities are rare in today's automotive supply chain.
Texas Instruments boost DC/DC converter (model TPS61086DRCR).
Texas Instruments 8-bit dual-supply bus transceiver (model SN74AVC8T245), used for signal level translation between chips operating in different voltage domains.
Asahi Kasei Microdevices audio codec (model AK4940VN), responsible for voice signal capture and decoding.
Littelfuse TVS diode (model SA30CA), used for suppressing surges and ESD on power lines.
Realtek Ethernet physical layer transceiver (model RTL9000AN). As in-vehicle networks evolve toward Ethernet, the T-BOX utilizes this chip to connect to the automotive Ethernet backbone, enabling high-speed data exchange with the central console and ADAS domain controller.
NXP high-speed CAN transceiver (model TJA1145T) supports the CAN FD protocol. It serves as the physical-layer interface for data exchange between the T-BOX and traditional vehicle CAN buses (such as body control and battery management).
u-blox automotive-grade GNSS receiver chip (model UBX-M8030-KT) is the positioning core of this T-BOX. It can simultaneously receive signals from GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo, providing precise position, velocity, and time (PVT) information for navigation, remote vehicle control, and emergency call (eCall) scenarios.
Summary
The components detailed above constitute the core of the AITO M7 T-BOX solution. On the most critical 4G communication link, HiSilicon provides a comprehensive solution covering the baseband, PMIC, RF transceiver, and RF front-end power amplifiers. Chips from other major international vendors primarily handle auxiliary functions such as control, storage, interface conversion, and protection.