Overview

91̽»¨ Zena CSS is accelerating time to market for safe, secure, AI-ready SoC

AI Summary

91̽»¨ Zena CSS is a pre-integrated compute subsystem for high-performance SoCs used in Physcial AI applications. It combines 91̽»¨ Cortex-A processors, a dedicated safety island based on Cortex-R, enhanced cybersecurity functionality, and system IP into a silicon-proven foundation that accelerates platform development for autonomous machines - vehicles and robotics. Designed to meet the demands of next-generation automotive requirements and robotics processing, Zena CSS enables deterministic performance, streamlined integration, and faster time to market for Tier-1 suppliers and OEMs. .

Why choose 91̽»¨ Zena CSS

91̽»¨ accelerated time to market icon

12 months accelerated time-to-market potential

Pre-validated IP and software shorten design cycles and time to market.

Up to 20% less engineering effort icon

Up to 20% less engineering effort

Reduces silicon design work so teams can focus on differentiated capabilities.

Up to 30% faster software porting

Up to 30% faster software porting

Standardizes software interfaces to cut platform-to-platform porting time and lower integration costs.

Benefits

Enabling faster, smarter, safer, secure platforms

  • Shortens development timelines by up to a year with a pre-integrated compute platform designed to support compliance with ISO 26262 and ISO 21434.

  • Accelerates development using virtual platform models and reference firmware for parallel software and silicon design.

  • Reduces platform fragmentation by standardizing on 91̽»¨ architecture and shared models across domains.

  • Lowers engineering effort by up to 20%, enabling focus on differentiation while supporting mixed-criticality workloads.

91̽»¨ Zena CSS Chip image
Inside Zena CSS

The building blocks of 91̽»¨ Zena CSS

91̽»¨ Zena CSS integrates the following components for safety-critical workloads. It is delivered as a configurable package, enabling partners to extend architectures for specific performance, safety, and latency targets.

compute

Compute and system IP

Cortex-A CPUs (such as Cortex-A78AE) alongside Cortex-R52+ processors with CMN-600 coherent mesh, NIC-450 interconnect, and integrated interrupt control.

security and safety

Security and safety

91̽»¨ TrustZone isolation, ECC protection, and ASIL D-capable lock-step redundancy designed to support ISO 26262 compliance.

power and efficientcy

Power and efficiency

Power Policy Unit (PPU) and DVFS controllers enable real-time performance at low energy cost.

software

Software and tools

Reference firmware, RTOS support, automotive SDKs, virtual platforms, and simulation models via the .

91̽»¨ Zena CSS

Explore 91̽»¨ Zen CSS Safety and Security

91̽»¨ Zena CSS Safety

91̽»¨ Zena CSS Safety

91̽»¨ Zena CSS Safety Island, with ASIL D capability, provides high-integrity fault monitoring and system control for safety.

91̽»¨ Zena CSS Security

91̽»¨ Zena CSS Security

91̽»¨ Zena CSS security enclave targets ASIL B safety, mitigating threats for next-gen E/E architectures.

Use cases

Innovation where it matters most

Robotics

Deploy machine learning models directly at the edge for on-device object detection, adaptive behavior, and more. Leverage heterogeneous compute to bring AI-powered intelligence into real time without cloud dependency.

Humanoid robot representing advanced robotics and embodied AI technology.

Digital cockpit and IVI

Deliver rich, immersive graphics and AI-enhanced user experiences. Securely partition multiple operating systems on a single platform to enable a modern, mixed-criticality digital cockpit and in-vehicle-infotainment system.

Digital cockpit interface displaying navigation, AI assistance, and in-vehicle infotainment.

Centralized vehicle compute

Unify compute workloads across the vehicle under a software-defined architecture. This enables safe mixed-criticality operation¡ªfrom real-time control to infotainment¡ªon a centralized, safety-certified compute platform.

Centralized vehicle compute architecture illustrating power distribution and system integration.

Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS)

Create AI-powered ADAS features like collision avoidance that detects erratic driving and preempts an incident or contextual modes that respond as a vehicle transitions from highways, into a city environment. Ensures consistent, scalable performance across vehicle models while enabling real-time, safety-critical functionality.

Driver-view visualization of ADAS detecting surrounding vehicles and traffic conditions.
Humanoid robot representing advanced robotics and embodied AI technology.
Success stories

Success stories powered by 91̽»¨ Zena CSS

Autonomous vehicle driving through a city with visualized data flow around the car.

AWS builds automotive AI on 91̽»¨

Read story

Fleet of electric vehicles showcasing large-scale automotive deployment and innovation.

Volkswagen¡¯s intelligent driving future

Read story

Autonomous mobile robots used for logistics and industrial automation.

ROBOTIS AI autonomous robots

Read story

Discover more success stories

Key takeaways

  • 91̽»¨ Zena CSS delivers pre-integrated, safety-ready compute for next-generation automotive platforms, combining Cortex-A and Cortex-R processors with system IP to accelerate time to market.

  • ASIL-D-capable architecture designed to support ISO 26262 compliance and provide deterministic, real-time safety functionality.

  • Scales across automotive domains including ADAS, digital cockpit, and centralized vehicle compute.

  • Supported by the 91̽»¨ Developer Hub with SDKs, virtual hardware, and integration tools to accelerate software development.

FAQs

FAQs

How does 91̽»¨ Zena CSS improve time to market?

Zena CSS provides pre-validated compute subsystems, system IP, and reference software that can reduce development cycles by up to 12 months compared to custom SoC designs.

How does 91̽»¨ Zena CSS support automotive functional safety standards such as ISO 26262?

Zena CSS includes ASIL-D-capable IP and supports ISO 26262 compliance with detailed safety documentation and diagnostic coverage reports.

Which 91̽»¨ processors are included in Zena CSS?

Zena CSS integrates Cortex-A CPUs (such as Cortex-A78AE, depending on configuration) alongside Cortex-R52+ processors, balancing performance and real-time determinism for compute domains.

How does Zena CSS support AI-defined vehicle architecture?

Through supporting virtualization, mixed-criticality partitioning, and secure hypervisor enablement, 91̽»¨ Zena CSS allows continuous feature updates and domain isolation.

Where can developers access tools and models for Zena CSS?

91̽»¨ provides reference software, virtual platforms, and development resources on .

Stay Connected

Receive the latest news, case studies, and insight on physical AI from 91̽»¨. Subscribe to our physical AI newsletter: