Established in 1999, Macroblock is a global leader in LED driver ICs with around 250 employees. The company provides high-quality products for LED video walls, automotive lighting and display applications to more than 500 clients worldwide. Notable examples of their solutions include The Sphere in Las Vegas, rental displays for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, and ambient LED lights in Honda vehicles. TrendForce had the privilege of interviewing Steve Ho, Special Assistant to the General Manager, during DVN Shanghai. He shared insights into trends in ambient LED products and new developments expected in 2025.

Steve Ho noted that Macroblock’s ambient LED driver ICs have been successfully used in the interior lighting systems of Honda’s new energy vehicles. The MBI6034Q features a 12-channel constant current design and 16-bit grayscale for enhanced color performance. It also offers long-distance data transmission with error detection capabilities. Current car models priced above CNY 200,000 are emphasizing four major trends: intelligent cockpits with large displays, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) up to SAE Level 2+, luxurious and comfortable interior designs like ambient lighting, and improved vehicle interior space experiences.

Static ambient lights can change color to convey information, but dynamic ambient lights offer more possibilities. These lights use intelligent control to manage animation effects, light colors, brightness, and response speed. They can create atmospheres, convey messages, display warnings, and showcase car brands. Applications range from personal notifications like music rhythms and call alerts to visual feedback in ADAS. Examples include blind spot detection (BSW), rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), lane change assistance (LCA), rear collision warning (RECW), door exit warning (DOW), driver monitoring (DMS), and autonomous driving at Level 3 and above using cyan LEDs.

Macroblock has launched a diverse range of ambient LED lighting products, including dot, linear, and planar lighting designs. The MBI6034Q LED driver IC is suitable for personalized vehicle emblem lights, linear ambient lights, and smart dimming reading lights. This chip features a 12-channel constant current design, 16-bit grayscale for richer color performance, long-distance data transmission, and error detection.

Using planar light source designs with a high pixel count, automakers and automotive suppliers can develop grid lights and full-width taillights that can serve as interactive LED matrix displays. For these automotive lighting systems, Macroblock offers the MBI5353Q LED driver IC along with the MBI5989Q scan switch. These setups can achieve 16-bit grayscale and a high visual refresh rate, ensuring clear and accurate message conveyance to improve road safety.

Steve Ho highlighted that visualization is essential for automakers and automotive suppliers in developing ambient lighting. It must meet the personalized design needs of automakers and provide diverse functions and safety warnings through human-machine interaction. Macroblock strives to maintain exceptional product quality and collaborates with system integrators (Tier 1 suppliers) and automakers (OEMs) to develop lighting products that meet market needs. Together with its clients, Macroblock aims to create a promising future.

Author: Joanne Wu / TrendForce

TrendForce 2025 Global Automotive LED Market- Lighting and Display Product Trend
Release Date:
1. PDF (196 Pages)- 30 June 2025
2. EXCEL- 30 June 2025 and 31 December 2025
Languages: Traditional Chinese / English