How To Build An Automotive Chip


The introduction of advanced electronics into automotive design is causing massive disruption in a supply chain that, until very recently, hummed along like a finely tuned sports car. The rapid push toward autonomous driving has changed everything. This year, Level 3 autonomy will begin hitting the streets, and behind the scenes, work is underway to design SoCs for Level 4. But how these chi... » read more

ADAS Further Extends 7nm Challenges


As we discussed previously on the LPHP blog, 7nm nodes hold great promise for reducing power, improving performance and increasing density for next-generation chips, but also present a set of engineering challenges. When you factor in the standards set for autonomous vehicles (AV) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) system-on-chips or SoCs, those challenges can more than double. Autom... » read more

Lab-To-Fab Testing


Test equipment vendors are working on integrating testing and simulation in the lab with testing done later in the fab, setting the stage for what potentially could be the most significant change in semiconductor test in years. If they are successful, this could greatly simplify design for test, which has become increasingly difficult as chips get more complex, denser, and as more heterogene... » read more

Data Converters For Automotive Applications


Sensor applications requiring data converters range from temperature sensors identifying different engine status to radar/LIDAR enabling Automotive Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Other applications involving data converters include wireless transceivers for communicating with other vehicles or with a fixed network. The data converter IP (analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog) provides an i... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Cleanliness is a good thing. In the fab, it's also a very profitable thing. According to a report from Research and Markets, the wafer cleaning systems market will grow more than 6%. The research house notes, however, that the rate of growth is slowing. GlobalFoundries began volume production of its 180nm ultra-high-voltage process for industrial and power applications. The base platform sta... » read more

Packaging Chips For Cars


As the complexity of automotive chips grows, so does the complexity of the package. In fact, packaging is becoming increasingly crucial to the performance and reliability of the chips, and both parts need to meet stringent safety standards before they are used inside a vehicle. This is true for all safety-critical applications, but for automotive in particular there are several key reasons w... » read more

New Shifts In Automotive Design


Four big shifts in automotive design and usage are beginning to converge—electrification, increasing connectivity, autonomous driving and car sharing—creating a ripple effect across the automotive electronics supply chain. Over the past few years the electronic content of cars and other vehicles has surged, with electrical systems replacing traditional mechanical and electro-mechanical s... » read more

Toward Self-Driving Cars


The automotive market for semiconductors is shifting into high gear. Right now the average car has about $350 worth of semiconductor content, but that is projected to grow another 50% by 2023 as the overall automotive market for semiconductors grows from $35 billion to $54 billion. This strong growth is being driven by the need to develop what we are calling the ‘connected car.’ The ... » read more

Better Chips, Better Cars


There are literally thousands of electronic components in a new car, and those numbers are only going to increase as cars become smarter, safer, greener, and increasingly connected. As automakers and Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies shift their focus from mechanical to a combination of mechanical and electrical, there is an ongoing race among fabless companies to come up with innovative technolog... » read more

When DDR DRAM Is Right For Automotive Systems


Most of the processors contained within automobiles are relatively small and with modest memory requirements that can be served by SRAM and non-volatile memory. The type of computing, image processing, and graphics displays that are possible with a more powerful CPU connected to DRAM have largely been restricted to the non-safety-critical infotainment system in the vehicle – until now. Advanc... » read more

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