How To Reduce The Impact Of The Global Microcontroller Shortage On ECU Software Development


The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on all facets of business and commerce, as widespread supply chain disruptions rippled through every industry. Multiple factors collided to create a global microcontroller shortage that is now impacting the automotive industry, and is forcing developers to redesign Electronic Control Units (ECUs) using alternative Microcontrollers (MCUs) and to otherwi... » read more

RF/Microwave Technology Driving The Connected Car


In-car networks and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), made possible through wireless sensors, driver-assist radar, vehicle communications, and related electronics, present many design challenges to engineers. Simulation software enables design teams to effectively manage the complex design and integration challenges associated with developing these high-speed and RF-enabled networks. T... » read more

How Semiconductor Solutions Address Safety Requirements Of Future Power Distribution Networks In Autonomous Vehicles


Open up the bonnet of any modern automobile and many of us would be hard-pressed to find anything that we could fix ourselves. With pipes and cables almost artistically integrated into the engine bay, and sleek plastic covers fitted everywhere, there is very little that can still be recognized, yet alone repaired. Perhaps the only location where we feel comfortable is the “fuse box”, or pow... » read more

Functional Safety Across Analog And Digital Domains


The autonomy of vehicles has been all the rage recently. There are different levels of autonomous driving, with level 5 “Full Automation” being the target the industry is working towards, and Level 2 “Partial Automation” and Level 3 “Conditional Automation” being the level at which the automotive sector currently delivers the most technology. The amount of electronics in cars has be... » read more

Strategies For Meeting Stringent Standards For Automotive ICs


It may surprise you, but when it comes to chips in electronic braking systems, airbag control units, and more, automotive manufacturers are still using 10-year-old technology — and with good reason. For the automotive industry, the reliability, stability, and robustness of electronic components are critical, especially when it comes to meeting the stringent Automotive Electronics Council (... » read more

Bringing Intelligent Headlamps To Light via Simulation


Once seen as a basic, utilitarian product feature, today automotive headlamps are becoming much more innovative — and a critical source of competitive differentiation. Intelligent headlamps, which autonomously produce adaptive light beams, are capturing the imagination of the world’s automakers and consumers alike. But how can automotive engineering teams verify the performance of their com... » read more

How Semiconductor Solutions Address Safety Requirements Of Future Power Distribution Networks In Autonomous Vehicles


Open up the bonnet of any modern automobile and many of us would be hard-pressed to find anything that we could fix ourselves. With pipes and cables almost artistically integrated into the engine bay, and sleek plastic covers fitted everywhere, there is very little that can still be recognized, yet alone repaired. Perhaps the only location where we feel comfortable is the “fuse box”, or pow... » read more

The Everything New Syndrome


Technology is all about the latest features, the fastest processing, with the lowest power. While that sounds great in marketing pitch, any or all of those factors don't necessarily equate to a better product or long-term user satisfaction. There's a reason semiconductor companies are conservative by nature. They want to know that when they spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars on a ... » read more

Inspecting, Testing, And Measuring SiC


Achieving the auto industry's stringent zero defect goals is becoming a big challenge for makers of silicon carbide substrates, which are struggling to achieve sufficient yields and reliability as they migrate from 150mm to 200mm wafers and shift their focus away from pure silicon. SiC is a combination of silicon and harder carbide materials, and it has emerged as a key technology for batter... » read more

Don’t Toss That Gasoline Engine Just Yet


As auto makers race toward increasingly electrified vehicles, there is an entire after-market effort underway that was started decades ago, largely by hobbyists. And after decades of playing around with batteries and novel technologies, they've come to roughly the same conclusions as the owners of newer electric vehicles. There are definite advantages as well as some limitations, and the needle... » read more

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