April 5, 2012 NXP Semiconductors N.V. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Dutch electronic design and IP company Catena Group which will help NXP to continue to innovate in the automotive analog mixed signal solutions business and in wireless car connectivity. Read more

April 4, 2012 Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) has introduced a dual output power supply for automotive applications that ensures stable, uninterrupted output voltages, even in cases where the input voltage drops significantly below the output voltage levels. Read more

March 27, 2012 Linear Technology Corporation has introduced automotive (H-grade) and high reliability military (MP-grade) versions of the LTM2881 and LTM2882, isolated µModule transceivers which guard against large ground-to-ground differentials and common-mode transients in RS485 and RS232 networks. Read more

March 13, 2012 Automotive motor control unit (MCU) engineering company Sevcon has agreed with electronics manufacturer Flextronics to jointly develop drivetrain solutions for hybrid and pure electric vehicles. The companies also plan to jointly market these platforms throughout Europe. Read more

February 29, 2012 Microprocessor giant Intel has discovered the automotive infotainment market: The company has introduced several research initiatives aiming at applications associated to networked vehicles. And it launched a research center based in Karlsruhe (Germany) dedicated to in-vehicle infotainment and telematics applications. Read more

February 27, 2012 Atmel Corporation has released its maXTouch family for 5 inch to 10 inch automotive touchscreens and touchpads used in center stack displays, navigation systems, radio human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and rear-seat entertainment systems. Read more

February 24, 2012 Molex Incorporated claims to be first-to-market with the one-piece S8 Automotive Bulb Socket. This wedge-style bulb socket simplifies assembly and reduces inventory and component costs, while providing users with the same high-quality performance and robust design found in all Molex automotive sockets. Read more

February 16, 2012 Green Hills Software and Jungo Ltd, have announced a strategic collaboration that focuses on the creation of a comprehensive connectivity, device media and internet management platform for next-generation automotive infotainment systems. Read more

February 14, 2012 Renesas Electronics has developed the V850E2/Fx4-L series which now features 19 new 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs). Designed for the automotive comfort and body segment, the low-power MCUs offer scalability and compatibility combined with sophisticated peripheral functions to provide premium automotive body solutions for applications such as roof or window lifters, door-, seat- and light modules, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and body control modules. Read more

January 9, 2012 Ford Motor Company has announced plans to create and open its first dedicated research lab in Silicon Valley early this year, further growing the company's commitment to make technology affordable for millions. Read more

December 14, 2011 Communications chip vendor Broadcom Corporation has introduced a broad automotive Ethernet portfolio, engineered to meet the rigorous qualifications and demands of the automotive semiconductor market. Broadcom's BroadR-Reach automotive portfolio delivers high-performance bandwidth of 100Mbps and beyond while dramatically reducing connectivity costs up to 80 % and cabling weight as much as 30 %, the company claims. Read more

December 1, 2011 Revenue derived from the use of magnetic sensors in automotive motors will expand by nearly 40 percent in 2012 reaching $160.3 million, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli. Read more

November 30, 2011 Texas Instruments Incorporated has announced the qualification of MSP430 16-bit microcontrollers for automotive applications. The AEC-Q100 certification allows developers to integrate higher performance, power efficiency and scalability into their designs without sacrificing on price. Read more

November 24, 2011 Whilst the automotive camera module market is growing rapidly, the supplier base is consolidating so that not all suppliers are benefiting from this growth. The latest market share numbers from IMS Research show that the two leading suppliers of front camera modules, Gentex and Continental, will increase their combined market share by nearly 10 percentage points in 2011. Read more

November 22, 2011 Silicon Laboratories has introduced the Si476x automotive tuner IC family designed to deliver high RF performance coupled with advanced signal processing while reducing cost and complexity of car radio systems. Read more

November 11, 2011 Autosar, the common software architecture for cars, is becoming increasingly relevant for real-world automotive electronics design. While earlier Autosar releases defined basic functionality and development methodologies, the current version takes care of one of the paramount topics in automotive electronics: Functional Safety. But new challenges are already in sight. The common software architecture is in “Phase Three” of its planned lifecyle. Read more

November 2, 2011 U-blox has released two products equipped with its industry leading Automotive Dead Reckoning (ADR) technology. Based on the company's tightly-coupled Kalman Filter algorithm, the NEO-6V GPS module and UBX-G6010-SA-DR single-chip deliver drop-in, self calibrating GPS Dead Reckoning performance for high precision vehicle navigation systems. Read more

October 28, 2011 Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., has released a new series of power MiniLEDs in ultra-compact 2.3 mm by 1.3 mm by 1.4 mm SMD packages. Utilizing the most advanced AllnGaP technology to increase light output by a factor of three, devices in the VLMx233.. series are AEC-Q101 qualified for automotive applications and are offered in super red, red, amber, soft orange, and yellow. Read more

October 28, 2011 Toyota and Ford have the most successful integration of car infotainment systems with mobile devices like smartphones, according to an IHS iSuppli Automotive Research report. Read more

October 26, 2011 Linear Technology Corporation has unveiled a 750 mA, 42 V step-down switching regulator with integrated boost and catch diodes. Its Burst Mode operation keeps quiescent current under 2.5 µA in no load standby conditions. The LT3973's 4.2 V to 42 V input voltage range makes it ideal for automotive and industrial applications. Its internal 1.2 A switch can deliver up to 750 mA of continuous output current to voltages as low as 1.21 V. Read more

October 21, 2011 Intersil Corporation has released a new 2.5 A step-down regulator that automatically boosts the input voltage to maintain regulation. Read more

October 14, 2011 Imperas and Renesas Electronics are cooperating on the verification of the Open Virtual Platforms (OVP) Fast Processor Models of the Renesas V850 cores. These models are being used with the OVPsim virtual platform simulator, usually for software testing of automotive electronics applications. Users include NIRA Dynamics, a provider of tire pressure sensor systems. Read more

October 13, 2011 Freescale Semiconductor has announced the first of several powerful multicore automotive MCUs intended to help make it easier for automotive designers to improve engine efficiency and reduce exhaust pollution. Global automakers are expected to use them to incorporate state-of-the art technology, such as direct injection, turbo-charging and full drive by wire systems into a single controller. Read more

October 5, 2011 Along with its subsidiary Renesas Mobile Corporation, semiconductor vendor Renesas Electronics has developed an automotive system-on-chip (SoC) for high-end automotive display systems (graphics cluster, multifunction graphics display) supporting advanced human machine interfaces (HMI). Read more

October 5, 2011 The formal opening of its newly established Research and Development Centre of Excellence (CoE) in East Kilbride, Scotland sees more than 170 highly skilled employees primarily involved in MCU development for the automotive market, while a significant part of the team is also expected to focus on the networking and industrial markets. Read more

September 21, 2011 Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has launched a highly integrated and compact Bluetooth controller LSI that delivers high-speed operation and ultra-low power consumption for the latest mobile, automotive and healthcare system designs. The Bluetooth v4.0-compliant TC35661 could also address the performance, wireless connectivity and power requirements of emerging battery-powered mobile and sensor-based applications. Read more

September 6, 2011 For automotive electronic stability control, rollover detection, and pitch detection applications, Analog Devices, Inc has introduced the ADXRS800 i MEMS gyroscope , featuring a patented differential quad-beam architecture designed to minimize the influence of linear shock and vibration. The ADXRS800 quad beam architecture provides 0.03°/sec/g of linear acceleration rejection while continuously monitoring the total electro-mechanical gyro performance. Read more

September 6, 2011 As the first LED vendor in Korea, Seoul Semiconductor has started mass production for LED automotive headlights. The company also said its LEDs been adopted by one of the world's top four car manufacturers. Read more

September 5, 2011 Infineon has introduced a family of single P-channel 40V automotive power MOSFETs produced using advanced trench technology. The new 40V OptiMOS P2 products aim power management applications for next-generation cars and offer improved energy efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions and cost savings. Read more

August 30, 2011 Using its Tower development system, Freescale has introduced a MEMS development package that targets smaller OEMs targeting the automotive market, particularly in the emerging BRIC regions of China and India, where it believes there is greater opportunity for new companies to penetrate the fiercely competitive market. Read more

August 24, 2011 The automotive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor market will reach new heights in 2012, leaving behind the ups and downs of the last two years, including the impact of the recent Japan earthquake, according to the new IHS iSuppli Automotive MEMS Market Tracker from information and analysis provider IHS. Read more

July 28, 2011 International Rectifier has introduced the AUIR331x family of high-side intelligent power switch (IPS) devices with accurate current-sensing and built-in protection circuits for automotive applications. The new IPS devices enhance reliability in intelligent glow-plug controls, auxiliary positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heaters, engine cooling fan drivers and interior fan controllers. Read more

July 27, 2011 KEMET has introduced its first-to-market F5D Series metallised polyester (MKT) film capacitors with integrated ceramic capacitors. The multicomponent capacitors eliminate the need for two devices by filtering both low and high frequency noise in automotive motors and other suppression applications. Read more

July 27, 2011 NXP Semiconductors N. V. has release a new generation of automotive position sensors. The KMA210 incorporates NXP’s latest magnetoresistive sensor chip and a signal conditioning ASIC developed in NXP’s advanced Silicon on Insulator (SOI) ABCD9 process technology. The device is the first of a new magnetic sensor family in a full system-in-package solution that requires no external components. KMA210 is specially designed to improve the overall performance and increase robustness in automotive applications. Read more

July 14, 2011 Toshiba Electronics Europe has announced that it will introduce two automotive microcontrollers for electronic control units compliant with ISO 26262, a functional safety standard for automobiles. The new products are the “TMPM350FDTFG” for electric power steering control and the “TMPM354F10TFG” for control of drive motors of hybrid and electric vehicles. Read more

July 14, 2011 The dSPACE ASM Electric Components simulation package is now supported by JMAG, a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool for electromechanical design developed by the JSOL Corporation. This enables users to easily and precisely parameterize ASM electric motor models and thus helps them to achieve precise results from drive simulations. Read more

July 11, 2011 The EU FP7 project ATHENIS (Automotive Tested High Voltage Embedded Non Volatile Memory Integrated System On Chip) has for the first time demonstrated a manufacturing technology platform for IC operation for the combination of harshest environmental conditions known in the automotive industry which includes full reverse polarity capability at the low cost of CMOS, application voltages up to 120 V, currents up to 10 A, temperatures up to 200°C, embedded non-volatile memory, chip-level ESD up to >8 kV HBM, and high logic gate densities. Read more

July 8, 2011 Axeon is one of six British companies to receive a share of almost £500,000 funding from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board for feasibility studies into the recycling and re-use of batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. The project will research the recycling process and examine how to determine a battery’s end-of-life, which is still a major issue with automotive batteries for both manufacturers and consumers. Read more

June 21, 2011 Giving the medium-sized and compact car category access to the safety and convenience applications of the premium segment and enabling their compliance with the strictest fuel consumption and pollutant emission requirements, Infineon has introduced a cost-optimized extension of its successful XC2000 automotive microcontroller portfolio. The company promises 32-bit equivalent performance at 8-bit costs. Read more

June 14, 2011 Engineering tool vendor dSpace GmbH (Paderborn, Germany) has added a new battery model to its Automotive Simulation Models (ASM) simulation package. The model is designed to virtualize rechargeable lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and lead batteries used for the electrification of vehicle drivetrains. Read more

June 10, 2011 Delphi Automotive is opening a new manufacturing facility at Moldova Noua, in the southwest region of Romania. The site will produce wiring harness modules for vehicle manufacturers across Europe. Employment at the new plant could potentially approach 1,000 by the end of the year. Read more

June 6, 2011 Sophisticated electronic systems, a few years ago the exclusive domain of luxury-class vehicles, have become more commonplace in mid-range and lower-priced automobiles. During the past year, this trickle-down effect was more pronounced than market researcher IC Insights anticipated. Consequently, the company raised its forecast for the average semiconductor content per car. Read more

May 26, 2011 Analog Devices introduced a single-chip front-end device handling different signals for automotive radar equipment, The AD8283 enables adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection in a single, cost-competitive IC. Read more

May 19, 2011 As part of the Automotive Week 2011 which took place this week in Eindhoven (The Netherlands), chipmaker NXP demoed a car-to-x communications platform based on the company's software-defined multi-standard digital radio platform. Read more

May 11, 2011 "Automotive electronics, considered as dead two years ago, has returned into the driver's seat of the semiconductor industry" - this is how Sandro Grigolli, EMEA Executive Director of the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) characterizes the significance of the car industry for the chip makers. But at the recent GSA meeting in Munich, the industry discussed the consequences resulting of this situation. It became clear that the automotive industry itself is facing massive challenges. Read more

May 10, 2011 Hardware-in-the-Loop tests significantly help shorten development cycles of innovative driver assistance systems or powertrain concepts. IPG Automotive, a company dedicated to vehicle dynamics simulation technology, offers test system solutions, ranging from standard HIL simulators through to customized large test rigs. Through the launch of the CarMaker 3.5 software release, the company has substantially extended the functionality of its Xpack4 hardware platform. Read more

May 4, 2011 Against the background of increasingly connected cars, cloud computing provider Covisint which has extensive ties to the automotive industry, has drafted the cornerstones of secure automotive networking. At a congress on automotive networking in Munich, the company said vehicle-related information networks need to be equipped with robust identity and flexible management and support secure communication paths between vehicles, OEMs, dealers, and users. Read more

May 3, 2011 At the upcoming Automotive Testing Expo, Dürr Assembly Products will present its new, standardised x-road multifunction rolling road provides automotive developers you with a future-oriented test stand design that simultaneously allows users to economically carry out the most varied function tests on a wide range of automobiles. Read more

April 29, 2011 Robust automotive-grade buck regulator ICs with wide input voltage range The new A8582 and A8583 from Allegro MicroSystems Europe are automotive-grade buck regulator ICs with high switching frequency and output current and a wide input voltage range. Each device integrates a low-resistance high-side N-channel MOSFET, and incorporates current-mode control to provide excellent loop stability and transient response. Read more

April 28, 2011 Infineon Technologies announced an intelligent Signature Watchdog for use along with the company's 32-Bit TriCore microcontrollers and the dedicated SafeTcore software. The device provides monitoring features compliant up to the highest risk level of functional safety according to the IEC61508 and ISO26262 automotive industry standards. Read more

April 20, 2011 NXP Semiconductors N.V., has founded the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) in Pune in association with the International Institute of Information Technology (I2IT). Located at I2IT Pune Campus, this Center of Excellence will provide infrastructure and collaboration of the Industry and academia. Read more

April 13, 2011 Traffic statistics demonstrate that accidents are significantly more likely at night than in daylight. Automotive manufacturers and their Tier 1 supplier partners are addressing this issue by developing multiple solutions. Brighter forward lighting that does not dazzle other drivers has been improving for years via High Intensity Discharge or Xenon lamps and automatic high-low beams. Emerging LED technology will allow even more design freedom. And now night vision appears set for steady if not spectacular growth. ABI Research expects night vision installations to grow from 103,000 worldwide (valued at USD 373 million) in 2010 to 1.7 million (about USD 5 billion) in 2016. Read more

April 8, 2011 International Rectifier has introduced a family of rugged automotive qualified MOSFETs for a range of applications used in Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and hybrid vehicle platforms. Read more

April 6, 2011 Past February, Rudi De Winter has been appointed co-CEO for semiconductor foundry X-Fab. Since his appointment took place shortly after X-Fab had released nine-month figures in red ink, speculations circulated that the move was aiming at a major course correction or a generational handover in the company. De Winter knows X-Fab very well: During the past 14 years he was CEO of fabless automotive chipmaker Melexis SA, a major customer of X-Fab. Read more

April 6, 2011 Funkwerk Dabendorf (FWD), a manufacturer of mobile communications solutions for vehicles, has announced a strategic relationship with software vendor OpenSynergy. Within this scope, FWD plans to offer OpenSynergy's COQOS operating system for its products. Read more

March 29, 2011 Japanese and global automotive production is being hit by the lack of an airflow sensor, according market research firm IHS Automotive. Global automobile production is likely to see a further marked drop in vehicle production – beyond that due to missing Japanese production – within a matter of weeks, the analyst said. Read more

March 14, 2011 A new range of 32-bit MCU family has been designed to make advanced driver assistance systems more affordable for a broad range of vehicles. It could help promote safety features, such as blind-spot detection, lane-departure warning systems, side view assistance and adaptive headlights. These and similar advanced automotive safety systems are part of the rapidly growing market known as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Read more

March 14, 2011 In the booming global market for automotive semiconductors, the cards have been shuffled anew. The pole position is now occupied by Renesas; the long-standing leader Freescale has dramatically fallen behind. Read more

March 8, 2011 Over the next 15 years, almost nothing will remain as it is in the global automotive industry, predicts a study from consultant company Roland Berger. Electrical and hybrid vehicles will gain market share, connectivity will become a key factor. The bad news is that the center of gravity for the entire automotive industry will move to Asia. Read more

March 4, 2011 Fujitsu Semiconductor Europe has developed an advanced wrap-around automotive view technology whereby images are taken by four cameras and combined in such a way as to appear as if taken from a bird's-eye view. The video images from these cameras are combined seamlessly and projected onto a virtual 3D curved surface. Read more

February 28, 2011 The Distributed System Interface (DSI) Consortium has finalized and released the DSI3 version technical specifications. DSI describes a protocol for the interconnection of multiple sensors and actuators to a control unit. Main target of the development is airbag controllers and other safety-related features. Read more

February 24, 2011 During the current year, the market for automotive ICs will see a new all-time high. After the 45 percent growth spurt in 2010, the market will return to a less spectacular but still healthy growth of 12 percent, predicts market research company IC Insight. But the next decline is already in sight. Read more

February 11, 2011 For engineers and mechanics in the automotive industry, for students, for professional training and development and for anyone with an interest in automotive technology, for generations the Bosch Automotive Manual has been an indispensable source of information and an important reference work. The new 27th edition of the classic text has been thoroughly revised and considerably extended. Read more

February 3, 2011 Having already secured a toehold in diagnostics applications, Ethernet will continue to gain territory in cars. During an industry meeting in Munich, Bosch Automotive Electronics VP Rainer Kallenbach laid out its vision of future in-vehicle networking. Read more

January 31, 2011 Automotive test solutions vendor Goepel electronic has introduced a modular communication controller for CAN, based on the established Series 61. The scalable architecture of the PXI 6153 provides a broad range of options for individual and flexible controller configurations and functional upgradability at a later date. Read more

January 27, 2011 Shipments of cellular modules for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications will reach over 100 million in 2015 according to IMS Research's new report “The World Market for Cellular Modules in M2M Communications”. Read more

January 20, 2011 The market research company Semicast predicts strong growth for chips and power semiconductors in the automotive market. Main demand drivers are the continued pervasion of electronics into almost all vehicle systems. The highest growth will be seen in the powertrain segment. Read more

January 18, 2011 With the recruitment of automotive software veteran Matthias Stumpf, QNX Software Systems has expanded its European automotive team. Stumpf will be in charge of supporting sales efforts to QNX Software Systems key customer Harman Automotive Division in Europe. Read more

December 17, 2010 Intersil Corporation has released a Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) interface IC targeting automotive rear view safety systems. The single chip transceiver solution simplifies system design by sending video data, bi-directional control information and power across a single shielded twisted pair (STP) cable. Read more

December 17, 2010 After selling its mobile phone business, chip manufacturer Infineon's focus on industrial and automotive markets has strongly increased. But is the company prepared for the changes its customers in the global automotive industry are facing? EE Times Europe discussed the issue with Jochen Hanebeck, Division President of Infineon's automotive business. Read more

December 15, 2010 FZI (Research Center for Information Technology) and IPG Automotive GmbH, a provider of simulation solutions and test systems for the automobile and automotive supplier industries, have joined their forces to develop a testing and integration platform for active safety and energy-efficient driving strategies. The partners both based in Karlsruhe, Germany, have already been cooperating in the field of sensor fusion for camera-based driver assistance systems. Read more

December 13, 2010 South Korean foundry chipmaker Dongbu HiTek has announced a network of partners in support of analog and power circuit design and manufacturing with a particular emphasis on automotive applications and qualifications. Read more

December 2, 2010 Ipetronik has announced MultiDAQ, a multi-measurement module with 32 measurement inputs, eight analog inputs for voltage/current with sensor excitation, and two frequency/counter inputs. The MultiDAQ is based on the company’s M-Series modules, which have been proving themselves well for years under extreme conditions. In detail, it is equipped with 32 measurement inputs for connecting Type K (NiCr/NiAl) thermocouples, eight analog inputs for voltage/current that each have separately configurable dual supply sensor excitation (up to ±15 V, max. ±45 mA), and two frequency/counter inputs. Read more

November 25, 2010 Driven by the sharp rebound in the automotive production and inventory rebuilding, the market for automotive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors will grow to record size in 2010, according to market research firm iSuppli. Read more

November 8, 2010 The significance of the automotive industry for semiconductor manufacturers will increase steeply over the next years, predicts Strategy Analytics. The biggest driver for semiconductor demand is, not a big surprise, power train electrification. The market researcher's figures however are astonishing. Read more

November 3, 2010 Computing and IT trade fair CeBIT plans to modify its approach to automotive electronics and telematics: Beginning 2011, the fair plans to bundle automotive-related topics in the Telematics and Automotive World focus show. Read more

October 29, 2010 STMicroelectronics has expanded its sensor portfolio with an automotive-grade three-axis low-g accelerometer. Combining low power consumption and small footprint with high precision and robust performance, the device targets a wide range of automotive applications, including vehicle tracking, event recording, abuse monitoring, and dead-reckoning for enhanced navigation capabilities. Read more

October 28, 2010 South Korean foundry vendor Dongbu HiTek has qualified its  180-nm mixed-signal process and EEPROM intellectual property (IP) to meet the  quality and reliability criteria set forth in the automotive AEC-Q100 'Grade 0' standard. The company's 0.35-micron BCDMOS (BD350) process and other nonvolatile memory  modules are currently being qualified to the same AEC-Q100 stress level. Read more

October 27, 2010 Automotive tier one Continental AG (Hanover, Germany) has launched a joint venture with Huayu Automotive Systems (HASCO) aiming at designing and manufacturing brake systems for the Chinese market. Read more

October 19, 2010 TriQuint Semiconductor is offering its 77 GHz GaAs chipset portfolio for motion detection and adaptive cruise control applications. The products are currently used by Delphi Automotive in its successful multimode electronically scanning radar (ESR) that enables adaptive cruise control in multiple vehicles. The 77 GHz devices first appeared in 2010 models. Read more

October 12, 2010 Chinese foundry Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. has rolled out an automotive-grade process control program and achieved ISO/TS16949 certification. Read more

October 7, 2010 Automotive traction technology, usage concepts, geographical shifts, all these factors are changing and create challenges for the way vehicle electronics are defined. Rainer Kallenbach, group board member of automotive supplier Robert Bosch GmbH and EE Times Europe undertook a tour d'horizon of this industry segment. Read the whole interview here. Read more

October 4, 2010 Supplier of mobile measurement technology in the automotive industry, Ipetronik has expanded its range of services in the area of environmental simulation and test bed engineering by founding the “Ipetec test bed engineering” business unit with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. Kay Seidensticker is the general manager of the new unit, which launched in September. Ipetec test bed engineering develops and offers tailor-made test bed solutions for developing and validating components and systems used in R&D, testing and production environment. Read more

September 30, 2010 Automotive industry measurement equipment manufacturer Ipetronik GmbH (Duesseldorf, Germany) has announced that version V01.05.00 of its IPEmotion measurement data acquisition software is available for download. The new version offers numerous optimizations and additional features. Read more

September 16, 2010 An interdisciplinary research team of the Volkswagen group (Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat) and the Braunschweig Technical University will conduct basic research on the field of automotive lighting. In particular, the “LichtLAB” will focus on innovative lighting technologies and active headlight systems. Read more

September 15, 2010 A surface-mount automotive quality grade GSM/GPRS modem, the LEON-G100 Automotive from u-blox is designed for use in first-mount car telematics applications such as emergency call (such as eCall), Stolen Vehicle Recovery and wireless driver assistance services. In addition, it is ideal for after-market applications including road pricing, wireless toll collection, pay-per-use insurance and AVL / fleet management systems. Read more

September 14, 2010 Freescale Semiconductor has announced the MPC564xA microcontroller; the newest addition to its embedded 32-bit MCU portfolio. Built on its Power Architecture technology, it is designed to withstand the harsh environments found in automotive applications, to deliver the performance and precision needed for engine management and transmission control. Read more

September 10, 2010 ON Semiconductor is planning to expand production capacity at its 6-inch (150mm) wafer manufacturing facility in Oudenaarde, Belgium, by approximately 40 percent with a total equipment investment in 2010 of 12.3 million Euros (or 15.78 million US Dolars). The Belgium factory specializes in the manufacture of application specific high-voltage technologies for the automotive and industrial industry, and in integrated and discrete standard products for a wide range of market segments. Read more

September 10, 2010 At Electronica 2010 Toshiba Electronics Europe will be showcasing a selection of advanced semiconductor solutions for automotive applications and presenting a paper on new microcontroller technologies for automotive safety systems, with a range of 'Capricorn' SoCs on display. Read more

September 9, 2010 Automotive OEM Daimler will hold the keynote speech at the third MOST Forum. The speaker will provide an overview over Daimler's experiences with MOST design over more than ten years including current MOST150 integration activities. Read more

August 26, 2010 US-based automotive electronics vendor Visteon Corp. has joined forces with Avtopribor, one of Russia's largest automotive components suppliers. Jointly the companies plan to tap the fast-growing automotive market in Russia. Read more

August 10, 2010 Marvell and HARMAN, an automotive audio and infotainment leader, have announced they are enabling automakers to offer integrated Wi-Fi connectivity via Marvell Mobile Hotspot (MMH) technology. The 2010 Audi A8 is the first automobile on the market to feature a factory-installed mobile hotspot, representing a significant milestone for in-car Internet technology. The 2010 Audi A8 with MMH technology is now available in Europe. Read more

August 5, 2010 Renesas Electronics has introduced seven new power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOSFET) products equipped in HSON packages for use in automotive electronics control units for applications including direct injection engine management and electric pump motor control. Read more

August 5, 2010 Renesas Electronics has introduced seven new power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOSFET) products equipped in HSON packages for use in automotive electronics control units for applications including direct injection engine management and electric pump motor control. Read more

July 28, 2010 For automotive suppliers, price pressure is a known phenomenon. And they already suspected that it won't go away anytime soon. A study from consulting company Oliver Wyman says who is hit hardest. No surprise: electronics equipment. Read more

July 7, 2010 The crisis of 2009 has shaken up the European automotive electronics landscape. According to market researcher Strategy Analytics, the market driver number one was the demand for systems helping car vendors to reduce fuel consumption. Read more

July 1, 2010 With the SPEJ110100, ALPS Electric Europe offers a tiny momentary-type push switch with detent suited for mirror control for power window units and switching of various electric devices in motor vehicles. Read more

June 9, 2010 The Volkswagen Group is expanding its production capacities in China. Contracts for the construction of the plant were signed Wednesday. The production site will be located in Foshan, in the Southern Chinese region of Guangdong. Read more

June 3, 2010 ON Semiconductor has announced the release of a linear regulator and controller product. The NCV7680 consists of eight linear programmable constant current sources. It is designed for use in the regulation and control of solid state rear combination lamps of vehicles, and is capable of supporting an LED driving current of up to 75 mA per channel. Read more

June 2, 2010 Low power, high-performance F-RAM meets AEC-Q100 Grade 3 standards Read more

June 1, 2010 Semiconductor manufacturer Micronas has left a difficult year behind: In 2009, the company was forced to shut down its core business of image signal processing chips for TV sets. EE Times Europe asked the new CEO Matthias Bopp if, and how, the company has digested the surgery. Read more

May 27, 2010 The market for automotive electronic systems is set to grow from a 2009 low of $125 billion to about $210 million in 2014, a CAGR over the period of 11 percent, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. Over the longer period to 2017 the company is forecasting a CAGR of 9 percent to yield an annual market of about $244 billion. Read more

May 19, 2010 The automotive industry in China seems to catch up in giant steps: As soon as 2012, Euro-5 equivalents in energy efficiency and emission reductions will be reached, noted Strategy Analytics expert Kevin Mak. A large deal of the progress is owed to the deployment of electronic controls. Read more

May 19, 2010 Yokogawa has introduced a version of its latest combined oscilloscope/data recorder family with dedicated automotive testing features include CAN bus monitoring. Read more

May 17, 2010 Navigation software companies Kraemer Automotive GmbH and Map & Track Ortungssysteme have jointly developed the KR-7 Map & Track fleet management system. The software permits controlling a fleet of vehicles through a simple PC connected to the internet. Read more

May 13, 2010 Exposure to Chinese automobile makers helped Dutch chip vendor NXP BV (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) take the top position in the global automotive infotainment semiconductor market in an economically difficult 2009, according to market research company iSuppli Corp. (El Segundo, Calif.). Read more

May 13, 2010 US-based e-car manufacturer Aptera will use TTTech Automotive's TTC 90 High Safety Controller in its ambitious Aptera 2e electric vehicle. Read more

May 5, 2010 After a long pursuit, Infineon has displaced Freescale from the pole position in the automotive chip ranking. According to market research company Strategy Analytics, Infineon in 2009 for the first time sold more semiconductors into the automotive market than archrival Freescale. Read more

May 3, 2010 First the good news: The market for automotive components continues to be a growth market. The bad news is that the growth will happen almost exclusively in China, with Europe, Japan and North America to stagnate, says a study conducted by consulting company Roland Berger. Read more

April 28, 2010 Harman International and Chinese software company Neusoft Corporation have announced that the two companies have entered into partnership for the development of advanced technologies in automotive and consumer electronics. As a result of this collaboration, Harman and Neusoft have jointly established technology development centers in Shenyang, China and Hamburg, Germany. Read more

April 22, 2010 Maxim Integrated Products has introduced a 2.2 MHz, high-voltage, four-channel power-management IC (PMIC) optimized for automotive applications that require up to four power rails at medium power levels. Read more

April 20, 2010 High costs are- and probably will be for a while - the most important factor to slow down the acceptance for electric vehicles. A poll in Germany has highlighted customers' reluctance to pay premium prices for e-cars. At the Hannover trade fair however, Infineon CEO Peter Bauer predicted steep price declines. Read more

April 19, 2010 The Numonyx® M58BW family of flash memories has been specifically developed for critical Automotive applications with x32 data bus width and fast burst read mode. Read more

April 19, 2010 NXP Semiconductors claims to be the first supplier to launch a full range of automotive power MOSFETs housed in the compact, thermally enhanced Loss Free PAcKage (LFPAK). Read more

April 14, 2010 Automotive electronics measurement provider Ipetronik and Stuttgart-based Stefan Klaric GmbH & Co KG agreed to cooperate in the field of automotive amperometry. The move provides Ipetronic customers with current measurement solutions for up to 3600 A. Read more

April 13, 2010 General Motors has announced measures to double the size of its automotive battery lab. The move highlights the importance of electric vehicles for the US manufacturer. Read more

April 8, 2010 A colour 2.3” TFT LCD display from Anders Electronics offers a round display face that enables realistic emulation of round gauges and dials for automotive, consumer, industrial and marine applications. Read more

March 22, 2010 Reconfirming its position as the leading provider of operating systems and middleware for the automotive infotainment market, QNX Software Systems has announced that its technology has been licensed for more than 17 million in-vehicle systems worldwide — an increase of 130 per cent since 2008. Read more

March 15, 2010 The automotive slump was the main culprit for the decline of Germany’s semiconductor market in 2009. However, a long-time comparison shows that the significance of the automotive industry for semiconductor vendors has significantly increased over the past decade. Read more

March 12, 2010 International Rectifier introduced the AUIPS7111S high-side intelligent power switch with ultra low on-state resistance (RDS(on)) for harsh 24V automotive environments such as under-the-hood truck junction boxes. Read more

March 4, 2010 International Rectifier has introduced a high-side intelligent power switch with ultra low on-state resistance (RDS(on)) for harsh 24 V automotive environments such as under-the-hood truck junction boxes. Read more