October 18, 2012 For vehicles with four wheels, space constraints for engine control units might not be the top priority feature in product concept catalogue. For three- and two-wheel vehicles however, the situation is different; here every cubic centimetre counts. Infineon Technologies now has launched the world’s smallest engine management ICs, saving up to two-thirds of board space in control systems for two- and three-wheelers compared to today’s solutions. Read more

October 10, 2012 Infineon Technologies has introduced its LINLED driver family for automotive applications. The new TLD73xxEK system-on-chip devices make it possible to implement attractive multicolor ambient lighting based on RGB (Red-Green-Blue) blending to produce a broad range of interior colors with predefined color points. The announcement comes only one week after competitor Elmos has introduced a similar solution. Read more

October 4, 2012 With its new single-chip radar solutions, Infineon addresses applications in industrial and commercial sensing. The devices however also can be used collision avoidance in industrial vehicles. Read more

September 11, 2012 Over the next three years, 15 partners from German science and the automotive and supply industry will research how the safety of lithium ion batteries can be further improved for electric and hybrid vehicles. Focal points of the research program dubbed SafeBatt will be new materials, test methods and semiconductor sensors for use in lithium ion batteries. 

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September 6, 2012 Automated lane-keeping, brake assist systems and other highly complex microelectronic systems in vehicles are already reducing the number of serious traffic accidents. The increasing number and complexity of such safety systems makes tremendous demands on the hardware and software components from the different suppliers – and means that the development of the safety systems and their components need to be better aligned. This is the purpose of the “VeTeSS” project, headed by chipmaker Infineon. VeTeSS, which stands for “Verification and Test Support for Safety Standards,” is working on standardized, reliable and cost-effective development methods to help avoid errors in subcomponents leading to the malfunction of the entire safety system. 

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September 4, 2012 Since May 2006, digital tachographs are mandatory in the EU for all new registered trucks exceeding 3.5 tons and for buses or coaches with more than eight seats. From October 2012, according to EU regulations, only new-generation devices are permitted to be installed in trucks and coaches which are more difficult to manipulate and less likely to malfunction. In the new generation of its digital tachographs, supplier Continental has chosen to use security chips from Infineon exclusively. Read more

June 4, 2012 Infineon has introduced the second generation of its embedded power (ePower) devices. The new TLE983x System-on-Chip (SoC) product family integrates an 8-bit microcontroller with a LIN transceiver and related peripherals on a single chip to address the needs of space and cost sensitive automotive body applications. The devices are specifically designed to fit to a wide range of LIN-slave motor control applications where a small package form factor and a minimum number of external components are essential, including: window lifts, wipers, sun roofs, power seats and fan/blower control. The device may also be used in space constrained LIN-slave applications such as key pad interfaces and switch panel interfaces Read more

May 29, 2012 Infineon introduced the latest generation of its High Speed CAN transceivers designed for automotive network applications: the TLE7250 family comprising the TLE7250G and the TLE7250GVIO. While the TLE7250G interfaces with 5V microcontrollers, the TLE7250GVIO has a voltage reference input, enabling either a 5V or a 3.3V microcontroller I/O interface. Read more

May 14, 2012 In the automotive industry, the aspect of functional safety increasingly gains importance in the design of new functions - in the first place for applications involved in braking and steering the car. But powertrain-related applications are also subject to functional safety considerations - for instance in automatic transmissions where today a microcomputer shifts gears. For this reasons, microprocessors and software alike become subject to the application of ISO 26262 which regulates the processes and requirements for embedded safety-related functions in cars. Read more

May 11, 2012 As a result of the early and close cooperation with Infineon Technologies and several key customers, PLS presents the first optimized test and debug solution, the Universal Debug Engine (UDE) 3.3, for the new multi-core architecture of Infineon's Aurix 32-bit microcontroller family announced in fall 2011. Read more

May 9, 2012 Fuji Electric and chip manufacturer Infineon Technologies agreed to extend the supplier base for power modules deployed in automotive hybrid and electrical vehicles (HEV). At the PCIM Europe trade show in Nuremberg, the two companies announced their agreement on a joint common footprint for automotive IGBT power modules using Infineon's Hybrid PACK 2 power module. In response to the need for supply security for HEV power modules, the companies agreed on the size of the module, the position of pin-outs, the use of the pin-finned copper base plate and on other mechanical features. Read more

April 24, 2012 Up to 15 percent more kilometers per battery charge just by improving the energy management systems - this is the goal of a research project led by the Dresden Institute for Automotive Technology. The researchers expressly do not intend to modify or change the battery itself. Instead, intelligent networking of car and infrastructure as well as better management of the in-car energy sinks will be established to reach this goal. Read more

April 3, 2012 Infineon Technologies and Fairchild Semiconductor have signed a licensing agreement on Infineon's advanced automotive MOSFET packaging technology H-PSOF (Heatsink Plastic Small Outline Flat Lead), a JEDEC standard TO-Leadless package (MO-299). Fairchild plans to deploy the package for its latest MOSFET devices. Read more

April 2, 2012 Infineon expands its Automotive power semiconductor lineup with the 650V CoolMOS CFDA. According to the vendor, this is the industry's first Superjunction MOSFET solution with Integrated Fast Body Diode to meet the highest Automotive qualification standard AEC-Q101. The 650V CoolMOS CFDA is particularly designed for resonant topologies such as battery charging, DC/DC converters and HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lighting, also in hybrid and electric vehicles. Read more

March 19, 2012 According to market research company Semicast, Renesas Electronics was the leading supplier of semiconductors to the OE automotive sector in 2011, ahead of Infineon Technologies. Freescale Semiconductor, for many years the leading supplier of automotive semiconductors, dropped to fourth position behind STMicroelectronics, while NXP Semiconductor retained its position as fifth ranked supplier. Read more

February 21, 2012 Atollic announced the addition of target support for NXP's family of ARM Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M3-based microcontrollers in its award-winning Atollic TrueStudio for ARM C/C++ development environment. Read more

January 26, 2012 Infineon Technologies has introduced an innovative package technology providing high-current capability and high efficiency for demanding automotive electronics applications, including electric and hybrid vehicles. Read more

January 23, 2012 Infineon Technologies has re-entered the market as an ARM licensee after the sale of its wireless division to Intel, this time with a focus on several families of motor controllers using the Cortex M4 core. Read more

December 5, 2011 Infineon Technologies has introduced automotive qualified lead-free power MOSFETs for TO package types. Based on the combination of innovative packaging technology and Infineon's thin wafer process technology, the new 40V OptiMOS T2 power MOSFETs offer best-in-class specifications. Read more

November 21, 2011 The 32-bit MCUs of the AUDO MAX family from Infineon Technologies extend the tamper-proofing of electronic control units (ECU) and protect against tuning, for example. AUDO MAX SHE enables automotive manufacturers to ensure the integrity of their ECUs and to guard better against exposure to liability claims. Today three products of the AUDO MAX family come with SHE (Secure Hardware Extension) functionality. Read more

October 12, 2011 Infineon has expanded its 32-bit automotive microcontroller spectrum by a new multicore architecture with up to three cores. The company positions the new architecture as the foundation of its next generation MCU family targeting in particular automotive powertrain and safety applications. Read more

September 27, 2011 Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation have selected Infineon as supplier of power modules for their current hybrid car generations, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Kia Optima. Hyundai and Kia, together the world’s fastest-growing and fifth-largest car manufacturer, teamed up with Infineon on the hybrid powertrain design including the Infineon HybridPACK 1 power module and the related control electronics as part of the electric motor inverter. 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

June 27, 2011 With up to 80 networked electronic systems already in a mid-sized car, complexity increasingly becomes an issue for car designers - not only with respect inscrutable functional correlations but equally with respect to design processes and methodologies. The tight design envelope of a car means that existing systems have to become ever smaller and new ones have to be as compact as possible. This is where the findings of the recently successfully concluded HONEY ("highly optimized design methods for yield and reliability") research project come in. Read more

June 27, 2011 After the recent announcement of a 48V supply network in future cars, the elements of a split-voltage architecture take shape. It appears that the roll-out schedule is rather ambitious. 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

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 Automated software verification technology provider LDRA Ltd joins software tool vendor Altium in integrating the LDRA tool suite and the TASKING VX-toolset for C166. The integrated solution brings compliance to safety standards such as MISRA, IEC 61508, and DO-178B to small-footprint microcontrollers like Infineon's C166 family. Read more

April 20, 2011 The RESCAR 2.0 research project seeks to enhance the reliability and robustness of electronic automotive components. Six partners from all levels of the development chain have joined forces in a quest to come up with overarching solutions. Read more

April 8, 2011 Transmission technology company ZF Friedrichshafen and carmaker BMW have launched a research project aiming at an integrated solution for hybrid components. Project goal is a design that brings the control and power electronics unit as close to the transmission as possible. As a result, production and servicing of hybrid vehicles would be much simpler. 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

January 20, 2011 With a new China-based facility called Infineon Integrated Circuits (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the chipmaker tries to participate in the extremely dynamic market for electromobility and energy efficiency in general, in the largest Asian economy. Read more

January 11, 2011 Volkswagen AG Business Unit Braunschweig plans to use Infineon's Hall sensors in its electric power steering systems for vehicles. Infineon’s TLE4998C4 programmable linear Hall sensor will be used for various model ranges. Infineon has already started to deliver the chips. 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 7, 2010 Infineon announced a family of microcontrollers for the use in automotive Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems. The company claims that the SLI-76 are the industry's first UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) microcontrollers qualified for use in cars according to the AEC Q100 quality standard. Read more

November 26, 2010 Infineon Technologies AG is supplying power chips for electric cars from 2003 startup Tesla Motors Inc., according to a Bloomberg report that quotes Infineon CEO Peter Bauer. Read more

October 15, 2010 At the Baden-Baden Spezial 2010 congress on automotive technology, one of Germany's most prestigious idea exchange platforms for the automotive industry, this year's focus topic was electric driving. Engineers discussed options and consequences of electrifying the powertrain. Lithium-ion battery production capability is a key factor, the experts agreed. But also semiconductors play a major role in the e-car game. Read more

August 2, 2010 Forty research partners have joined forces for what they call the biggest research project so far in Europe aiming at driving integration for multi-chip systems in a single package. Multiple industries, including mobile consumer, industrial electronics and automotive electronics will benefit from the project, said consortium coordinator Infineon. Read more

July 27, 2010 With a new iteration of its TriCore microcontroller architecture, Infineon tackles compute-intensive automotive applications such as calculating fuel-air mixture for low-emission cars or sophisticated chassis control. Read more

July 26, 2010 Infineon Technologies has introduced a 30V Power MOSFET for high current automotive applications. The vendor claims the transistor features the world's lowest R DS(on). Read more

July 23, 2010 At automotive, industrial and consumer markets aims Infineon Technologies with its family of three wireless control receivers. Combining highest available sensitivity and low power consumption, the devices provide multi-band support for worldwide coverage and are suited for use in remote keyless entry (RKE) systems, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), remote start, control, status and alarm functions. Read more

July 19, 2010 The complexity of automotive electronics has reached a degree that makes it increasingly difficult to manage diagnostics. According to chip vendor Infineon, the causes of up to 40 percent of error reports in vehicles cannot be identified exactly. In a joint research project, OEMs, tier ones and chip vendors try to improve the diagnostic capabilities within the car electronics jungle. Read more

July 15, 2010 Automotive embedded system vendor Elektrobit (EB) has announced a multicore reference platform around Infineon's TriCore microprocessor architecture. The platform aims in particular at safety-critical applications. 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

May 14, 2010 The Hirose plant of the Toyota Motor Corporation awarded Infineon Technologies the ”Honor Quality Award”, its highest level award for delivering extraordinary product quality. This is the first time ever that a non-Japanese company was honored with a “Honor Quality Award” and Infineon is the only recipient of the award in 2010. Infineon was recognized for providing CAN transceivers with zero-defect quality for four years running to the Toyota Hirose plant, where state-of-the art electronics components for Toyota vehicles are developed and manufactured. 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

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

March 18, 2010 As an ideal DC-link circuit solution for the electric drives of motor vehicles presents TDK-EPC the PCC (Power Capacitor Chip) from Epcos. The B25655J4307K*1 and B25655J4507K*5 types were developed specifically for reference designs of the IGBT modules HybridPACK 1 (up to 20 kW) and Hybrid-PACK 2 (up to 90 kW) from Infineon Technologies. The PCCs are also contained in the new evaluation kits from this vendor. Depending on the power output, the inverter modules are suited for mild hybrid drives or for full electric drives. These modules are the only solutions currently in volume production. Read more