Tokyo, January 13, 2015 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, will present its latest automotive solutions at the 7th International Automotive Electronics Technology Expo (CAR-ELE JAPAN). As automotive technologies and IT rapidly converge through cutting-edge technological developments such as the connected car and autonomous driving, the number of semiconductor devices in cars is dramatically increasing. ST’s advanced automotive semiconductor solutions contribute to both improving basic vehicle performance and the integration of next-generation smart-driving systems.
Major solutions at the ST booth:
• ADAS & Connected Cars
Technologies essential to achieve autonomous driving include Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS), which raise driving safety by detecting obstacles around the vehicle such as other vehicles and pedestrians, as well as traffic signs and lane markings to automatically operate brakes or control speed and following distance. The ST booth will exhibit EyeQ3™, an imaging vision processor, jointly developed with Mobileye, that enables vision-based detection of pedestrians, vehicles, signs, and lane markings. Other demos include transceiver ICs for radars that emit millimeter waves to measure distance and the direction of obstacles around the vehicle.
In Connected Cars, where vehicles are connected to networks, the market attention is focused on the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology that enables vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure interaction. The V2X system, which considerably improves road safety, requires extremely short latency, the most reliable wireless-signal transmission, and highly secure communications, as well as precise positioning information. The ST booth will host a demo where a V2X-enabled vehicle automatically controls brakes by communicating with traffic signals, as well as an automotive-security solution that protects networked vehicles from security threats.
• Sensors & Actuators
Current vehicles already use many sensors including pressure and acceleration sensors. Sensors are bringing new technological innovations for smart driving with improved safety and comfort. The leading supplier of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) for automotive applications[1], ST will show a complete sensor portfolio for smart driving that includes both automotive acceleration sensors and gyroscopes, and environment sensors such as MEMS microphones, UV sensors, temperature/humidity sensors, barometric sensors, proximity sensors, and MEMS pico-projectors.
The ST booth will host a vehicle cockpit equipped with various types of sensors that detect environmental conditions in the car. In this demo, UV, temperature/humidity, and barometric data, as well as the driver’s heart-beat detected with a watch-type optical heart-rate monitor are displayed in the cockpit. Proximity sensors used for gesture control are also placed at the center of the demo cockpit. Furthermore, a MEMS microphone that enables operating the car audio system (play/stop) by voice is integrated in the seatbelt.
• Power Train & Body Electronics
The power train is one of the most important systems in the car. The engine control unit (ECU) is required to generate power efficiently and plays a major role in improving mileage. ST will demonstrate an ECU solution that combines an automotive 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) and an engine-control IC manufactured in ST’s own BCD (Bi-polar / CMOS / DMOS) semiconductor process. In the demonstration, the MCU calculates the accelerator-pedal step-in amount to control opening/closing of the fuel valve and manage the engine-control IC, which drives the fuel-injection system by measuring the accelerator-pedal step-in amount.
For driving motors in electric and hybrid vehicles, ST has developed an advanced gate driver that integrates galvanic insulation and an analog logic circuit on the same chip. This product, which employs an innovative technology to form the insulator on a BCD chip, works at a voltage up to 1500V without interfering with other circuits and can be set up by software through the SPI communication interface, providing high flexibility. Additionally, ST will demonstrate at CAR-ELE 2015 a vehicle-lighting control system that uses a high-performance high-side switch IC manufactured in ST’s VIPower technology. This product family both works with a power-supply voltage (4V) lower than that of competitive products and responds to a wide range of on-resistance requirements.
- At CAR-ELE 2015, ST will also exhibit other innovative automotive products and solutions: * its Teseo family of single-chip positioning ICs that can receive signals from multiple satellite positioning systems;
- dynamic NFC tags that enable communication between smartphones/tablets and automotive-infotainment systems;
- a wireless power-supply solution and a USB-charging control IC for charging mobile devices in the car; and
- innovative SiC Power MOSFETs.
[1] Source: IHS Market Tracker Automotive MEMS H1 2014
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market serving customers across the spectrum of sense and power and automotive products and embedded processing solutions. From energy management and savings to trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution to people’s life. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.
In 2013, the company’s net revenues were $8.08 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
