Automotive Semiconductor

Since the birth of the semiconductors in year 1874, these have been applied in myriad applications. Approximately all industries are on the verge of the automotive age, in all those domains the usage of semiconductors has become crucial. With the amalgamation of the semiconductors in the cars, they are becoming supercomputers on the wheels. In this blog, we will discuss the automotive semiconductor and various other aspects of the automotive. The microcontroller units are applied in home appliances control, automotive electronics, medical equipment, education & entertainment, etc. Earlier, the manufacturers were adding value to the vehicles by using better materials, and efficient engine performance. Today, they are focusing on smart connectivity, electrification, and other vehicle experiences with the surging sales, and production. As per the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Information 2022 statistics, vehicle sales increased to 81628533 in 2022 from 78787566. Whereas, the production in the countries such as India, Germany, and China has raised by 24 percent, 11 percent, and 3 percent respectively. At present, the driving force in the development and research of automotive electronic technology is leading most car manufacturers to focus on automotive electronics.

On the other hand, the purchaser in the automotive sector aspires to safety, convenience, and energy savings. This desire shows some of the rising requirements for energy-saving and intelligent automobiles. Moreover, the growth of the automotive semiconductor market can be attributed to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles. It has been estimated that consumer demand for security, vehicle safety, and comfort is also responsible for the need for the automotive semiconductor. Motor vehicles such as electric vehicles, solar-powered vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles are the primary choice as an alternate technology that does not include fossil base fuels. Let us now understand the key component of the automotive semiconductor:

• 1- ECU: Electronic Control Unit - The initial step in acknowledging automotive electronics is to get acquainted with the electronic control unit. Almost all automotive electronic system has an ECU as its core component. Electronic control unit is like an embedded computer utilized to control the major basic system of the car. Moreover, the internal component consists of a microcontroller, circuits, input and output devices, AD (analog and digital), in-vehicle communication, power supply chains, etc.
• 2- MCU (Microcontrollers) - Microcontrollers are widely used in consumer electronics and they have 2nd largest usage in automotive electronics. The most imperative work of the MCU in an Electronic control unit is to integrate the CPU, various output/input interfaces, and timer/counter into a single IC. Furthermore, the MCU is segmented into 4 grades on the basis of the internal data bus, which is, 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit. Simple functional systems like car AC, rear mirror, windows, etc. can utilize low-cost 8-bit MCU. On the other hand, airbags, brakes, and body stability controls which need high processing capabilities utilize 16-bit MCU. As automotive electronics move towards more intelligent operations, even 32-bit is becoming prominent for the application of entertainment and multimedia devices. 32-bit MCUs can be used in the power system of the car to control the fuel ignition system. These are helpful in increasing the fuel efficiency by raising the accuracy of the fuel injection and combustion control.
• 3- Sensor - The electronic control unit or the microcontroller of the automotive electronics is responsible for collecting the data. The latest technology utilizes driver assistance systems and also utilizes millimeters wave radars and image sensors. These kinds of sensors are becoming more and more utilitarian and advanced.

Trends which are reshaping the automotive industry-

The Advantages of Semiconductors in the Automotive Industry

With the global demand for semiconductors, the automobile industry has started relying on semiconductors. As per the reports, the automotive semiconductor sales in the year 2019 accounted for nearly USD 37 Billion, which is expected to increase to USD 200 Billion in the year 2040 across the globe. There are some of the benefits that are provided by semiconductors to the automobile industry

• Improved Safety- The semiconductors have led the automobile industry to reach a new height. In order to improve the braking system in vehicles, semiconductors play an important role such as emergency braking solutions, and automated parking system.
• Surging Extension of Automotive Vehicles- There is a requirement for advanced semiconductors in the development of autonomous vehicles.
• Superior Connectivity- The semiconductor is used to process and sense crucial data on the car's computing systems, leading to accurate, dependable, and prompt vehicle control.
• Electrifying Vehicles- The automotive sector is switching to the electric system with the help of semiconductors. Through the replacement of functions of vehicles from mechanical to electrical systems.

Automotive Semiconductors Key Players Analysis-

With the entry of new players advancement has been made in the automotive semiconductor. The key market players of the automotive semiconductors sector are written as follows-

A prominent company Continental has recently widened its sensor portfolio by launching sensors for electric vehicles. The name of the sensors is Current Sensor Module and Battery Impact Detection System. Other than this, in October 2021, Infineon Technologies introduced SL137 automotive security controller. This is an easy-to-design and reliable trust anchor to secure safety-critical automotive applications.