Freescale chips drive next-generation automotive body electronics apps

SAE Convergence 2010, DETROIT, USA: As drivers opt for more comfort and convenience features in their cars, automotive body electronics will continue to require more complex semiconductors while maintaining competitive price points.

Freescale Semiconductor is expanding its popular line of 16-bit S12 microcontrollers (MCUs) optimized for a broad range of cost-sensitive automotive body electronics applications. The advanced S12G devices are designed to accommodate application requirements, with flexibility in memory, package and cost options.

Freescale’s S12G family is ideal for automotive applications requiring controller area network (CAN) or local interconnect network (LIN)/SAE J2602 communication, including body controllers, door modules, occupant detection, HVAC, seating controllers and lighting modules.

Based on the industry-proven S12 architecture, the 16-bit S12G family has the processing power required for more complex application designs, maintains code efficiency and leverages an extensive S12 ecosystem, which helps minimize the memory occupied and reduces development costs.

“The automotive body electronics market is continually developing a variety of new applications that have unique needs for different types of microcontrollers with diverse feature sets,” said Ray Cornyn, director of Automotive Microcontroller Products for Freescale. “With this advanced 16-bit family, we are giving our customers the high performance of our proven 16-bit MCUs which deliver more value, in terms of added features, at 8-bit prices.”

Bridging the gap between high-end 8-bit MCUs and high-performance 16-bit MCUs, the scalable S12G family uses a mature and cost-effective 0.18 micron process to deliver options that work in a range of low-end body applications.

Automotive designers gain the ability to migrate up or down in package or memory size, with full compatibility across the S12G family. In addition, the 16-bit family includes value-added features, such as onboard EEPROM, to allow customers to design more complex, yet user-friendly, applications.