Volkswagen says it has partnered with semiconductor supplier Infineon in order to define future semiconductor solutions involving advanced and emerging auto technologies and to ‘pursue new joint development approaches’.
VW points out that a typical car is equipped with as many as 100 networked electronic control units (ECUs) and thousands of electronic components. Powerful ECUs ensure outstanding driving comfort and safety. They operate and regulate everything from the air conditioning system to the interior and exterior lighting systems, the adaptive cruise control radar and a whole range of driver assistance systems. So a significant part of all vehicle innovations is based on electronic systems.
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“Future joint development tools, such as virtual prototyping systems, will make it possible to further reduce development times, despite the continual increase in system complexity,” says Dr Volkmar Tanneberger, head of Electrical and Electronic Development at Volkswagen.
VW says that rapid advances made with electronic systems, along with ever-shorter innovation cycles, have created a situation in which all participants in the development process need to cooperate extensively in order to jointly implement technically mature and reliable systems.
Volkswagen has launched its strategic semiconductor programme in order to ensure that all of these requirements can be met in future. The company is cooperating directly with chip manufacturers in the programme. The goal is to develop technology solutions for future vehicle generations. A key aspect here involves the precise definition of the requirements that are to be met. The first programme partner is the German semiconductor supplier Infineon Technologies.
Electronic control units will continue to become more and more complex, as future mobility at Volkswagen will be marked by complete connectivity, the best control concepts and all-electric driving. All automated and electrically driven vehicles require the use of key technologies: innovative semiconductors such as sensors that recognise surroundings, in microcontrollers that process data and enable real-time decision-making, and power electronics for the vehicle drivetrain.
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By GlobalData“Microelectronics from Infineon make driving cleaner, safer and more convenient”, says Peter Schiefer, president of the Automotive Division at Infineon Technologies AG. “We as a partner look forward to cooperating even more closely with Volkswagen. High-performance semiconductors are key to the future car. With our products, vehicles of every class will soon be fully automated and purely electric.”
