There has been a continually increasing dependence on electronics to drive advances in automobile design, to the point where the average semiconductor content of a new car is approaching $300. As a result, automotive applications are among the most exciting segments of the electronics market, with global revenue expected to rise at an annual growth rate of 6.8 percent between 2014 and 2018. The strong growth in automotive applications is driven by continuing growth in vehicle production and by the ability of electronic products and technologies to improve every aspect of the car, including reliability, safety, performance, environmental impact, and driver/passenger comfort and convenience. In addition, the emergence of hybrid or electric vehicles will further increase the role of electronics in future vehicle platforms.
India is no alien to this growing trend and this has been sensed well by the leading automotive semiconductor vendor, STMicroelectronics.Edoardo Merli, Marketing and Application Director of Automotive Product Group, Greater China and South Asia Region, STMicroelectronics, who was recently in India, said“The changes are quite significant in India like rest of the world, primarily in the areas of infotainment, telematics and safety. Within safety, advanced driver assistance systems and safety features are being implemented increasingly in newer vehicles.We expect the Indian automotive market to grow at a healthy rate over the next few years and hence see a good opportunity”.
ST provides a broad range of solutions to increase vehicle-occupant safety, including devices for airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, electric power steering and suspension systems and is the leading supplier of chips for automotive airbags and anti-lock braking systems (ABS), which currently represent the largest portion of automotive safety electronics.The Company is also a leading player in advanced safety systems that help avoid or minimize the severity of traffic accidents. For example, ST collaborates with Mobileye on the development and production of chips for visual-aid driving-assistance such as lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, vision/radar fusion and pedestrian detection for active safety behind the wheel. These solutions, adopted by several Tier1 suppliers and car manufacturers in Europe, the US, and Japan, are now deployed in nearly ten million vehicles..
Powertrain
ST provides silicon solutions for the full range of engine-management systems: for motorbikes and scooters to the most advanced drive-by-wire solutions. Developments in engine management are driven by both government emission regulations and energy concerns. ST continues to work closely with major automotive OEMs, as it has for years, to reduce fuel consumption via advanced technologies such as VVT (Variable Valve Timing) and GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection).
ST’s advanced technologies enable sophisticated automotive innovations, including “mechatronic” solutions that combine mechanics, electronics, and computing for junction boxes, door-zone modules, and body-control modules. ST also addresses various mechatronic drive-by-wire applications, such as electronic throttles, which replace the conventional cable between the accelerator pedal and the throttle with an electronic control and advanced turbo-charger control system.
Car body and Convenience
Today’s car body is a myriad of inter-networked electronic systems, from dome and door-zone controls, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) systems, and seat controls to wiper and lighting controls. The penetration of electronics in the car is increasing all the time, as are the requirements for improved reliability and diagnostic capabilities.
ST addresses the concept of the “smart” junction box, which is an intelligent power and switching center for the vehicle that integrates functions and features from exterior and cabin lighting to wipers, with a comprehensive architecture that consists of upgradable hardware and software modules.
With its proprietary VIPower silicon technology and thorough application knowledge, ST has become the undisputed market leader in automotive lighting electronics, offering solutions for both exterior and interior lighting, from incandescent bulbs to LED- or HID (High-Intensity Discharge)-based systems.
ST’s super-integrated smart-power devices for the door zone integrate all control functions and power circuits in the car door, including electric-powered mirrors and windows, electric door locks, lights, and the control panel. ST leads the door-zone electronics market and paves the way to next-generation devices that will merge the actuator and the power-management functions together.
Car infotainment
ST’s car infotainment and navigation portfolio includes complete turnkey solutions for digital radio, navigation and telematics, and wireless connectivity in the car. With its expertise and extensive IP portfolio, the Company supports all current and future integrated services that improve the driving experience.
ST has leveraged its more than 20 years at the forefront of AM/FM radio technology to lead in digital radio, becoming the world’s top supplier of components for digital radio receivers; ST has shipped more than 100 million chips to date. ST produces all of the semiconductor components for car radios — from the tuner through the baseband to multimedia processing and playback — and the Company’s car-radio systems are optimized for harsh reception environments and minimized power consumption.
ST is also the recognized leader in automotive power amplifiers and voltage regulators. The Company has an extensive product portfolio of power amplifiers, with a full range of class-B, -AB, -SB (high-efficiency) and class-D devices, including products that are compatible with start-stop engines for EVs.
ST’s portfolio of products for navigation includes the System-on-Chip solutions that were the industry’s first monolithic devices capable of receiving signals from multiple satellite navigation systems, including GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS and QZSS, to improve user position accuracy and navigation in poor satellite visibility conditions, such as in urban canyons. Other navigation solutions offer a unique combination of accurate positioning and powerful computing capabilities that are ideal for many existing and emerging applications on the road, including in-car navigation systems and telematics.
Elaborating further on ST’s technology in automotive segment, Merli said,“Today, we are at a stage, where we could completely change the way a car is perceived and conceptualized. Connectivity will play a big role here, as the car will always be connected and will have access to multiple services at any given moment. The next important area is the evolution of the powertrain, which would encompass the optimisation of the conventional engine for more efficiency along with the development of hybrid and electric vehicles. In addition, there are changes taking place with regards to systems such as drive-by-wire and body control modules, which are bringing a considerable change in the car although they aren’t visible to the end-users. Efficient designing and packaging of electronics will lead to better performance and lower weight, which in turn will increase fuel-efficiency”.
Still the cost factor remains quite critical factor for Indian market and bringing down the cost of solutions is a major challenge for the companies like ST. “ST is continuously investing on new technology to offer smart products. At solution level we are closely working with our customers to understand their requirements. Leveraging ICs and solutions already developed for other regions and deploying them in India will also contribute to an increase of the functionalities for comparable system costs” said Mr. Merli.
Addressing the Two Wheelers Market in India
The two-wheeler market has emerged as the most vibrant and transforming segment of the overall Indian automobile industry, witnessing an unprecedented growth. Rising rural demand and fuel efficiency are among the major factors boosting the growth in the market. The Indian two-wheeler market possesses a significant potential, and is anticipated to grow. STMicroelectronics is quite well placed to serve this market. Edoardo Merli said “We have a complete range of products for two-wheelers. Two- and three-wheelers are a major success story for India. The local content is very high both from a development and manufacturing standpoint. Electronics is already used in several applications such as flashers, ignition or cluster with ST being one of the major suppliers”. Clearly, ST see the possibility of many innovative applications being introduced, which will significantly increase the semiconductors content in two-wheelers, including sensors, find-me, start-stop, green engine, mobile charger, and lighting, among others.
Supporting Indian Automotive Market
STMicroelectronics is present in India for over 25 years. For ST, India is an R&D hub with close to 1,300 engineers contributing to ST group’s most advanced projects in areas of technology, products and systems. It is also a fast growing market, where ST is one of the main participants with many success stories, some of them being in the areas of set-top boxes, power systems and automotive. According to Mr. Merli“India is also a growing integrated design and manufacturing platform, where ST supports its local and global customers and partners in developing the local added value. India is a major worldwide hub for R&D in very-large-scale integration integrated circuits (VLSI ICs), embedded software and complete systems”.
