At electronica India 2024, Texas Instruments highlighted its innovations in the automotive and industrial sectors. In an interview with Vaishali Umredkar from Electronics Maker, Ms. Mitu Misha, Regional Sales Manager- South India Industrial & Communication Equipment Business, Texas Instruments discussed the company’s advancements in the semiconductor industry. Established in 1985, TI India has emerged as a significant player in driving technology, particularly in automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics. Ms. Misha provided insights into TI India’s future vision, dedication to developing the next generation of engineers, and initiatives aimed at making a positive global impact through innovative semiconductor solutions, emphasizing the company’s crucial role in shaping future technology and the global semiconductor landscape.
Overview of TI India
TI India is a large R&D center established in 1985, focusing on the end-to-end design, , and sales of semiconductors. The R&D teams support both local and global customers, with a strong presence in key markets like automotive, industrial, communication equipment, enterprise, and personal electronics. These are the primary focus areas for TI India’s R&D investment. in the context of TI India, “industrial” refers to a broad sector that encompasses various verticals such as aerospace and defense, building automation, factory automation, energy infrastructure (like solar and water), medical, and lighting. These sectors are all part of the industrial segment, which is diverse and growing.
Overview of TI’s Booth Highlights
At the booth, TII showcased a range of products, including microcontrollers (like the M0), processors, analog devices, cutting-edge technologies like Gallium Nitride (GaN) solutions, and wireless connectivity options such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. While the booth highlights several products, it doesn’t fully represent the entire portfolio, which includes about 80,000 products.
TI’s Broader Ambition: Making Electronics Affordable
TI’s broader ambition is to create a better world by making electronics affordable through semiconductors. This affordability is not only about reducing costs but also about improving performance, optimizing designs, and innovating in manufacturing processes. Manufacturing innovation is a key aspect of their strategy, complementing design advancements.
TI India’s R&D Contributions: Innovations in Technology
TI India’s R&D teams contribute to a wide range of products, including analog, power, microcontrollers, connectivity, and processors. A key innovation coming out of India is GaN technology, which improves power efficiency and reduces system size and weight by requiring fewer cooling components.
Other innovations include radar technology, which is essential for driver assistance and monitoring in the automotive sector, as well as power safety solutions and vision processors. TI India plays a significant role in these innovations, with engineers collaborating globally on various projects.
Future Trends in Automotive Sector: TI’s Role and GaN Technology
Regarding future trends, particularly in the automotive sector, Mitu highlights the importance of electric vehicles (EVs) in India, spanning two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and passenger cars. TI contributes to subsystems such as traction, battery management systems (BMS), chargers, and accessories like clusters and lighting. The focus for the future is on optimizing these systems for better performance and safety compliance, driven by local customer requirements.
Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology offers several significant benefits for the automotive sector, primarily by improving efficiency and reducing system size compared to traditional silicon solutions. Integrated Solutions: Texas Instruments is developing GaN devices with integrated drivers, enhancing performance and simplifying system design for both automotive and industrial uses.
In summary, GaN technology’s ability to improve efficiency, reduce size and weight, and increase versatility positions it as a transformative force in the automotive sector, particularly as the industry moves towards more energy-efficient and compact systems.
TI’s Comprehensive Solutions for Traction Inverters
Texas Instruments (TI) offers a comprehensive range of products and solutions for traction inverters, which are crucial for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Here’s an overview of TI’s offerings in this area:
● Sensing Solutions: TI provides advanced sensing technologies that monitor various parameters within the traction inverter system. These include current sensing, temperature sensing, and voltage sensing, which are essential for efficient operation and safety.
● Gate Drivers: TI supplies gate driver solutions that control the power transistors in the inverter. These drivers are critical for ensuring that the switching of the transistors is performed efficiently and accurately, which in turn improves the overall performance of the traction inverter.
● Rectification Solutions: TI offers half-bridge and full-bridge rectification solutions, which are essential for converting AC power generated by the traction motor into DC power for the inverter and vice versa. This conversion is vital for achieving optimal energy efficiency in EV applications.
● Power Solutions: TI’s traction inverters also include ACDC (alternating current to direct current) solutions, which manage the conversion of power between different forms. These solutions are designed to maximize efficiency and reliability.
● Reference Designs: TI has developed a variety of reference designs tailored for different traction inverter topologies. These reference designs serve as templates for engineers to build their systems, ensuring best practices in design and implementation.
● Systems Engineering Support: TI has a dedicated systems engineering team that collaborates with customers to provide support for integrating TI’s products into their traction inverter systems. This support can include guidance on design optimization and troubleshooting.
Overall, TI’s traction inverter solutions encompass a wide range of components and engineering support, enabling customers to develop efficient and reliable EV systems. This holistic approach helps to streamline the design process and enhance the performance of electric vehicles in the market.
Texas Instruments’ Vision for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Design Talent in India
Texas Instruments (TI) has been expanding its global semiconductor manufacturing capabilities rapidly, enhancing existing facilities across various regions.
At the same time, TI’s strength in India lies in its large design center and deep focus on design talent. TI has built a strong presence in India in terms of chip design, testing, validation, and application development. This makes India not only a focus market but also a crucial source of talent for TI globally.
Additionally, TI’s innovations, such as the wireless and wired battery management systems (BMS), further showcase the diverse range of semiconductor solutions being developed, especially for sectors like automotive, where battery management is critical.
Empowering Future Engineers: TI’s WISH Program
TI’s WISH program (Women in Semiconductor and Hardware) plays a significant role in promoting STEM education, particularly among women. This initiative is aimed at second-year engineering students across India, exposing them to the semiconductor industry, assigning them tasks and challenges, and providing mentorship. They also get opportunities to visit TI labs, interact with professionals, and participate in panel discussions and keynotes, helping them make informed decisions about pursuing a career in semiconductors.
This initiative, combined with TI’s focus on mentoring and encouraging young talent, are empowering students and creating a pipeline of informed and inspired engineers, especially women, for the future of the semiconductor industry.
TI’s Commitment to Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility
Sustainability is a priority for TI with dedicated teams focused on implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. The company is running numerous projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy. For instance, solarenergy is being integrated into their fabs and offices, with the entire D.I.O. facility in Bangalore covered with solar panels.
TI is aligned with industry-wide efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2030, recognizing the growing importance of sustainability to both the company and its customers. This commitment ties into their broader vision of making a positive impact on the planet.
