Freescale is a leader in microcontrollers (MCUs) and digital networking processors for the automotive, networking, and industrial & consumer markets.
Freescale Semiconductor and Broadcom Corporation have partnered to create Freescale’s Qorivva MPC5606E – the industry’s first fully-integrated, packaged microcontroller (MCU) and physical layer transceiver (PHY) solution for use in 360 degree camera systems, to cater demands of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
Mr. Sanjay Gupta, R&D Director – Automotive & Industrial MCU Group, India Design Center spoke to Electronics Maker about Freescale Automotive focus and future ready innovations. Excerpts from Interview:
What is Freescale focus on Automotive Technology?
The automotive electronics market has shown tremendous potential in the last couple of years and is here to grow, while the industry is currently facing a downturn but as per industry expert this is a short term phenomena. According to a study conducted by the research group, IMS Research the market for semi-conductors in under the hood and body electronics will leapfrog from the existing Rs 48,099.12 crore to Rs 78,452.93 crore in 2017 and the main reason is attributed to the increasing use of semi-conductors in the new cutting edge systems.
So our focus clearly is to tap the automotive market space and create solutions which enhance a customer’s experience while driving a car. We have a wide range of products/solutions to cater to the automotive market and we are constantly innovating and upgrading our portfolio. We have developed solutions which will help the auto industry in providing the desired experience to the end user. We have various applications ranging from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to Powertrain and Hybrid Systems. These applications can run in a modern day car and are meant to do specific jobs.
Recently Freescale has launched the industry’s MCU and physical layer transceiver (PHY) solution. Please share with us the highlights of this module, costing & commercial availability schedule.
We have seen a growing demand of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) with ABI Research predicting the global ADAS market to reach US$261 billion by 2020. Seeing this demand we have partnered with Broadcom to create Freescale’s Qorivva MPC5604E – the industry’s first fully-integrated, packaged microcontroller (MCU) and physical layer transceiver (PHY) solution for use in 360 degree camera systems. Camera size is increasingly important to automotive OEMS, as manufacturers prefer peripheral cameras to be miniaturized and unobtrusive to maintain vehicle aesthetics. Smaller cameras can be more easily hidden within design features of the car, such as a front grill, bumper or wing mirror. Featuring a compact 8x8mm package, the Qorivva MPC5606E device is designed to reduce the size of automotive camera modules by up to 50 percent, while helping speed time to market and reduce the overall bill-of-material.
The Freescale Qorivva MPC5606E fully-integrated, packaged MCU with integrated Broadcom PHY is now available but in limited sample quantities.
How do Freescale looks upto Automated and self driving concept, and what is its future.
Automated and self driving systems is finally becoming a reality. Customers want enhanced safety features inside their cars and ADAS has certainly been the selling point when it comes to security inside a car.
We at Freescale have always been innovating and launching new MCUs and solutions around ADAS and certainly we see a bright future of this technology. However, while the automation concept is penetrating faster the self driving systems will take time to become an absolute reality on large scale. Also, it would be majorly guided by the auto laws of various countries.
Please share with the Industrial collaborations done by Automotive companies with Freescale for MPC5606E chip.
At this point of time, we can just inform that we have partnered with Broadcom who is also the founding members of OPEN Alliance Automotive Special Interest Group (SIG) (one pair Ethernet) and our committed to the promotion of BroadR-Reach® as the industry standard interface for automotive Ethernet. However, at this point of time we won’t be able to expose the OEM / Automakers we are currently working with.
What is your view towards Indian Automotive industry . Do Freescale is having collaboration with Indian Automobile industry.
When you buy a car you may be impressed by the technology that makes it safer, easier to use and more enjoyable to drive and the industry is very persistent in making the driver’s experience worth remembering. As a result, the automotive industry is always at the forefront of technology innovation – from vehicle technology to supply chain optimization, to product development and manufacturing, to aftermarket service and support. Today, Cloud, Big data and IoT all are playing big role in the industry.
The auto industry is coming up with many new technologies where IoT is adding value. Few examples being: Biker fall detection where IoT can add layers of assistance if the unthinkable happens. BTLE on a motorcycle with a gyro and accelerometer sensing combination can detect a potential accident. Then, with a connection to the driver’s smart phone, the phone can send an alert to emergency services using the cellular network indicating that there is a potential accident. Similarly, Smart parking lot of future will let the cellphone user find and reserve a free spot without visiting each one. Sensors or cameras will alert drivers with the proper app on their smart phones where they can find an open parking spot.
The industry is constantly evolving with new technology innovations. In India, we are working with Tier 1 OEMs and many auto companies to bring many of the future technology to reality.
Did Freescale is having a plan to setup a R&D centre in India or any institutional collaboration.
We have 3 R&D centres in India (Noida, Bangalore and Hyderabad) and the team there is currently involved on producing cutting edge technology while bringing innovations not only for the global market but also for the local market. As per the company policy, we do not speculate, we will share the business plan as and when they materializes.
