Automotive

NXP has introduced its next-generation battery cell controller IC, designed to optimise battery management systems (BMS) performance and safety. With down to 0.8 mV cell measurement accuracy and maximum cell balancing capability over a wide temperature range, NXP’s MC33774 18-channel analog front-end device comes with ASIL D support for use in safety-critical, high-voltage lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries to maximise the usable capacity.

Li-ion batteries are commonly used in EVs because of their high energy density by volume and weight, low self-discharge, low maintenance, and ability to sustain thousands of charge-discharge cycles. They account for approximately 30 to 40 percent of the total cost of the EV. A typical 800 V Li-ion battery system comprises around 200 individual cells connected in series. It is critical to accurately estimate the battery pack’s state-of-charge (SoC) at any given temperature and instant in the years-long life-cycle. NXP’s MC33774 is designed to deliver lifetime accurate cell measurement data in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +125°C, enabling very precise range predictions.

“The MC33774 has undergone a rigorous design and validation process to ensure its safety and reliability in automotive use,” said Robert Li, Vice President and General Manager, Product Line Driver and Energy Systems at NXP. “This includes system-level validation to test electromagnetic compatibility, electrostatic discharge, transient immunity, and communication reliability in demanding scenarios. The MC33774 is designed to reduce costs for OEM systems while maintaining its reliability, allowing for a safe launch of cars despite shorter development cycles in the EV industry.”

Based on NXP’s SmartMOS SOI (Silicon-on-Isolator) technology, the MC33774 Li-ion battery cell controller offers cell measurement accuracy down to ±0.8 mV, which helps to ensure lifetime performance with both nickel manganese cobalt (NCM) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell chemistries. The precision design and calibration technologies of the NXP MC33774 save customers end-of-line (EoL) calibration costs.

The NXP MC33774 18-channel Li-ion battery controller IC is part of the NXP High Voltage BMS chip-set solution, which includes future products like the MC33777, a battery junction box controller for pack level measurement, and the already released MC33665 battery management communication gateway. The comprehensive and robust BMS system solution offers first-time-right battery systems while working to avoid field incidental surprises. The complete design package, which includes production-grade software and functional safety libraries, helps to accelerate the development time of functional safety systems and saves system bill-of-material costs.

https://www.nxp.com

At the Design Solutions Forum 2023 in Kawasaki, Japan, Alchip Technologies rolled out what is claimed to be the semiconductor industry’s first automotive ASIC platform. It targets the specialised needs of the global automotive industry and streamlines the ASIC design needs of global automotive IC module and component manufacturers, as well as automotive companies, said Alchip.

The platform consists of six modules: Design for Autonomous Driving (AD)/ Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), Design for Safety, Design for Test, Design for Reliability, Automotive Chip Sign-off, and Automotive Chip Manufacturing (MFG) Service.
Design for AD/ADAS integrates a CPU and neural processing unit (NPU) into the smallest possible die size, while meeting aggressive higher performance and lower power consumption required by automotive applications, said Alchip.

The Design for Safety module follows the ISO26262 pre-scribed flow that includes required isolated TMR / lock-step design methodology. This module also features an experienced safety manager and includes the mandated Development Interface Agreement (DIA) that defines the relationship between the manufacturer and the supplier throughout the entire automotive safety lifecycle and activities.

Design for Reliability includes enhanced electromigration (EM) as part of silicon lifecycle management.  It also covers AEC-Q grade IP sourcing and implementation.

The Automotive Chip Manufacturing Service works with IATF16949 -approved manufacturing suppliers. Services include tri-temp testing by target AEC-Q grade, automotive wafer, automotive substrate, assembly and burn-in.

Design for Test capabilities support in system test (IST) and MBIST / LBIST design, critical and redundancy logic for yield harvest, automotive-level ATPG coverage, and physical-aware ATPG.

The final sign-off module covers an ageing library based on a customer mission profile, OD / UD / AVS / DVFS library support, and the final design for manufacturing sign-off.

The platform will “speed up the development and time-to-market of essential safety-critical ADAS applications, while significantly advancing the innovation with increasing complex autonomous driving implementation and features,” Alchip CEO, Johnny Shen.

Access to the new automotive platform is available now through Alchip offices in Taipei, Silicon Valley, Yokohama, Shanghai, Penang, and its affiliate office in Israel.

Alchip Technologies was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. The company provides silicon and design and production services for system companies developing complex and high volume ASICs and SoCs.  Alchip offers advanced 2.5D / 3DIC design, CoWoS / chiplet design and manufacturing management.

Customers include global leaders in AI, HPC/supercomputer, mobile phones, entertainment device, networking equipment and other electronic product categories.

http://www.alchip.com