In connected car news are Samsung, SigmaSense, NXP, Peachtree Corners and AutoCore.ai.
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Samsung MLCCs
Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced that it has succeeded in realizing the industry’s highest capacity in terms of high-pressure MLCC applicable to electric vehicles and has started market targeting by expanding its line-up for high-end level automotive electronic components.
The MLCCs developed this time are products that have the characteristics of 250V class 33nF (nanofarad) with low capacitance change rate according to temperature and 100V class 10µF (microfarad) for 125℃ and they are products with the industry’s highest capacity in terms of high-pressure MLCC in the same voltage class. Each product is used in electric systems and LED headlamps, which are key devices for electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles operate based on high-voltage battery systems such as battery management systems (BMS) and on-board chargers (OBC). MLCCs used in electric vehicles must be able to withstand the high output voltages transmitted from the battery for ultra-fast charging and power delivery. In addition, as the number of electronic components used in electric vehicles increases, semiconductors must also have high-capacity characteristics so that they can operate stably.
The 250V class · 33nF product developed this time boasts the highest capacity in the industry at the same voltage level. 22nF was the highest capacity for the existing 250V class products. This product improves battery stability by removing high-frequency noise inside the battery module while having the durability to withstand high voltages.
In addition, the 100V class · 10µF product is used in LED headlamps for electric vehicles and its electric capacity has been doubled compared to the previous product. Semiconductors used in LED headlamps require high power consumption, so high-capacity MLCCs that can store a lot of energy and supply it to semiconductors quickly and stably while having high voltage durability are essential.
In general, it is difficult for MLCCs to satisfy both voltage and capacitance characteristics at the same time. Designing thicker dielectrics to increase voltage characteristics reduces the number of internal electrodes that can be stacked, making it difficult to increase capacity. Samsung Electro-Mechanics has realized high capacity by refining dielectrics as core raw material in the form of nano-level fine powder. The company also explained that its proprietary surface coating method minimizes agglomeration between powders, enabling stable operation at high voltages.
Meanwhile, the MLCCs developed this time satisfies AEC-Q200, a reliability test standard for automotive electronic components, enabling them to be used in other applications such as ADAS, body, chassis, and infotainment in vehicles.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics CEO Chang Duckhyun said that “Samsung Electro-Mechanics has established the whole line-up for automotive MLCC by developing electric vehicle products,” and that “Samsung Electro-Mechanics will develop and manufacture core raw materials for MLCCs on its own to enhance technological competitiveness, and expand its market share for electronic device MLCCs by internalizing facilities and strengthening production capacity.”
Samsung Electro-Mechanics has been developing and producing MLCCs since 1988 and has the world’s second largest market share in the IT sector. Samsung Electro-Mechanics is strengthening its lineup of high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-reliability electronic device products based on its technological prowess in the ultra-small and ultra-high-capacity MLCC sector, and is expanding its MLCC supply to global automotive component manufacturers and automobile manufacturers.
SigmaSense & NXP for Multi-Dimensional Sensing Products
SigmaSense announced a license and co-development with NXP® Semiconductors to lead in the transition from traditional touch interfaces to multi-dimensional sensing capable of revolutionizing user experiences. SigmaSense has licensed technology to NXP, and the companies will collaborate on high-performance sensing products for specific applications with demands for faster, more robust, fully immersive software-defined experiences.
“The next generation of smart devices and applications are demanding data for enhanced functionality that requires an entirely new software-programmable approach to sensing,” said Lars Reger, CTO, NXP Semiconductors. “SigmaSense created a breakthrough in sensing technology with an innovative approach that makes exciting new product designs possible. We are thrilled to team with SigmaSense to productize a new era of NXP solutions.”
“NXP’s prowess in highly dependable products and deep expertise in high-volume semiconductor design combined with SigmaSense technology will accelerate game-changing sensing products,” said Rick Seger, CEO, SigmaSense. “Our co-development with NXP marks the transition to a universe of new data-centric design options driven by software-defined sensing.”
SigmaSense innovations make it possible to extract vastly more data from the physical world for a wide range of products and systems. Multi-dimensional sensing works through many different surfaces, shapes, and materials, enabling previously impossible designs. With the invention of measuring current direct-to-digital, SigmaSense delivers low-voltage, frequency domain sensing, an industry first. Fast, continuous, high-fidelity data capture with intelligent digital signal processing moves analog challenges to the digital domain, where design flexibility can deliver orders of magnitude improvement. SigmaSense is changing system designs from foldable displays to EV batteries.
Peachtree Corners to Partner with Silicon Orchard
Peachtree Corners – one of the United States’ first 5G smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure – and the National Technological Innovation Authority in Israel today announced a collaboration that will bring the most promising Israeli technology startups to the heart of “Silicon Orchard.” The program will enable selected companies to prove out solutions in a real-world environment to enhance city safety and IoT-enabled operations, as well as share capabilities, resources and learnings for mutual benefit.
“We’re delighted to partner with Israel Innovation Authority in helping to foster the growth of some of the world’s brightest startups working on smart city, IoT and future mobility tech – while elevating safety and enhancing everyday city operations for the benefit of our residents,” said City of Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson. “This alliance is a culmination of the past few years of work between the technology community in Israel and the city’s Curiosity Lab ecosystem, with multiple startups having proved out exciting new solutions in Peachtree Corners’ unique smart city environment. This is yet another reflection of our international leadership, with many global entities interested in coming to the heart of what is becoming known as Silicon Orchard to develop and scale new technology.”
Applications to the program will be opened in Israel, with Peachtree Corners and the Innovation Authority selecting, screening and approving finalists. Finalists will then join the Curiosity Lab ecosystem where in addition to testing, they will have access to resources to aid in product development, business development, expanding into the U.S. market and more.
“The collaboration between Israel and Peachtree Corners has been growing for the past several years, and we’re excited to formally help bring some of the most advanced new smart city technologies while enabling our startups to expand into North America,” said Dr. Amiram Applebaum, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority and Chief Innovation Scientist at the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. “We are proud of Israel’s leadership in smart city and IoT innovation, and it only made sense to partner with a city that’s now globally recognized for its unique environment and global firsts – from the first cellular vehicle-to-everything system implemented in an American city to other smart infrastructure breakthroughs that affect autonomous mobility and more. There’s no better soft launch pad in America to help foster the implementation of innovative technology relevant to smart cities, while positively impacting the daily life for its citizens.”
The region has rapidly grown into a hotspot for international companies launching into the North American market: From Europe, Asia to the Middle East, technology developers and government-led trade entities have engaged with Peachtree Corners over the past several years on multiple levels.
AutoCore.ai Funding
Automotive system software provider AutoCore.ai announces the completion of A+ round fundraising led by Bosch Ventures and BoYuan Capital, joined by existing shareholder GL Ventures.
We are witnessing an era represented by automotive chips powered with complex and advanced computing capabilities, as well as the multifold growth of intelligent sensors. The massive amount of data has brought about exponential growth and challenges in data transmission, scheduling and management. Automotive middleware will become the fundamental must-have software for intelligent vehicle development, with its market potential reaching tens of billions of dollars in the medium and long term.
Along with the explosive growth of the market, AutoCore.ai, established in 2018, has rapidly developed into a global automotive software platform-oriented enterprise, based on the self-developed AutoCore.OS platform, providing middleware, system software products, algorithm and application software licensing services with SOA oriented architecture across entire vehicle.
AutoCore.ai has created a complete and unified in-vehicle data platform for OEMs to achieve system-level functional performance, safety and security with guarantees for real-time, deterministic and secure communication, transmission, scheduling and planning of data across all vehicle domains, supporting different EE architecture. As a global leader in providing advanced automotive infrastructure software products and services, AutoCore.ai has witnessed its significant growth each year in terms of team, product maturity, engineering capabilities, tools, and customer base.
AutoCore.ai is the first middleware supplier in the world to have its full-stack software products certified to ISO 26262 ASIL-D, the highest functional safety level, currently adopted by many leading OEMs and Tier1s in their mass production programs around the world. AutoCore.ai is also a chosen strategic partner by several mainstream chip manufacturers.
It is reported that the lead investors of this round, Bosch Ventures and BoYuan Capital, are both investment funds of the Bosch Group, a global leader of automotive electrical and electronic architecture. Bosch Group is the main initiator and supporter of Autosar standard, the world’s largest automotive Tier1 system integrator, and has irreplaceable influence across the automotive industry supply chain. AutoCore.ai will work with Bosch Group to explore new technologies and products, work together to respond to the rapidly changing needs of the global automotive industry on a larger scale and at a faster pace.
This strategic investment marks the next step growth of its core alliance AutoCore.ai has been able to build globally. The alliance with Bosch represents the new generation EEA solution moves into a mature and mass production stage, enabling global OEMs. Bosch ETAS group believes that AutoCore.ai will also strategically benefit from Bosch’s strong network and communities for the Software-defined vehicle by leveraging collaboration opportunities with its entities and partners.