Mentor Blogs

Freescale Semiconductor has just introduced an intelligent battery sensor, and when I first heard about it I assumed that it was for lithium ion batteries. Not so. The MM912J637 measures the voltage, current and temperature of lead-acid batteries – the kind that will continue to be common in cars for who knows how many years. Product marketing manager Antonio Leone says intelligent battery sensors … Read More

Freescale Semiconductor, intelligent battery sensor, battery monitoring

One of the teams competing for the Progressive Automotive X-PRIZE asks in its literature what the computer industry would be like today if Wang, Data General and DEC were still the only manufacturers. Remember them? Future Vehicle Technologies (FVT) goes on to say that North America “desperately needs the inventors – the small groups of passionate people who push the envelope and bring disruptive innovations … Read More

Todd Pratt, regenerative braking, Linear Technology Corp., brushless DC motors, Data General, lithium polymer batteries, plug-in hybrid, Progressive Automotive X-PRIZE, battery management system, EIG, Freescale Semiconductor, Future Vehicle Technologies, electric drive system, FVT, DEC, high-speed CAN network, Digital Equipment Corp., eVaro, Energy Innovation Group, Ford F-150, Wang Laboratories

Mentor Graphics is acquiring the Virtual Garage software product line from Freescale Semiconductor and that brought two thoughts to mind: One, since the press announcement wasn’t very specific, what did Freescale say about the tools in its garage. Two, what nifty tools are there in my garage. Postponing an answer to #2 until sometime after the snow melts, I dug around in the archives and was impressed … Read More

Virtual Garage, Freescale Semiconductor, Mentor Graphics, CHS Software, VA-Harness, Virtual Architect, RAppID ToolBox, VA-Complexity Management

The automotive semiconductor market plunged 14% to $16.4 billion in 2009, according to Strategy Analytics, but should see a similar-size recovery – 14% to $18.7 billion – in 2010. According to the research firm, the dramatic fall in global vehicle production, with the exception of three of the four BRIC regions, resulted in the largest-ever fall in automotive semiconductor vendor revenues. The market … Read More

Freescale Semiconductor, Infineon, Databeans, Strategy Analytics, NEC, Renesas

Renesas Technology America recently introduced a new 32-bit microcomputer (SH72546R) for powertrain control, boasting of the size of its on-chip flash (3.75MB). It’s compatible with its predecessor, SJ72531, which has 1.25MB of on-chip flash. Performance is up to 400MIPS when operating at 200MHz. Ever larger on-chip flash is a significant trend in powertrain MCUs and suppliers are planning 4MB devices. … Read More

Infineon, On-Chip Flash, Freescale Semiconductor, Powertrain Control, Renesas Technology America