Infineon Launches New Automotive Microcontroller Family to Cut Fuel Consumption and Harmful Emissions

Jan 29, 2008 | Market News

Neubiberg, Germany – January 29, 2008 – To meet the performance requirements of next generation emission standards, Infineon Technologies (FSE/NYSE: IFX), a leading provider of automotive electronics, has launched the industry’s highest performing and most integrated microcontroller family for automotive powertrain and chassis applications.

The new Infineon AUDO FUTURE family of 32-bit microcontrollers uses the TriCore® core that combines microcontroller functions with digital signal processing and the industry’s highest density flash memory. The family also includes the first FlexRay communications block that has been approved by TÜV Nord Group’s Institute for Vehicle Technology and Mobility, Germany, combined with industry-proven AUTOSAR software and a peripheral control processor that offers additional system performance.

The AUDO FUTURE family is fully compatible with the company’s previous AUDO Next-Generation family of 32-bit microcontrollers, allowing developers of powertrain applications to easily upgrade their designs with existing tools to handle new emission standards, particularly EURO5 and EURO6 (e.g. with piezo direct injection engines).

“The high performance and integration make AUDO FUTURE the microcontroller of choice for the next generation of hybrid diesel and other engines that can operate in either a gasoline or diesel mode to get the highest performing engines with optimized fuel consumption and emissions,” said Jochen Hanebeck, senior vice president and general manager of the Microcontrollers business unit at Infineon Technologies. “The performance and integration of the TC1797, which is the most powerful of the AUDO FUTURE family, enables system suppliers to run all application-specific tasks on a single core while the peripheral control processor drives all the on-chip peripherals in parallel. Due to its high level of performance, we expect that migration to symmetrical dual-core architectures in powertrain systems and major software conversions will not be necessary during the next years.”

With up to 66 percent higher performance than the previous AUDO Next-Generation products, the AUDO FUTURE family is ideally suited for the upcoming OBD2 (OnBoard Diagnostics for the vehicle’s self-diagnostic functions, such as emissions monitoring) requirements and emission standards such as EURO6 and Tier2 Bin5 in the US. These new emission standards require more complex algorithms and more performance, and the industry-leading density of embedded flash allows all the code to sit in the single chip. The higher performance also allows AUTOSAR standard software to be used without impacting the control algorithms, allowing developers to access the ecosystem of existing software development tools and develop higher quality code more quickly.

Every second automobile in Europe and every third car made worldwide contains an Infineon microcontroller for diesel or gas engine and transmission control systems, which is used to control functions such as injection, ignition and exhaust gas recirculation.

A family of three with up to 180 MHz and up to 4 Mbytes

The scalable AUDO FUTURE family ranges from the 180 MHz TC1797 with 4 Mbytes (MB) of flash and integrated FlexRay controller, to the 133 MHz or 80 MHz TC1767 with 2MB of flash, to the entry level 80 MHz TC1736 with 1MB of flash. A wide range of on-chip peripherals are handled by a dedicated, programmable peripheral control processor (PCP) engine, allowing the TriCore core to focus on engine management, transmission control and other powertrain functions. The FlexRay core integrated into the TC1797 is a proven design using Infineon’s discrete CIC-310 FlexRay controller, saving space and system cost.

“The AUDO FUTURE family provides a scalable solution from cost optimized entry-level vehicles, to high-end performance engines using the same development environment. The family is also backwards compatible to existing users and provides higher performance levels and integration to new users,” said Hanebeck.

Availability, package and pricing

The Infineon AUDO FUTURE family ranges from approximately Euros 10 (about USD14.50) to approximately Euros 20 (about USD29) in volumes of 100,000, depending on the configuration and packaging. Samples are available now. The family comes in Low-Quad Flat Pack (LQFP) packages with 144 or 176 pins or Ball-Grid-Array (BGA) packages with 260 or 416 balls. High-volume production is expected to begin in 2009.

Further information on the Infineon AUDO FUTURE family is available at www.infineon.com/audo-future

Further information on Infineon’s microcontroller and automotive product portfolio is available at www.infineon.com/microcontrollers and www.infineon.com/automotive

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society: energy efficiency, communications, and security. In the 2007 fiscal year (ending September), the company reported sales of Euro 7.7 billion (including Qimonda sales of Euro 3.6 billion) with approximately 43,000 employees worldwide (including approximately 13,500 Qimonda employees). With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the U.S. from Milpitas, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX).

Information Number

INFAIM200801-017

Press Photos

  • The Infineon AUDO FUTURE microcontroller family helps to meet the performance requirements of next generation emission standards, particularly EURO5 and EURO6. The most powerful of the family is the TC1797 offering 180 MHz, 4 Mbytes of flash memory and integrated FlexRay controller.
    The Infineon AUDO FUTURE microcontroller family helps to meet the performance requirements of next generation emission standards, particularly EURO5 and EURO6. The most powerful of the family is the TC1797 offering 180 MHz, 4 Mbytes of flash memory and integrated FlexRay controller.
    AUDO_FUTURE_TC1797

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