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Motorola develops high-performance embedded processor

In what it says is an automotive industry first, Motorola unveiled an embedded processor that includes 1 MB of flash EEPROM memory. The MPC565 was developed for harsh environments - under the hood, on the engine block, and inside the transmission on certain new gearbox applications - that require very rugged memory and processor technology. It offers a high-performance 56-MHz PowerPC core and advanced peripheral features in a single silicon chip.

The new microcontroller extends Motorola's portfolio of high-power-embedded units, which began with the MPC555 that debuted this year in a number of new car models. Motorola was careful to ensure software compatibility with the new processor. In fact, Visteon engineers were able to upgrade a vehicle powertrain from the MPC555 to a MPC565 in a matter of weeks, becoming the first in the world to run a vehicle using the latest product.

The MPC565 is manufactured with Motorola's latest 0.25u embedded nonvolatile memory wafer process. Its logic core operates on a 2.6-V supply, while its peripherals maintain their compatibility with external voltages up to 5.0 V. The internal flash memory is divided into two blocks of 512 KB, with an additional 46 KB of fast static RAM, a four-bank external memory controller, and extensive I/O features. Each of the unit's three Timer Processor Units (TPU3) has a 32-bit MicroRISC engine capable of processing 28 million instructions per second. The MPC565 is also Motorola's first device to feature a full Class 3 Nexus debug and calibration port.

The new product is the first member of Motorola's 0.25u PowerPC family for automotive powertrain applications. A number of future derivatives are already in development, and their production is expected to be announced during the next few months. Motorola expects to introduce variants using the latest code compression technology, which can allow internal memory to be expanded by up to 45%.

Kevin Jost

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Visteon is wired for change

Telematics is an industry poised for tenfold growth by 2010, and Visteon plans on being a major player, company President and COO Michael Johnston said during Convergence 2000.

Visteon's MACH rear-seat entertainment system.

He and James Wynalek, Vice President and General Manager of the Telematics/Multimedia business system within Visteon's Comfort, Communication, and Safety Segment, discussed several of the company's latest innovations including the new MACH portfolio of entertainment system products. No longer just audio, MACH is a complete in-vehicle entertainment "experience" that includes movies, music, and interactive "Rumble" theater seats that rumble in accordance with the particular movie being shown via the rear-seat entertainment system.

Company officials also announced an "adopter agreement" with Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group that will bring Bluetooth wireless technology to the automotive environment. "I can't even begin to imagine some of the things that will come out of it," Wynalek said of the partnership.

Patrick Ponticel

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Yazaki, JCI 42-V demonstration

Yazaki North America and Johnson Controls are addressing the need for higher onboard electrical power and reduced vehicle weight by collaborating on a demonstration dual-voltage vehicle that was displayed for the first time at Convergence 2000. The vehicle is the first application of the Scalable Nodal Active Power (SNAP) architecture, the next evolution in power management, according to the companies. From passive load switching to active power and load management, Yazaki's distributed nodal architecture enables a modular implementation.

The two essential components of the architecture are the source module and gateway. The source module integrates all power generation components and includes Johnson Controls' 42-V AGM batteries and Smart Charge Management Control, which dramatically increases battery life. The module also contains a Yazaki-developed dual-voltage power distribution box and includes the capability to accommodate additional 42-V loads in the future. The system's two gateways provide a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) 42 V, or the equivalent of 14 V rms, to the existing lighting system, which presented the biggest challenge in transitioning to the new power standard. The gateway allows scalable local distribution of 42-V dc or PWM voltage, thus minimizing electrical distribution complexity. Additionally, the source module and gateways can enable additional features such as an easier software configuration, "smart" bulb use (using one bulb to function for another in case of failure), or load shedding based on the battery condition.

The demonstration vehicle also features 42-V alternator, starter motor, and engine-cooling fan loads.

Kevin Jost

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