Automotive & motorsport
multiple tyres losing air at the same time. For more reliable measurements, direct TPMS sensors are the preferred approach. A direct system is comprised of sensors placed within the valves on each tyre, which record pressure and temperature readings. These readings are then transmitted wirelessly back to the central control system for analysis. Unlike the indirect method, the direct TPMS approach offers higher specificity, allowing the system to identify an underinflated tyre and notify the driver, even when the car is stationary.
IMPROVED ICS
Essential to the success of TPMS is the electronics within. These systems require ICs capable of performing the required signal conditioning and signal conversion, as well as communicating the data to the driver. This all must be achieved within operation constraints of low power consumption, measurement accuracy and reliability, all accommodated within a compact package. Achieving all these demands to the level required can be difficult to achieve using standard, off-the-shelf ICs. But for a custom IC, the possibilities are very different. An Application Specific Integrated Circuit, or ASIC, offers multiple benefits over a standard IC. ASICs are designed exactly with the customer’s specification in mind,
resulting in a chip fully optimised for the desired application. This optimisation leads to a reduced bill of materials (BoM), by removing functionalities and components that are not necessary to each specific application. This optimised functionality and performance ultimately results in a lower cost per system, by removing performance and circuitry that is not required.
Swindon Silicon Systems can also incorporate communication protocols such as 2.4 GHz BLE within the ASIC. This can be achieved efficiently by using a System in Package approach, where a number of individual die (ASIC, MEMS and BLE) are encapsulated within a single package, reducing development time and therefore time to market.
And for battery powered sensors, such as those within the TPMS, the ASIC also can offer a much lower power consumption through performance optimisation and the use of advanced power saving techniques. By integrating protocols that switch off the sensor when the car is parked, and only switch back on again when the vehicle is moving, the ASIC helps guarantee that the TPMS’ battery will last for up to ten years or at least as long as the tyre.
Contrary to what might be expected, the custom design process for an ASIC does not need to be slow. An experienced ASIC design
and supply company will have its own IP, and in addition will be able to access third party IP. This can be used to shorten the design timescales and productionise the ASIC far more quickly than attempting to design an ASIC from transistor level upwards. If reflecting on the history of automotives shows us anything, it is that continuous development is key to continue to ensure driver and passenger safety. By striving to improve our vehicles through ingenuity and expertise at chip level, we not only achieve a more comfortable, enjoyable driving experience, but also a safer one.
Swindon Silicon Systems
www.swindonsilicon.com
ASICS AT THE HEART OF
AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY
Instrumentation Monthly February 2024 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
