Over the past several years semiconductor firms worldwide have become increasingly aware of the opportunities in the automotive market, from infotainment, to advanced telematics to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and non-volatile memory (NVM) solution provider Macronix has staked a strong position in the booming market.
High-performance Serial NOR Flash is gaining popularity in ADAS solutions due to the need for mass data processing, especially for real-time imaging processing. ADAS solutions make extensive use of image sensing data in order to assist drivers navigate potentially hazardous road conditions and ensure road safety. Moreover, consumers and governments around the world are realizing the value of implementing ADAS solutions not only as a luxury but as a necessity. European motor vehicle safety standards have mandated ADAS as standard safety equipment. Since 2015, automakers worldwide have added ADAS into their mid-range automobiles as a result.
Within the ADAS vision solutions, systems are required to operate in wide temperature and voltage variances at high data throughput. Macronix has a full line of 1.8V MX25U (16Mb to 2Gb) and 3V MX25L (1Mb to 1Gb) Multi IO Serial NOR Flash devices covering a full spectrum of automotive temperatures – Automotive Grade III (-40 degrees C ~ 85 degrees C), Automotive Grade II (-40 degrees C ~ 105 degrees C) and Automotive Grade I (-40 degrees C ~ 125 degrees C). These devices were crafted to be compliant with the related automotive certification standards (AEC-Q100) while also boasting high densities and high data transmission speeds.
Macronix has been developing memory products for automotive electronics since 2009, TS16949 certified, and has close to three decades of experience in the design and manufacturing of high quality Flash memory. Macronix is quickly becoming a leading supplier of comprehensive and full-featured Flash memory products for automotive electronics.
As an innovator and leader in the non-volatile memory market, Macronix has a strong history in continually providing solutions to meet the emerging needs of the automotive market. Many automotive applications require higher performance needs beyond the traditional Quad (x4) I/O SPI solutions. Macronix introduced a x8 I/O SPI solution in the form of the Dual Quad MX66L-85G series and in October 2015 the company introduced the Octaflash MX25UM family, with SPI backwards compatibility and designed on high-reliability floating gate flash technology. OctaFlash devices can achieve up to 200MHz data rate, making it the industry's fastest Serial NOR Flash.
Supported by independent Flash R&D, advanced production technologies and its own 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch wafer foundries, Macronix has not only mastered the design process but has full understanding and confidence about synching designs with the fabrication process. Macronix is constantly strengthening its full line-up of MX25 Serial NOR Flash, and the maker has more than two years' experience of mass production on mainstream 55nm technology.
Testing product compliance for the AEC-Q100 standard is a tremendous task in itself. The stress test on semiconductor circuit reliability and durability requires 1,000 hours of testing for each level of the temperature range. Reliability verification usually takes an extended period of time and extra time may be needed if re-tests are required, which could impact time to market. Therefore, during product planning, Macronix set a goal for its new family of ultra-low energy consumption and wide-voltage-range MX25R (1.65V-3.6V) Serial NOR Flash to directly challenge the Automotive Grade I (-40 degrees C ~ 125 degrees C) stress test, showing strong confidence in its own process quality and the maker's great ambition for the market. The series is expected to begin volume production by the end of 2016 and widely adopted in ADAS solutions.
Hsin-Yu Wang, Project Manager, Product Marketing, Macronix, pointed out the company is also seeing demand for increased memory capacity for Serial NOR Flash due to the large amount of data ADAS needs to process. Therefore, the Macronix MX25L (3V) line has been expanded to a 1Gb density, capable of supporting random and high-speed memory access.
Furthermore, the company's ADAS and Internet of Vehicles (IoV) applications are receiving positive feedback from the market. In particular, low-power consumption and always-connected technologies significantly reduce the time and bandwidth required for telematics data download. Macronix is focused on having its MX25U (1.8V) line pass Automotive Grade I testing in the initial planning so as to get ready for ADAS opportunities and deliver the most comprehensive product offerings and quality guarantee. Driven by ADAS, IoV and IoT applications, Macronix is able to introduce products satisfying almost all needs of ADAS solutions for Serial NOR Flash. Macronix makes every effort to provide the most complete support to our customers, said Wang.
Hsin-Yu Wang, Project Manager, Product Marketing, Macronix
DIGITIMES' editorial team was not involved in the creation or production of this content. Companies looking to contribute commercial news or press releases are welcome to contact us.
