Date: 06/10/2009

Freescale and ST Micro together launched 32-bit MCU for automotive electronics

Freescale Semiconductor and ST Microelectronics are sampling a jointly developed new dual-core 32-bit microcontroller family targeting functional safety applications for automotive/car electronics.

Based on 32-bit Power Architecture technology, the MCU family, part-numbered as SPC56EL at ST Micro and MPC564xL at Freescale is suggested for automotive safety applications such as electric power steering, active suspension, anti-lock braking systems and radar for adaptive cruise control.

The dual-core MCU family meets the requirements of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61508 and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26262 safety standards.

The cores on this device have up to one megabyte of flash memory and the needy peripheral set for safety and motor-control applications (supporting control of up to two brushless 3-phase motors).

The dual-core architecture allows user to select lockstep or dual parallel processing (independent core operation) modes.

Claimed as market-unique architecture, both cores can execute the same code or either core executes a different code at the same time to increase the performance (dual parallel processing).

By replicating more than the functions of the central processing unit, this dual-core MCU goes beyond the typical approach employed in other lockstep MCUs.

The dual-core MCU's safety concept combines on-chip redundancy by replicating key device components, such as the CPU core, DMA (Direct Memory Access) and crossbar switch, with automatic hardware diagnostics and other safety features, meeting the requirements.

With high chance of loosing it's number one ranking in the market of microcontroller for automotives, Freescale is now attempting to ensure its position by launching products such as these jointly with another MCU expert ST Microelectronics. Freescale now has to counter the merged power of Renesas and NEC. The combined business of Renesas and NEC, who have agreed to merge is notch above Freescale in the world's overall microcontroller market. Once the merging process gets over the combined business of Renesas and NEC, which can be ranked 3rd largest semiconductor vendor in the world can take the number one position in all major segements of microcontroller market including MCUs for cars.

For details visit www.freescale.com
www.st.com