Analog Devices and Infineon Technologies have collaborated to produce next-generation automotive-air-bag systems. In the immediate future, the two companies will produce a hardware platform using parts from each company's current offerings.
Designers will be able to adopt this platform to begin development of code using a well-defined software interface. Later, the two companies will align their plans to ensure interoperability.
Analog Devices brings its MEMS (microelectromechanical-system)-air-bag-sensor technology to the mix, and Infineon contributes most of the rest of the chip set, including sensor interfaces, microcontrollers, power-management chips, CAN (controller-area-network) and LIN (local-interconnect-network) transceivers, pressure sensors, and air-bag-squib-firing drivers.
Both companies are now offering the results of the collaboration and continuing to sell their product lines. A typical product-development cycle in this market is approximately two years, according to the companies. They claim that starting with their hardware platform could save six months of development time.
Analog Devices has shipped more than 500 million accelerometers and gyroscopes in more than 15 years and is the largest supplier of MEMS-based inertial sensors to the automotive industry. Infineon has supplied more than 600 million air-bag components in the last 15 years.
By Graham Prophet, Europe Editor - EDN