Strategies For Meeting Stringent Standards For Automotive ICs

It may surprise you, but when it comes to chips in electronic braking systems, airbag control units, and more, automotive manufacturers are still using 10-year-old technology — and with good reason.

For the automotive industry, the reliability, stability, and robustness of electronic components are critical, especially when it comes to meeting the stringent Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) Q100 standards that fabs need to follow. Some in the industry would not only rather keep using proven older chips over new ones, but they might even call for the construction of new fabs for older chips. In other words, tried and true is better than new and improved.