Semiconductor Design and Implementation Issues in Integrated Vehicle Electronics

Book excerpt: This major research study provides a fresh, critical look at the way automobile electronics are and should be built. Written by Silicon Valley pioneer John Hall, this book is based on his nearly 40 years of experience in developing and producing semiconductors for the automobile industry and other customers. Highly readable and comprehensible for even beginning students of electronics and semiconductor design, this volume provides an in-depth explanation of the factors to be considered when building vehicle systems. Starting with a concise history of vehicle electronics, Hall walks the reader through the environmental conditions faced by these systems and the variety of failure mechanisms that can occur. Basic and advanced semiconductor issues raised by vehicle implementation are then discussed in detail. A wide range of issues confronting designers--from over-marketing of risky features to time and cost constraints--are explained. Complex electronic modules from many different manufacturers are examined and discussed as real-world case studies of good and bad design techniques. Hall concludes by providing design recommendations that will allow vehicle electronics system developers to build much tougher devices at little or no incremental production cost. This book is the first major work to focus on key issues emerging as major causes of safety and performance problems. Vehicle makers increasingly seek market advantages by providing ever-more-capable electronics in their products. While these features add much value to vehicles, they fail in ways that are beyond the experience and comprehension of most technicians and accident investigators. By combining decades of design experience and innovation with extensive research, Hall has produced unique insights and explanations so engineers can prevent most, or perhaps all, of these problems. John Hall is one of Silicon Valley's most prolific independent pioneers and inventors. He founded Union Carbide's semi conductor operation in 1962. He is a founder of Interstil and Micro Power Systems. He is the inventor of the first electronic watch, first LCD digital watch; first CMOS liquid crystal display hand held calculator, color autofocus cameras among many successful commercial products. He has worked for many American and foreign automakers on specific projects such as integrated two way radios and seat belt interlocks. He is working with DoD on hardening electronics systems against non nuclear events.