Automotive-grade SoC FPGAs and FPGAs offer advanced reliability

Microsemi has announced availability of its new automotive-grade field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and system-on-chip (SoC) FPGAs. The next-generation low power, flash-based FPGAs and ARM Cortex®-M3 enabled SoC FPGAs have achieved AEC-Q100 grade 2 qualification, an industry standard specification that outlines the criterion for electronics components to ensure that end systems meet automotive reliability levels. The new automotive-grade qualified SmartFusion2 and IGLOO2 devices are the only devices in the industry to offer advanced security and high reliability features critical for automotive applications. “Security and reliability are major concerns in automotive applications, and these devices assure the safety of our customers’ design, data and hardware from tampering and cloning,” said Bruce Weyer, vice president and business unit manager, Microsemi. “In addition, the devices’ single event upset (SEU) immunity offers protection from neutron-induced firm errors, helping customers achieve zero defect rate—an essential requirement in the automotive industry.” Microsemi’s new automotive grade flash-based SoCs and FPGAs build upon the company’s long legacy of offering high reliability devices, which are supported through long product lifecycles. The new devices are the most suitable alternative to ASICs providing a low power, cost-effective, secure and reliable solution for automotive applications including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), vehicle-to-vehicle/vehicle-to-everything (V2V/V2X) communication and electric/hybrid engine control units. In addition to AEC-Q100 certification, Microsemi offers its customers SEU immunity, award-winning security features and a secure supply chain. The new devices are aimed at the rapidly growing automotive electronics segment, as well as the industry’s growing demand for high reliability and security for zero defect and tamper-free applications. “The automotive market for semiconductors is forecast to grow to $31.4 billion in 2015, from $29.4 billion in 2014, an increase of almost 7 percent,” said Colin Barnden, principal analyst, Semicast Research. “In comparison, we see the market for semiconductors in vehicle connectivity and ADAS growing at more than 20 percent in 2015. Microsemi’s SmartFusion2 and IGLOO2 devices bring world class security features to the automotive industry and will address several challenges such as hacking, malicious tampering and data theft faced by system designers in creating safe and secure systems for the connected automobile of the future.”