Micronas' Dashboard Controller powers Volkswagen's New Passat Cockpit (0511)
Micronas' future-proof strategy pays off, establishing its ARM7TDMI®-based integrated 32-bit dashboard controller family as the standard for next-generation automotive cockpit solutions.
Freiburg, Germany - May 03, 2005 - Micronas is proud to announce that the third generation of its ARM7TDMI® based 32-bit dashboard controller is embedded in Volkswagen's new Passat. The implementation of a high performance controller in such a high volume automotive platform is a milestone in the architectural design of car cockpit systems.
"The CDC chip family combines dedicated features required for dashboard applications, such as drivers for classic analog gauges as well as LCDs and digital gauges, with a powerful processor core, a wide variety of memory sizes, and lots of automotive-specific communication ports - all at an excellent price/performance ratio", explains Peter Zimmermann, Market Manager Automotive ICs at Micronas. "We are pleased to see that the implementation of our future-proof concept is now paying off by moving into the mainstream market. The CDC 32xxG-microcontrollers are also found in Volkswagen's Golf V platform family, which includes the Golf, Golf Plus, Touran and Caddy, as well as in GM's Opel Astra."
With the new platform, Micronas meets customers' requirements for more flexible solutions and more powerful processors to control an increasing number of functions in today's and tomorrow's cars. The customers' systems can drive up to seven stepper motors and the system engineers have the freedom to define the number of CAN blocks as well as the memory configuration. Up to four integrated full-CAN modules, all compliant with Bosch specification V2.0B, are available. This is made possible by Micronas' scalable architecture, which allows for rapid customizing.
The CDC 3207G, CDC 3231G, CDC 3272G and the CDC 3297G are members of Micronas' popular 3rd generation of ARM7TDMI® based integrated dashboard controllers, called 'Low Emission Automotive Processors' (LEAP). EMI performance is just as important in a car cockpit as elsewhere in the car. Micronas' patented approach, called EMI Reduction Module (ERM), involves spreading the clock frequency of the circuit by a random-pattern generator, thereby spreading peaks in the spectrum and eliminating costs for external filtering and shielding.
All members of the CDC 32xxG microcontroller family allow customers to directly drive up to seven low current stepper motors for analog instruments, as well as a 192 (48 x 4) segment LC-Display. An integrated sound generator completes the special dashboard functionality. Up to four powerful high-speed CAN interface blocks, which support up to 32 message objects, enable connection to the car communication network and gateway functionality. Together with the powerful processor core and ample memory, this architecture simplifies the software engineer's work and provides lots of headroom for future extensions. Taking into consideration the increasing demand for "last minute fixes" in the automotive industry, the mask ROM controllers have a patch module for small ROM corrections. This eliminates the need for more expensive FLASH based controllers during ROM changes. The device architecture also includes standard peripheral functions such as I²C- and SPI-busses, as well as A/D converters and GPIO. The on-chip real time clock operates on the lowest-in-class standby current. No additional external oscillator is needed, thus further reducing system cost.
All CDC 32xxG microcontrollers come in a pin and software compatible PQFP128 package.
Micronas provides a broad range of development tools, among which are an evaluation board, several application-specific boards (APBs), a Flash Programmer as well as the relating physical connection cables. Moreover Micronas offers special demonstration boards, i.e. a dashboard module, a general purpose board, a CAN/LIN gateway board and a display board (LCD/OLED). Other types of demo-boards are available upon request.