Motorola Sensor Helps Alert Drivers and
Improve Tire SafetyDevice
Helps Automotive Manufacturers meet Driver Safety Demands and Government
RegulationPHOENIX- May 19, 2003 - The new
MPXY8020A pressure sensor from Motorola, Inc.'s (NYSE: MOT) Semiconductor
Products Sector has the potential to help reduce blowouts, extend tire life and
improve gas mileage.
The MPXY8020A helps
drivers maintain proper tire pressure by notifying them when tire pressure is
not at the optimal pressure level. Proper tire inflation decreases tread wear
(prolonging tire life) and improves gas mileage. When a tire is under-inflated,
the surface area that contacts the road increases and causes more friction. This
increases tread wear and potentially increases the amount of gasoline used.
The MPXY8020A represents a significant step in
Motorola's tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) strategy. The sensor is
available with microcontrollers and a radio frequency (RF) communication device,
offering a comprehensive Motorola chipset for automotive engineers and helping
automotive manufacturers address safety demands that have emerged in recent
years.
Government agencies, advocacy groups,
technology consortia, electronics vendors and automotive original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) have joined a global movement to increase automobile
occupant safety. In the United States, for example, Congress passed the
Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act
of 2000, which mandated that automotive manufacturers install tire pressure
monitoring systems within a three-year window from Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 31,
2006.
"As the automotive market leader in the
semiconductor industry, Motorola is positioned well to supply the MPXY8020A
sensor and chipset to help automotive engineers comply with approaching
legislative deadlines in the United States," said Bruce Simmon of Strategy
Analytics. "In addition to compliance for manufacturers, the MPXY8020A can make
a real impact, saving hundreds of lives and countless dollars by reducing
blowouts, vehicle handling and
hydroplaning."
Communicating from the Road
to the DashboardThe enabling technology behind
tire pressure monitoring is pressure sensing, which measures a tire's inflation
level. To "talk" to the vehicle's dashboard, the sensors send signals through
accompanying microcontrollers and analog integrated circuits (ICs) that work
together as a chipset.
The MPXY8020A sensor is
used in remote sensing modules mounted onto valve stems or wheel wells. It
operates on low power, uses little board space and is available as a four-part
chipset that includes microcontrollers and radio frequency (RF) communication.
The chipset features these
components:
- A remote sensing module (RSM) houses
the MPXY8020A sensor and an MC68HC908RF2 8-bit flash microcontroller unit (MCU).
- The MCU package also contains an RF
transmitter.
- An MC9S12DP256 16-bit flash MCU
powers the receiver module with an integrated MC33591 RF receiver, demodulator
and decoder receiving the signal. (This device typically sits in the dashboard
of the car.)
Direct vs. Indirect Tire
Pressure MonitoringTire pressure monitoring
occurs in two ways: direct or indirect. Motorola's MPXY8020A sensor and chipset
offer direct tire pressure monitoring. According to its findings, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which administers the U.S.
Transportation Recall, Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD)
Act, currently believes direct tire pressure monitoring is the more desirable
form of tire pressure monitoring and better satisfies the U.S. government's
regulations.
The direct approach includes a
tire pressure sensor at each wheel. These sensors transmit pressure and
temperature information to a receiver and usually are attached to the tire's
inflation valve. Indirect monitoring does not use tire pressure sensors but
instead relies on the wheel speed sensors in an anti-lock brake system (ABS) to
detect and compare differences in the rotational speed of a vehicle's
wheels.
Market Growth
DriversA recent report - "Automotive Silicon
Sensor Market" - by Strategy Analytics cites that growth for tire pressure
monitoring will likely be driven by a combination of consumer demand for better
automobile safety; vehicle manufacturer demand to avoid tire failures in
"high-value vehicles" (sports cars, minivans and SUVs); and legislation in the
United States. The firm projects the market for silicon-based sensors in
automotive applications will grow to $6 billion (USD) by 2010.*
Features and Benefits of Motorola's Tire
Pressure Monitoring System- Low power
consumption: Motorola's mixed-signal sensor integrated circuit (IC) utilizes a
CMOS die and "on-chip power management" in which essential pieces of the power
management system (standby mode, temperature measurement, pressure measurement
and output read mode) are integrated onto the same piece of silicon as the
sensors.**
- Reduced board space: By using the
same receiver for the tire pressure monitoring system and the RKE system, fewer
components must be incorporated onto a board and in the vehicle. This decreases
board space and ultimately development costs.
-
Proven provider: The MPXY8020A comes from Motorola - a manufacturer that
understands the automotive industry well and knows the needs of the automotive
engineer and of the intricate development process. According to Hearst
Electronics, Motorola is the number one provider of pressure sensors to the
automotive market and has been producing Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS)
since 1980.
- Full systems solution: Motorola
offers a full package - a sensor, 8- and 16-bit MCUs, RF communication IC and
development tools. This increases cost-efficiency and allows "one-stop-shopping"
for systems engineers rather than having to seek out several different vendors
with no guarantee of part compatibility.
Pricing and
AvailabilitySamples of the new MPXY8020A TPM
sensor device and chipset are available now. Production volumes are currently
available. Pricing is volume-based and contingent on customer specifications.
The MPXY8020A's suggested list price per unit in 10,000-piece quantities is
$5.25 (USD). The other components of the chipset have suggested list pricing per
unit in 10,000-piece quantities as follows:
-
MC68HC908RF 8-bit flash MCU unit @ $2.90 (USD)
-
MC9S12DP256 16-bit flash MCU unit @ $14.08 (USD)
-
MC33591 Integrated RF receiver @ $1.99
(USD)
For additional information about the
MPY8020A, including product features, graphics, support and more, go to:
e-www.motorola.com/collateral/PKMPXY8000TPM.html?tid=TSPGPR.
About Motorola Inc.'s Semiconductor
Products SectorAs the world's #1 producer of
embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector creates
DigitalDNA™ system-on-chip solutions for a connected world. Our strong
focus on wireless communications and networking enables customers to develop
smarter, simpler, safer and synchronized products for the person, work team,
home and automobile. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $5.0 billion
(USD) in 2002. For more information please visit
www.motorola.com/semiconductorsAbout
MotorolaMotorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global
leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions.
Sales in 2002 were $27.3 billion. Motorola is a global corporate citizen
dedicated to ethical business practices and pioneering important technologies
that make things smarter and life better for people, honored traditions that
began when the company was founded 75 years ago this year. For more information,
please visit:
www.motorola.com.
#
# #
MOTOROLA, the Stylized M Logo and all
other trademarks indicated as such herein are trademarks of Motorola, Inc. ®
Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service names are
the property of their respective trademark owners. 2000 Motorola, Inc. All
rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
The
MC68HC908RF2 and MC9S12DP256 incorporate SuperFlash® technology licensed
from SST.
Editor
Contacts:United
States:
Lisa
Bradley
lisa.bradley@motorola.com(1)
480.413.8819
Jennifer
Vardeman
Lois Paul &
Partners
jennifer_vardeman@lpp.com(1)
512.638.5327
Europe:
Regina
Cirmonova,
Motorola
regina.cirmonova@motorola.com(41)
22 799 12
58
Asia:
Gloria
Shiu
gloria.shiu@motorola.com(852)
2666.8237
Reader Inquiry
Response:
Motorola
SPS
P.O. Box
17927
Denver, CO 80217
USA
*Strategy Analytics, "Automotive Silicon
Sensor Market," February 2003,
Page:
3
**The sensor is not totally analog, it has an
A/D and a digital output.
