Motorola Sensor Helps Alert Drivers and Improve Tire Safety
Device Helps Automotive Manufacturers Meet Driver Safety Demands and Government Regulation
PHOENIX, May 19 -- The new MPXY8020A pressure sensor from Motorola, Inc.'s 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 Dashboard
The 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 Monitoring
Tire 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 Drivers
A 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 Availability
Samples 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 Sector
As the world's #1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector creates DigitalDNA(TM) 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/semiconductors .
About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. 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.
The MC68HC908RF2 and MC9S12DP256 incorporate SuperFlash(R) technology licensed from SST.
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.