April 27, 2009: Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) and Infineon Technologies AG will collaborate on next-generation automotive airbag systems, the companies announced in a news release.
ADI is a developer of motion-sensing MEMS inertial accelerometers and gyroscopes for automotive safety systems. Infineon provides nearly all automotive application-specific components for an airbag system, such as microcontrollers, satellite sensor communication interface ICs, airbag deployment ICs, power supply components, CAN and LIN transceivers and pressure sensors. By combining the companies’ airbag-specific product portfolios, Infineon and ADI can offer customers a complete, interoperable, and validated airbag system platform, according to the companies.
The ADI-Infineon collaboration aims to ensure alignment of the companies’ respective product roadmaps and interoperability of their sensors and chipsets, accelerate the development of advanced airbag systems, and provide access for automotive safety system suppliers and OEMs to a complete design platform that will enable a reliable, cost-efficient and easy-to-use advanced airbag solution.
“In emerging car markets, such as Asia and South America, car manufacturers and system suppliers face the challenge of improving passenger safety while reducing cost. By aligning ADI’s and Infineon’s airbag-specific product roadmaps, we will trim interoperability risks, help cut system development costs, and enable carmakers and system suppliers to focus more of their development resources on crash algorithm development and product differentiation,” stated Claus Geisler, SVP in Infineon’s automotive division.
“In response to today’s safety mandates, automotive safety systems require ever increasing levels of system performance to ensure they work properly and reliably for a wide range of passengers and vehicles,” added Mark Martin, VP/GM of Analog Devices’ micromachined products division. “With over 15 years of experience in automotive MEMS and more than 500 million MEMS sensors shipped, ADI brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the design of safety systems.”