Fujitsu picks ARM Cortex processor for automotive microcontrollers

The automotive market may be down but not the innovation in automotive electronics. Fujitsu Microelectronics, probably the 3rd biggest microcontroller vendor from Japan, has chosen ARM Cortex-R4F processor IP core for its automotive microcontroller and other automotive specific product line. Through these kind of major entries ARM is scaling up its position in embedded microcontroller market.

Semiconductor presence in car is growing very fast with each and every subsystem in the car going to embedd a microcontroller. Some of the latest features coming up in cars include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning systems and monitoring driver fatigue. The semiconductors going into cars should be as rugged and reliable as those of other mechanical fittings. Fujitsu's selection points out ARM's ability in providing such safety critical processor IP cores.
Cortex-R4F processor features pre-integrated embedded error correction (ECC) and a synthesis option to implement lock step architectures simplifying implementation and aiding IEC61508 and ISO26262 and ISO26262 certification. It features high-resolution memory protection facilities to enable tight control over independent software tasks. These functions are all critical to automotive applications based on the AutoSAR runtime environment and the JasPar Automotive software platform architecture.

In addition to the Cortex-R4F processor, the agreement includes the ARM AMBA Designer tool and ARM CoreSight technology for advanced on-chip debug and real-time trace.

"This licensing agreement enables us to continue to build on our position in the automotive market by optimizing development costs across a common core platform," said Dirk Weinsziehr, VP Marketing and Development, Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe. "By developing new products around the proven ARM architecture, we are well positioned to deliver high-performance automotive solutions for the next generation of vehicles"

"As vehicle manufacturers strive to consolidate their microprocessor requirements, we are seeing an increasing demand from licensees to develop devices based on ARM technology. This latest agreement with a recognized market leader demonstrates the continued adoption of ARM as the architecture of choice in the automotive industry," said Wayne Lyons, global director of Automotive Solutions, ARM. "By leveraging the performance and power benefits of the Cortex family of processors along with the other advanced ARM technology, Fujitsu can offer highly-optimized, future proof solutions for the automotive market."