Voice Recognition Facilitates Multitasking and Focus on the Road
by Randy Frank Contributing Editor Voice-recognition systems are already an integral part of hands-free dialing in Bluetooth-enabled products or GM's OnStar system, but the amount of commands and the ability to handle vocabulary and dialect variations are limited. More powerful algorithms, sophisticated hardware and ongoing research could make continuous speech recognition a reality in the future....
Technical Features
Ensuring Smart Passive Keyless Entry Transponder Is Reliable
by Youbok Lee and James B. Nolan Microchip Technology Inc. The challenging task for a passive keyless entry system design engineer is reliably detecting the base station command in any possible operating condition while still maintaining all other design parameters, such as battery power usage and the physical size of the antenna. ...
Digital Power Modules: The Convergence of Power and Body Electronics
by Daniel D. Moore Many applications are taking advantage of digital power modules to combine power and body electronics into a single module. The flexibility and scalability afforded by the DPMs also present worse-case scenarios for designers. Thus, designers must consider trade offs between cost and function /performance....
200 Lumen Light Output Researchers at the German light specialist firm Osram Opto Semiconductors say they have produced the world's strongest white light-emitting diode (LED)....
New Factory Opens in Eastern Europe The international automobile component supplier Brose has opened a production site in Eastern Europe in the Czech town of Koprivnice. Brose CZ spol. S.r.o....
EE-Auto as Part of an Overall Solution Enea, a supplier of real-time operating systems, intends to integrate the flash file system of HCC-Embedded into its real-time operating system OSE Epsilon...
Infotainment Systems for the New VW Passat For the new VW Passat the Bosch subsidiary Blaupunkt supplies various types of equipment for a specially designed car audio, navigation and infotainment...
Automobile Market China 2010 All over the world the enormous growth expectations in China have triggered a new era of commercial optimism in the automobile industry. More than 50...
Departments
Editorials
Sensor Technologies Continue to Transform Automobiles
by Ashok Bindra Editorial Director, RF Design Sensors and sensing technologies have permeated every aspect of modern automobiles. It is hard to imagine a car without sensors. Only a few years ago...
EMC Testing Goes Solid State
by David Morrison Editor, Power Electronics Technology One of the newer requirements in electromagnetic compliance (EMC) testing demanded by carmakers is the pulsed radar immunity test. Though exact requirements...
Comfortable Operation for More Safety The automotive supplier Siemens VDO Automotive AG is developing a network of driver assistance systems that will actively warn the driver of the risk...
Mentor Graphics Expands Portfolio Through Takeover Mentor Graphics has taken over the Swedish corporation Volcano Communications Technologies AB. The takeover also included the entire Automotive Networking...
Entertainment, Business and Online en Route Equipped with the Car Infotainment System based on the InCar-PC-Envader of the German firm EEPD and Intel processors, the BMW Individual 7 series is set...
Support for Telematics Producer Wind River, a leading provider of device software optimization (DSO), has presented a new platform with which manufacturers can develop innovative and...
Under the Hood
Under the Hood of the 2006 Pontiac Solstice
by Randy Frank Contributing Editor The strikingly stylish two-seat roadster comes standard with a 2.4-liter, 177 hp four-cylinder dual-overhead cam engine, five-speed manual transmission, and the OnStar system with one year of OnStar service....
Executive Viewpoints
Vehicle Thermal Management Systems are Getting Smarter, Better
by Heinz-Ubbo Eilks Dana Corporation One key to significant advances in fuel economy, emissions reduction, and powertrain performance lies within a single area of the vehicle the thermal...
Portable Entertainment and Information in the Car
by Jack Morgan North America, Philips Semiconductors In the last 10 years, the consumer electronics industry has revolutionized the way consumers experience and enjoy entertainment in their homes. A similar...
