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Industry chip shortage

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Old 08-20-21, 03:03 PM
  #31  
Och
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Originally Posted by TangoRed
Short of programming the keys, independent shops are still able to do most of this work. They just need to have the right software.

The real reason manufacturers use so many chips has more to do with their lack of vertical integration. They buy modules from suppliers (i.e. safety systems) and have to make them all talk to each other (i.e. safety systems to brakes, instrument cluster, etc.). Prior to the pandemic manufacturers were already talking about writing their own operating systems to standardize and better integrate all of the various systems in their cars. Volkswagen publicly said their Arteon (depending on options) could have up to 70 different control units operating with software from 200 suppliers with them all needing to be networked.
Yeah, check the costs of this software.

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Old 08-20-21, 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by AJT123
Why does this only seem to be an issue with automobiles? Everything else pretty much is super complex these days, too.
There are shortages of computer components, household appliances and electronics - so not just automobiles.
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Old 08-20-21, 03:15 PM
  #33  
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And to think this all started back in 1955, with the first component of a car to switch from vacuum tubes to transistors being the radio.


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Old 08-20-21, 03:53 PM
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Great video on the chip shortage. Once again, China screws the world.

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Old 08-20-21, 04:43 PM
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Don't blame China, how about we start making more semiconductors in the United States.
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Old 08-20-21, 04:52 PM
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Originally Posted by LeX2K
Don't blame China, how about we start making more semiconductors in the United States.
Well it might actually become economically viable to make semiconductors, and many other things in the US.
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Old 08-20-21, 05:17 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by EZZ
You probably meant $10-15B with a big B for a new wafer fabs. Semiconductors are the single most high tech manufacturing centers in the world and extremely difficult to startup and run. Much much much harder than autos.
Yep. I fat fingered the key. Bricks and mortar is about $3B; clean rooms and miles of stainless steel tubing for the toxic chemicals.
One mfg line inside can easily be $10B to $15B more; depending on tech node.
I worked in SEMI for 25 years here in Silicon Valley.
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Old 08-20-21, 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Yep. I fat fingered the key. Bricks and mortar is about $3B; clean rooms and miles of stainless steel tubing for the toxic chemicals.
One mfg line inside can easily be $10B to $15B more; depending on tech node.
I worked in SEMI for 25 years here in Silicon Valley.
There is a bad shortage of stainless as well, prices up 200% and nobody has stock.
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Old 08-20-21, 05:45 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by LeX2K
Don't blame China, how about we start making more semiconductors in the United States.
The gal in the video touched on this; she mentioned politics which I would stay away from but is a key issue.
You may remember “Potato chips, computer chips, what’s the difference?” That was the beginning of offshore manufacturing.

But times are changing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compamy (TSMC) is the biggest chip foundry in the world.
They have begun a new foundry in Arizona which will cost about $13B and take 1.5 years to complete.
It is a 5nm node, and will be used for new Apple chips I believe. "5nm technology node", or node, or geometry, refers to the width of the smallest traces (wires) on the densest layer of the chip.
5nm is 5 billionths of a meter. Yup. This is why you can have millions of transistors on a chip.
FYI, this dense geometry is not generally used in auto chips, except in AI applications like in a Tesla. But this too is changing.

There is so much more...
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Old 08-20-21, 06:53 PM
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Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
The gal in the video touched on this; she mentioned politics which I would stay away from but is a key issue.
You may remember “Potato chips, computer chips, what’s the difference?” That was the beginning of offshore manufacturing.

But times are changing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compamy (TSMC) is the biggest chip foundry in the world.
They have begun a new foundry in Arizona which will cost about $13B and take 1.5 years to complete.
It is a 5nm node, and will be used for new Apple chips I believe. "5nm technology node", or node, or geometry, refers to the width of the smallest traces (wires) on the densest layer of the chip.
5nm is 5 billionths of a meter. Yup. This is why you can have millions of transistors on a chip.
FYI, this dense geometry is not generally used in auto chips, except in AI applications like in a Tesla. But this too is changing.

There is so much more...
Depends in what, certain modules can be run on something as old as 8 bit z80 cpus, the infotainment is using whatever android tablet its based on, but even the main engine management computers need to be increasingly powerful. Not very long ago engine management was mostly done on 8 bit cpus, now they are using 32bit cpus. https://www.microchip.com/en-us/prod...it-mcus#motorc
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Old 08-21-21, 08:03 AM
  #41  
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good making a seperate facility in another country is going to be a lot more secure for global supply. Especially since China always has their eyes on taiwan.

not too long ago we had a harddrive shortage when Thailand had some big floods.
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Old 08-21-21, 08:24 AM
  #42  
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Tesla AI etc posts deleted. This thread is about the industry chip shortage, not tesla dojo super computers, etc.

edit: moved LeX2K's post to a new thread here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...dojo-chip.html

Last edited by bitkahuna; 08-21-21 at 08:33 AM.
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Old 08-21-21, 08:25 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Och
Yeah, check the costs of this software.

https://youtu.be/7Bx3r4kD5Mo
Not sure if anyone has warez Toyota/Lexus yet but German cars offloaded databases are all over the internet ready for the grabs. Problem is if something is missing (not being ripped off the server and included in the warez download) then there is nothing you can do about it. Also maintenance for new models is very iffy, you have to wait for someone to realease it. But many shops liive with the piracy database.

EDIT: just checked, yes there is Toyota/Scion/Lexus TIS alternative software relasead on the scene with full activation.

Last edited by Vladi; 08-21-21 at 08:30 AM.
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Old 08-21-21, 08:39 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by Vladi
Not sure if anyone has warez Toyota/Lexus yet but German cars offloaded databases are all over the internet ready for the grabs. Problem is if something is missing (not being ripped off the server and included in the warez download) then there is nothing you can do about it. Also maintenance for new models is very iffy, you have to wait for someone to realease it. But many shops liive with the piracy database.

EDIT: just checked, yes there is Toyota/Scion/Lexus TIS alternative software relasead on the scene with full activation.
Its not a matter of simply pirating software, certain things are encrypted and I believe they require server side generated keys. I had my Metris at probably the best independent shops, and the guy couldn't vin code the AC control, had to get it to the dealer. Surprisingly enough, most Germans cars allow you to modify engine management with custom tunes, but afaik Japanese always had this data encrypted.

P.S. - years ago Toyota allowed anyone to buy access to Techstream for like $20 for one day, not anymore.
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Old 08-21-21, 02:35 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Hameed
There aren't enough roads for all these cars. As a society we need to start using public transit and bikes more. More cars is not the answer especially in cities. 😄
Originally Posted by Och
Agreed 100%, this is why I welcome rising car and fuel prices. Half the people would be better off using public transportation and should be saved from themselves.
I believe we should be building more inner city underground rail just like Singapore.
Singapore has ridiculous car taxes and annual registration fees like $50-100k/vehicle.
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