MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
Due to the chip shortage, GM is eliminating heated seats from several models.
<a href=https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2021/11/15/detroit-dealers-chip-shortage-heated-seats/8626153002/>https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2021/11/15/detroit-dealers-chip-shortage-heated-seats/8626153002/</a>
This is not going to go over well for those of us who live in cold climates. Or, more specifically, our wives.
Yes, even something as simple as a heated seat requires a computer these days. Engineers have come to rely on micro-controllers to do just about everything. When we talk about the computers in our cars, we're usually thinking of the relatively powerful processors in the engine and transmission control modules. But modern vehicles are stuffed full of micro-controllers, low-powered processors that do all sorts of mundane tasks such as operate HVAC systems, wireless charging and, yes, heated seats. These cheap and versatile devices are microprocessors with very limited memory and simple CPUs coupled with various devices that allow them to interact with the analog real world. Most have analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion capability, along with various other input and output ports. A typical microcontroller is the ubiquitous 68HC11, based on the 1970s-vintage Motorola 6800 8-bit microprocessor.
Microcontrollers are cheap. A 68HC11 retails for about ten bucks; automotive suppliers probably pay less than a buck apiece. When automakers canceled parts orders last year, the resulting component cancellations by Tier 1 and 2 automotive suppliers prompted chipmakers to retool their plants to make more profitable devices. Naturally those same chipmakers are reluctant to switch back from high-end devices to cheap microcontrollers.
<a href=https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2021/11/15/detroit-dealers-chip-shortage-heated-seats/8626153002/>https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2021/11/15/detroit-dealers-chip-shortage-heated-seats/8626153002/</a>
This is not going to go over well for those of us who live in cold climates. Or, more specifically, our wives.
Yes, even something as simple as a heated seat requires a computer these days. Engineers have come to rely on micro-controllers to do just about everything. When we talk about the computers in our cars, we're usually thinking of the relatively powerful processors in the engine and transmission control modules. But modern vehicles are stuffed full of micro-controllers, low-powered processors that do all sorts of mundane tasks such as operate HVAC systems, wireless charging and, yes, heated seats. These cheap and versatile devices are microprocessors with very limited memory and simple CPUs coupled with various devices that allow them to interact with the analog real world. Most have analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion capability, along with various other input and output ports. A typical microcontroller is the ubiquitous 68HC11, based on the 1970s-vintage Motorola 6800 8-bit microprocessor.
Microcontrollers are cheap. A 68HC11 retails for about ten bucks; automotive suppliers probably pay less than a buck apiece. When automakers canceled parts orders last year, the resulting component cancellations by Tier 1 and 2 automotive suppliers prompted chipmakers to retool their plants to make more profitable devices. Naturally those same chipmakers are reluctant to switch back from high-end devices to cheap microcontrollers.
