Vehicle Semiconductor Chips 101

[Ramble_Offroad]

3000 chips per car? Dayum, let’s go back to 1970’s vehicles.

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[Jdc]

2 years ago when things got weird, I started reading all the car websites to find Bronco info to distract myself and stumbled across this article which has stuck with me ever since.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a32034437/computer-chips-in-cars/

I'd go back to manual roll up windows and manual seats and a basic sound system with just an AUX port for my phone if it meant saving a few thousand bucks.

My very first vehicle had power steering and that's it and I'd love to drive it just one more time.

While electronics may make up to 40% of the cars cost, car companies are making a killing on these things. The actual cost of a lot of these electronics isn't much but the profit margin car companies make on these things is significant which is why they add them and why you'll never drive that no electronic car unless you buy a classic car.

 

[d_bearhugs]

Maybe we should all go back to riding horses?

Thats how we get a real bronco.

 

[Roundrocktx]

The biggest semiconductor manufacturer in the world is actually TSMC in Taiwan. But, they are only a manufacturing company. Fabs cost billions of dollars, so very few companies can build their own factories. Smaller companies design the chips and contract TSMC to build them. The chips that are designed are usually proprietary, meaning that only the company that owns the design can build them. Think of patents, etc.

The problem is that companies like TSMC don't have enough capacity. They are building chips for cell phones, gaming systems, automobiles, computers, etc. Nearly every product built today is short on chips, so they are all trying to get upsides from companies like TSMC. Nobody gets all they need.

It can take a couple years to bring a factory on line, so increasing production immediately isn't going to happen. Ford is just one of many, many companies that are trying to get more supply when the output is fixed.

If you think about it, there are hundreds of modules that go into a car. Ford may have supply on 99% of them, but missing one critical component makes the car unsellable. Ford is but one of thousand of companies struggling to build products. But, I will agree that the communication is terrible and the way they are prioritizing what to build leaves everyone upset.

Having a day two reservation, it is extremely annoying to see pictures of people getting their bronco that were ordered a couple months ago. I think this is the crux of the issue that most people have.

 

[Jimmiee]

The boards are all part of the electrical assemblies. They are assembled outside MAP in another plant. If you ever have a chance to do a tour it will make more sense. The entire dash assemblies , seats, computers and harnesses are literally being unloaded from trucks as the vehicles are coming down the line. They will install the entire dashboard as a complete module, seats the same, engines the same, harnesses and computers the same. They are not installing “soldering” chips into boards in assembly.

It could be any of these modules that have shortages or a combination.

Below is an idea but even more modules with 4WD controls.

The FE Edition has over 30 Modules. Here's the modules that I found in Mitchell:

BCM - BODY CONTROL MODULE

GATEWAY MODULE

DLC - REMOTE DATA LINK CONNECTOR

APIM - SYNC MODULE

IPC - INSTRUMENT PANEL

CTU - TELEMATICS MODULE

ETHERNET (GATEWAY MOD)

BJB - BATTERY JUNCTION BOX

PCM - POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE

ABS - ANTILOCK BRAKE CONTROL MODULE

CHCM - CHASSIS CONTROL MODULE

SIM - SWITCH INPUT MODULE

PSC - POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE

AWDM - ALL WHEEL DRIVE CONTROL MODULE

SCCM - STEERING COLUMN CONTROL MODULE

OSCM - OCCUPANT CLASSIFACTION SYSTEM MODULE

PAM - PARKING AID MODULE

RCM - RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE

IPMB - IMAGE PROCESSING MODULE

ATCM - TRACTION CONTROL SWITCH

LDW - LANE DEPARTURE WARNING MODULE

TCU - TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT

HVAC - HEATING VENTILATION AIR CONDITIONING MODULE

DDM - DRIVER DOOR CONTROL MODULE

PPM - PASSENGER DOOR CONTROL MODULE

RTM - RADIO TRANSCEIVER CONTROL MODULE

TTM - TRAILER TOW MODULE

SODR - SIDE OBSTACLE DETECTION CONTROL MODULE RIGHT-HAND

SODL - SIDE OBSTACLE DETECTION CONTROL MODULE LEFT-HAND

ACM - AUDIO CONTROL MODULE

WACM - WIRELESS ACCESSORY CHARGING MODULE

DSP - AUDIO DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING MODULE

 

[The Memedalorian]

While electronics may make up to 40% of the cars cost, car companies are making a killing on these things. The actual cost of a lot of these electronics isn't much but the profit margin car companies make on these things is significant which is why they add them and why you'll never drive that no electronic car unless you buy a classic car.

Yes.

 

[John Auer]

Whether

This site could definitely use a spell check.

 

[John Auer]

My machine shop works directly with semiconductor. We make the vacuum chambers for companies. These vacuum chambers are how the wafers are made. They need to be made in a vac sealed chamber. Any small particle that gets on these wafers will destroy it.
Part of what it killing the industry is our situation. We are incapable of keeping up with the business as are many other small shops that do this. The supply chain that everyone is very upset about stems directly from a material shortage that does not allow us to meet the delivery dates. We push for our material but our suppliers can only get us what the mills supply.
If the mill is late, we are automatically late. From there its a butterfly affect. Leaving anything that has a microchip at the mercy of the situation we are in.

Thanks. What is the material that you speak about and where does it come from?

 

[John Auer]

its a good point. If there are some none critical controls like auto stop just deliver the bronco without and let the dealer add later. You probably can’t change back things to manual or other changes without basic design impacts.

Sounds simple, let the dealer install the missing modules. Then they become part of the manufacturing process. This probably opens up whole can of liability worms.

 

[John Auer]

The FE Edition has over 30 Modules. Here's the modules that I found in Mitchell:

BCM - BODY CONTROL MODULE

GATEWAY MODULE

DLC - REMOTE DATA LINK CONNECTOR

APIM - SYNC MODULE

IPC - INSTRUMENT PANEL

CTU - TELEMATICS MODULE

ETHERNET (GATEWAY MOD)

BJB - BATTERY JUNCTION BOX

PCM - POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE

ABS - ANTILOCK BRAKE CONTROL MODULE

CHCM - CHASSIS CONTROL MODULE

SIM - SWITCH INPUT MODULE

PSC - POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE

AWDM - ALL WHEEL DRIVE CONTROL MODULE

SCCM - STEERING COLUMN CONTROL MODULE

OSCM - OCCUPANT CLASSIFACTION SYSTEM MODULE

PAM - PARKING AID MODULE

RCM - RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE

IPMB - IMAGE PROCESSING MODULE

ATCM - TRACTION CONTROL SWITCH

LDW - LANE DEPARTURE WARNING MODULE

TCU - TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT

HVAC - HEATING VENTILATION AIR CONDITIONING MODULE

DDM - DRIVER DOOR CONTROL MODULE

PPM - PASSENGER DOOR CONTROL MODULE

RTM - RADIO TRANSCEIVER CONTROL MODULE

TTM - TRAILER TOW MODULE

SODR - SIDE OBSTACLE DETECTION CONTROL MODULE RIGHT-HAND

SODL - SIDE OBSTACLE DETECTION CONTROL MODULE LEFT-HAND

ACM - AUDIO CONTROL MODULE

WACM - WIRELESS ACCESSORY CHARGING MODULE

DSP - AUDIO DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING MODULE

Mitchell?

 

[Jimmiee]

Mitchell?

Yeah, Mitchell Pro Demand. The same info is also in AllData and is actually taken from the Ford Factory Repair Manual.

 

[BAUS67]

This may have been posted here but I did not read through 5 pages to see, thought I would just post this for those who care to know useless information.

My salesman said he was just at a meeting and they were told there are 1700 "chips" in a new F-150. He did not say how many are in a Bronco but the point was just to put the "chip" problem in perspective.

 

[ocbucks1]

This may have been posted here but I did not read through 5 pages to see, thought I would just post this for those who care to know useless information.

My salesman said he was just at a meeting and they were told there are 1700 "chips" in a new F-150. He did not say how many are in a Bronco but the point was just to put the "chip" problem in perspective.

Could be. 3000 was from a average vehicle. A lot still. And they are used on boards way before assemble normally.

 

[22OBX]

Yeah I had previously posted there are about 1400-1500 on an average vehicle per industry reports. 100,000 broncos to build …they only need 150 million chips to build them all.

 

[ocbucks1]

Yeah I had previously posted there are about 1400-1500 on an average vehicle per industry reports. 100,000 broncos to build …they only need 150 million chips to build them all.

What’s interesting is how they manage supply. Obviously a lot of decisions regarding which modules to allocate chips. This has to be made many weeks before build. I am guessing the one missing was intentionally left low inventory knowing it was possible to install after when needed.

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