Welcome to this special issue of Power Systems Design Europe where we take the theme of automotive technology. Within the following pages you will find an abundance of information on this increasingly popular topic as well as the in depth power related contributions, comment and articles we strive to bring to our engineering audience. The application of electronic power devices in the automotive sphere is a true test of their survival capability under environmentally hostile conditions. It needs a specialized approach and rigourous qualification, especially in the area of power electronics. Also, with the proliferation and widening acceptance of Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology, traditional automotive technology is extended still further. This should be good news for our industry, but will inevitably take time. The European automotive industry, particularly the prime quality German brands such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Audi which use a high degree of sophisticated electronic control and gadgetry, is one of the most demanding for semiconductor firms to service. It demands a quality of electronic component far higher than found in the majority of commercial applications. The rugged environments experienced plus the extremes of temperature these devices must survive make the required skillful design engineering, manufacturing and subsequent stringent quality control a very large investment. Not a bad thing considering the many safety factors that need to be considered. These firms, I believe, well deserve the higher margins they currently command. Following its toughest year in recent memory, the worldwide market for automotive MEMS sensors, especially pressure sensors, which are used in key applications to measure tyre pressure and engine performance, will rebound sharply in 2010, but continued high sales might lead to an overheated market that could push the industry back into depression, according to iSuppli. Global shipments are projected to reach 591.2 million units in 2010, a healthy increase of 17.8%. This growth represents a welcome turnaround after a difficult 2009 for MEMS sensors and marks the beginning of an upturn that is predicted to continue until at least the end of 2014. Europe will command over 30% share with North America accounting for the largest share in the consumption of MEMS, making up 40% of the total in 2010. At PSD Europe, our continued quest is to give our readers the broadest and in-depth information to help bring a deeper insight to the industry. With our regular MarketWatch feature from IMS Research, David Morrison's new column on recruitment and opportunities in our industry and the in depth design feature from Dr Ray Ridley, we strive to provide a single point of reference for engineers and managers. To complement this we have the up-to-date industry and product news and information together with selected features and articles contained within our weekly web-blast, PowerSurge. If you do not receive this, please contact me and I'll get a subscription arranged. I hope you enjoy the issue, please keep sending me your valuable feedback and enjoy our fun-strip, Dilbert at the back of the magazine.
All the best, Cliff Keys Editor-in-Chief Power Systems Design Cliff.Keys@powersystemsdesign.com
