Toshiba's Mixed Signal IC Products Strategy

Toshiba (TOKYO:6502) develops products in three fields: automotive, communication and motor control. The characteristics of Toshiba mixed signal ICs are engineering power in the analog business (development, cost, quality and supply capacity) and proposal power that considers customer. In 2014, we are extending collaboration with other business units, utilizing strong in-house engineering (image recognition, motor control technology, etc.), improving integrated solution capacity and promoting new market development in collaboration with other in-house companies and Toshiba Group companies, so as to enhance our product competitiveness and line-up across our product range.

(1) Automotive field (Image recognition, Automotive analog)

The environment for automotive semiconductors is changing significantly and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and electric vehicles (EV) are becoming increasingly popular. Since the importance of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) as a means to realize safer and more comfortable driving continues to grow, we are strengthening product development for HEV, EV and ADAS, alongside LSIs for vehicle control and driving safety.

Image recognition processors (TMPV75 Series)

The ADAS market is expected to expand rapidly following Euro NCAP expansion in 2016. Concurrent execution of multiple recognition software and high accuracy pedestrian and vehicle recognition are essential for supporting Euro NCAP, and as well as major requirements for LSI performance. Our TMPV75 series, which integrates original IP that achieves the world’s highest class of image recognition through high-speed processing, is taking the lead in integrated performance, over products from other companies. We also provide development tools and technical support. TMPV75 series, brought to market in 2014, is in the world highest class in terms of image processing performance against power consumed. We will expand the product line-up to drive sales, with the aim of securing a market share of over 30% in 2020. We will develop sensing modules (CMOS sensor, ApP Plus^TM integrated module) in the future centering on the TMPV75 series.

Automotive analog

We will share engineering assets for consumer, industrial and automotive products to expand the ASSP line-up (double the number of products from 2014 to 2020) and increase sales. We will strengthen ASIC development design in Europe with the aim of gaining share in Europe in addition to Japan.

(2) Communication (sending and receiving IC for near field communication/ short range wireless)

The market for low power consumption sensor networks, M2M devices and wearable terminals is expected to expand with the continued penetration of smartphones and tablets. Our near field communication and short range wireless technologies offer products for various communication systems, based on excellent features such as Bluetooth^® connection quality for mobile phones, protocol anomaly-based processing, low power consumption and high sensitivity reception characteristics, tamper-resistant characteristics, and we can provide solutions in hardware, modules and accessories. We also realize shorter equipment development times by providing development tools and technical support.

Near field communication (NFC, TransferJet^TM)

We will accelerate global expansion and enlarge share, armed with high confidentiality security technology, and with communication quality and performance already strong enough to have secured domestic market leadership (70% market share) in NFC (FeliCa).

Short range wireless (Bluetooth^®)

We already won high market shares in Bluetooth^® ICs that bring high quality communication to automotive applications. We have developed Bluetooth^® Low Energy ICs with the world's lowest low power consumption (6.1mA). We will also develop super low power consumption products (3mA) to expand market share in M2M and healthcare.

920 MHz Wireless module (USB dongle)

The integrated set of Toshiba's 920MHz wireless module and Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation's home gateway is first in the industry to receive the Wi-SUN Alliance Global Standard Certificatio, "Wi-SUN Profile for ECHONET Lite", as a HEMS controller. It enables data communication, such as integral power consumption between smart meters and HEMS.

(3) Motor control (Power management, Motor driver, Microcomputer for consumers/ industries)

In recent years, more applications have required a high voltage, high current drive or wireless communication function, as well as high level functions and high speed, all at the same time. We propose solutions that shorten development times and cut total costs, based on our early commercialization of strong motor control technologies (InPAC, vector engine, sine wave, etc.), and also offer combinations of microcomputers, analog and discrete products that meet market requirements in a proper and speedy way. Examples include power control ICs for wireless power supply, lens control motor ICs for single-lens reflex cameras, ICs for smart home appliances such as refrigerators and analog function embedded microcomputers for healthcare equipment.

Power management: Wireless power supply

The wireless power supply market is expected to expand, pulled by smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, automotive products, cordless tools. We will maintain superiority in thermal properties (high efficiency and low power consumption) with an original process adopting cutting-edge analog process (0.13 µm), launch new standard (PMA, A4WP) products to the market at an early stage, and aim for a 20% market share in 2016 by introducing 15W class products.

Motor driver

We aim to increase sales by specializing in three fields, home appliances, axial flow and industry, and by further expanding our general purpose line-up (1.5 times more products in 2016 than in 2013). In the home appliances field, we will expand collaborate with discretes to increase sales of SiP products to overseas manufacturers in addition to Japan, where we already won high market shares, and develop and expand new products using new sine wave technology (InPAC) and SiP 600V products. In the axial flow field, we have entered the market for servers, refrigerators and small fans, taking advantage of the superiority of CD0.13µm process. We will expand sales in the single-phase driver market through pseudo sine wave current drive technology. We will aim for the No.1 share in the 3-phase driver market. In the industrial field, we will expand market share by developing high value added, low cost motor drivers for unipolar motors with cutting edge BiCD0.13µm+80V analog process.

Consumer and industrial microcomputers

The microcomputer market is expected to expand, pulled by home appliance inverters, industrial inverters, robots, healthcare, etc. We are reinforcing system performance improvements and lower power consumption using the vector control processor, and sharpening proposal capabilities centered on advanced control technology and support tools. We also unify the roadmap with ApP Lite^TM to expand coverage of growing markets.

Power/Energy

We will look beyond the market trend and develop and expand sales of differentiated products centering on smart meters. We will also enter into the PV micro inverter market in Japan and the United States.

* Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such mark by Toshiba is under license.
* TransferJet is licensed by the TransferJet Consortium.
* Wi-SUN is a trademark or registered trademark of the Wi-SUN Alliance.
* ECHONET is a trademark of the ECHONET Consortium.
* ApP Lite, App Plus are trademark of Toshiba Corporation.

About Toshiba

Toshiba Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, channels world-class capabilities in advanced electronic and electrical product and systems into five strategic business domains: Energy & Infrastructure, Community Solutions, Healthcare Systems & Services, Electronic Devices & Components, and Lifestyles Products & Services. Guided by the principles of The Basic Commitment of the Toshiba Group, "Committed to People, Committed to the Future”, Toshiba promotes global operations towards securing "Growth Through Creativity and Innovation”, and is contributing to the achievement of a world in which people everywhere live in safe, secure and comfortable society.

Founded in Tokyo in 1875, today’s Toshiba is at the heart of a global network of over 590 consolidated companies employing over 200,000 people worldwide, with annual sales surpassing 6.5 trillion yen (US$63 billion).

To find out more about Toshiba, visit www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm