Evolving microprocessors which better meet the needs of automotive electronics

The rather explosive historical progress being made in large-scale integration of semiconductor elements is moving faster than the two or three years lead time needed in the automotive industry to move a new idea into production. By presenting a forecast of what can be done soon at a developmental level, both at the automotive electronic-control level and at the LSI microcomputer single-chip development level, the writer hopes that the next generation of automotive electronics in the early 1980's can be started with a clear picture of the calculated risk-taking involved. Topics discussed are the need for custom microprocessors, input and output information rates, and applications to engine control and instrument panel display control, including the concept of satellite assemblies which exchange information available at remote locations.