Chips?

[DCM]

Help me understand the chip issue. What exactly are we talking about? Eliminating ambient lighting in cup holders, deleting the glove box light, start stop delete, etc. I find it hard to believe that there is an individual chip that Ford is installing for each of these items. It seems like these features would be controlled by a central processor controlling relays. I used to do some work in automation. I recall that as we added more features, we would need to increase the processing size and increase memory, not add individual chips. Is increasing or decreasing the capacity of a central processor what all this chip talk is about? Is it the memory chips that plug into a main board?

Legitimately trying to gain a better understanding of what's going on.

 

[MurderedOutSVT]

Been wondering the same and haven't really gotten a good answer. Not looked too hard cause I'm not looking into a new vehicle, but curious. Gonna keep up with this

 

[NJ2020]

I think the word chips is over played and just a broad term. Usually they are referring to individual modules or small boards that are usually in the assemblies of stuff like lights. Could refer to anything with a board.

 

[RaptorWhoSaysNI]

I'm no chip expert (although I do like Utz chips I must say), but after reading up on the microchip shortages over the past several months I found that one part could use 500-1500 chips depending on the complexity of the part. I have no idea but these specific amenities may have hundreds of chips associated with them.

 

[Stan G]

I think the word chips is over played and just a broad term. Usually they are referring to individual modules or small boards that are usually in the assemblies of stuff like lights. Could refer to anything with a board.

You nailed it. People overuse the word "chip" to mean anything electronic-related. Almost every LED could be considered a "chip". Close up of LED attached.

 

[Syberspace]

It means computer chips or microchips or microprocessor... like on the board in the picture. There are many modules in the car that control things... relays are a thing of the past.
Many control modules... like Transmission, Engine, Lighting, ABS, rain sensing wipers, auto start stop, adaptive cruise, lane assist, adaptive braking, etc. Not LED's... LED's can be board integrated, but they are not a chip.

 

[FlyingBear]

Every modern vehicle has 100 or more function modules communicating with each other on an automotive network in the vehicle. Each module has multiple integrated circuits aka “chips”. A chip may be a fairly simple device to measure voltage or a complex microprocessor. Modules come from multiple manufacturers but they all adhere to industry standards to allow them to communicate on the car network.

Car makers are conservative and the chips used in their modules are often decades old and very cheap. When car makers canceled orders for modules early in the pandemic, the chip manufacturers shut down those old lines and focused on more profitable high-end modern chips like PC/tablet/phone processors. Now it’s taking time for those old chip lines to come back up to speed with little incentive given how cheap they are.

The chips in car displays and control centers may be as little as 5 years behind the times. But the chips that do the things that control centers ask them to do, like turning internal lights green, are likely from the 90s or earlier.

HTH

 

[yourfordgirl]

Help me understand the chip issue. What exactly are we talking about? Eliminating ambient lighting in cup holders, deleting the glove box light, start stop delete, etc. I find it hard to believe that there is an individual chip that Ford is installing for each of these items. It seems like these features would be controlled by a central processor controlling relays. I used to do some work in automation. I recall that as we added more features, we would need to increase the processing size and increase memory, not add individual chips. Is increasing or decreasing the capacity of a central processor what all this chip talk is about? Is it the memory chips that plug into a main board?

Legitimately trying to gain a better understanding of what's going on.

Most of the time when this is mentioned its for the braking system... it's a safety hazard to send before installed.
and for some its a commodity restraint (bedliner, bed covers, console vault, other aftermarket factory type options)

 

[JCW55110]

It is way way way more complicated than a “chip” issue.

Here is a list of some of the bigger challenges, and this is only at surface level, it goes way deeper than this list:

- Severe backlog on parts orders

- Logistics issues

- Labor shortages

- Raw material shortages (China mostly hoarding silicon and controlling markets)

- All of Ford suppliers amd the company supply product to Ford’s suppliers of the are experiencing the same issues with getting their parts out the door which only adds to Ford’s backlog and customer frustration…. Simpliy put Ford only comtrols the design and assembley. The rest is in other manufacturers buckets of responsibilty ro keep Ford moving trucks down the assembly line.

- Ford completely misread the forthcoming constraints and gave up there chip orders to computer manufacturers (for a premium). But now it is hitting them double time with an extended shortage, back log and inflation.

- All vehicle manufacturers did not expect a 20% increase in demand and that is why they were willing to give up there chip allocations

- vehicle manufacturers are develop different products which carry sifferent demands. This means they lose the ability to buy in mass. Meaning ford may sell 1 million F150’s annually, but break that down by model and the orders shrink a lot! Compare that 1 million truck figure to one computer manufacturer that sells 100 million laptops a year. This is simple economics of supply amd demand and they company that buys more gets preference. If car manufactuers shared a processing standard (which still allows for a unique user experience) this would have really helped with them being able to get parts faster.

The above is just the surface… there are multiple layers to each point that only add multiple layers of complications and frustration.

….. AND ALL I WANT IS A NEW RAPTOR DUDE!!!! ‍Geez!!!

 

[DCM]

Every modern vehicle has 100 or more function modules communicating with each other on an automotive network in the vehicle. Each module has multiple integrated circuits aka “chips”. A chip may be a fairly simple device to measure voltage or a complex microprocessor. Modules come from multiple manufacturers but they all adhere to industry standards to allow them to communicate on the car network.

Car makers are conservative and the chips used in their modules are often decades old and very cheap. When car makers canceled orders for modules early in the pandemic, the chip manufacturers shut down those old lines and focused on more profitable high-end modern chips like PC/tablet/phone processors. Now it’s taking time for those old chip lines to come back up to speed with little incentive given how cheap they are.

The chips in car displays and control centers may be as little as 5 years behind the times. But the chips that do the things that control centers ask them to do, like turning internal lights green, are likely from the 90s or earlier.

HTH

Excellent explanation. Thank you.