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Press, 8 February 1986, Page 21

A new generation of small, robust and indestructible electronic components has begun to makes its presence felt in cars, as well as in many industrial machines and plants. “Smart Sipmos,” just unveiled by the West German firm, Siemens, switch high electrical energy and tension, integrate logical functions and, according to the company, are practically beyond destruction.

Conventional electronics were not up to switching a windshield wiper or a cooling ventila-

tor. "Chips” are not normally strong enough to handle the electricity involved, and more robust high-performance electronics components either need too much power for switching, cost too much, or are not reliably able to withstand overloading. The electro-mechanical relay has remained the best-proven switching element in car making for some decades, with the disadvantage that more and more wiring has become necessary with the increase in the number of electrical drive elements.

An electronic switching concept for automobiles could make automotive electrics more simple and less fault-prone in the future. A key feature of the new Siemens components is the integrated safeguard against overloading, short-circuits and overheating which cause automatic cut-off. The first component from this new electronic "family” — which will go into series production in 1987 — functions between six and 50 volts and can cope with a maximum of 12 amperes.