MCU market moves to 32bit
The 32bit mcu market is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years due to increasing demand for higher levels of precision in embedded processing.
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IC Insights estimates that complex 32bit mcus will account for more than 25% of the processing power in vehicles. Indeed, the automotive electronics market is cited as the main catalyst for the move to 32bit.
The mcu market as a whole has gone through a period of uncertainty since 2009, when it saw its worst ever annual sales decline of 22% to $11.1billion.
After shipments climbed to a new record high of 17.3bn in 2012, IC Insights believes the industry is now on track to return to 'normalcy' over the next few years.
This year, sales are forecast to rise 2% to reach £15.5bn, with unit shipments growing 10% to nearly 19.1bn (a new record high).