Tesla's Screen Saga Shows Why Automotive Grade Matters
The first time I discovered automotive grade was when I was designing my own in-car infotainment system using a HTML based interface, a few years ago. It worked really, really well for a long time. And then, summer came, I got the magic smoke from my unit. Turns out, the amplifier IC died. But, I did more research as amplifiers were actually supposed to heat up and I had cooling fans in place. What killed it wasn't the heat, but the sudden variations in temperature - Eg. when you use A/C for a while and leave your car in the hot sun. The manufacturer literally recommended to use the automotive grade version of the IC for in-car usage. Silly me.<p>In the end, I never really got to finish the project because of the rabbit hole it became.<p>But remember, I'm a hobbyist. I have an electronics background, but that's about it. To see a huge gigantic company of this size and reputation pursue this kind of mistake that has real impact on paying customers is astounding. I mean, I like Musk and the work he's doing, but this doesn't seem right (just a personal opinion). I hope the customers don't have to bear this for Tesla's mistake.