A comparitive analysis of an MCM implementation for an automotive controller

The packaging of Chrysler powertrain electronics is becoming more challenging as the functional requirements increase. This work examines two parallel design efforts which have the same application and system requirements. One of the designs utilizes two circuit boards interconnected with a flex cable using a more conventional approach for the digital core area, while the other design relies on a single circuit board approach using a Ball Grid Array (BGA) Multi-Chip Module (MCM) to accomplish the same task. Application of the MCM technology allows additional functionality to be implemented at a cost which is more expensive than the conventional IC packaging approach but reduces overall system cost due the simplification of electronic assembly. The two approaches will be compared with respect to costs, reliability, and overall circuit complexity