Electronics

STMicroelectronics has launched a new generation of automotive smart switch modules VN9D30Q100F and VN9D5D20FN, which are the first driver chips on the market that add a digital current detection loop to the on-chip full digital diagnostic function. They are specially designed for the high-side connection of 12V battery-powered automotive systems. It can simplify the hardware and software design of the electronic control unit (ECU) and enhance the reliability of the system.

The new device utilizes STMicroelectronics' new generation VIPower M0-9 technology to integrate a high-efficiency 40V trench vertical MOSFET with 3.3V digital logic circuit and high-precision analog circuit in a 6mm x 6mm QFN package. Its compact size and high integration are Compared with the existing similar driver chips on the market, it can save up to 40% of the circuit board area.

VN9D30Q100F has two 33mW and two 90mW output channels; VN9D5D20FN has two 7.6mW and two 20mW output channels. Each product has up to six output channels and a 4-wire SPI interface, thereby reducing the number of I/O pins required for the microcontroller to interact with the driver chip. Both products also have a built-in pulse width modulation (PWM) generator with a resolution of 0.1%, which can provide convenient and accurate control signals at each output terminal to handle lamp dimming and other functions.

The diagnostic circuit has a continuously operating 10-bit resolution, 5% accuracy analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that can provide digital measurements of load current and case temperature, thereby eliminating the need for the ADC of the main microcontroller. The ADC task manager is synchronized with the driver's PWM engine to ensure that each output channel is automatically diagnosed within the appropriate time frame, without the intervention of the microcontroller. The new product also has two one-time programmable (OTP) inputs, which can make the car system enter a limp emergency mode when the overall function of the main MCU is out of control due to a system failure.

In addition to reducing power dissipation and circuit board design complexity to the greatest extent, and reducing hardware costs for customers, these two new products also provide a complex solution in which drive operations are not affected by applications, simplifying AUTOSAR product compliance certification, Reduce the difficulty of software development.

Samples of the VN9D30Q100F and VN9D5D20FN are now available and will be put into mass production in the second quarter of 2021.