Stmicroelectronics releases highly integrated intelligent high edge drive for vehicles

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

     The new device utilizes STmicro's new generation VIPower* M0-9 technology to integrate an efficient 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 save up to 40% of board area over similar drive chips currently on the market.

     VN9D30Q100F has two 33 mW and two 90 mW output channels; VN9D5D20FN Two 7.6 mW and two 20 mW output channels. Each product has up to six output channels and a 4-wire SPI interface, thus reducing the number of I/O pins required for the microcontroller to interact with the driver chip. The two 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 process functions such as lamp dimming.

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

 
     In addition to reducing the power dissipation and the complexity of circuit board design to a greater extent, and reducing the hardware cost for customers, these two new products also provide a complex solution for driving operations that are not affected by applications, simplifying the compliance certification of AUTOSAR products, and reducing the difficulty of software development.