ON Semiconductor’s new devices address challenging automotive applications

New Delhi, November 15, 2012: ON Semiconductor has announced the launch of several new product families specifically designed for the rapidly evolving automotive market in which electronic content continues to increase to enable advanced features in fuel economy, safety, infotainment and in-vehicle communications.

The automotive end market is a key focus area that ON Semiconductor addresses with its comprehensive portfolio of robust, AEC-qualified products ranging from discrete devices to complex mixed signal ASICs and ASSPs for in-vehicle communications, powertrain, body, active safety, advanced lighting and infotainment applications. In support of the company’s commitment to its worldwide automotive customers, the company recently joined the OPEN Alliance SIG which seeks to address industry requirements for improving in-vehicle safety, comfort and infotainment, while significantly reducing network complexity and cabling costs.

At the recent Electronica 2012 expo, ON Semiconductor announced two new driver integrated circuits (ICs) and two new system basis chips (SBC) that address applications in areas such as automotive body control, engine control, interior lighting and DC motor management for heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The NCV7718 hex half-bridge driver can be operated in forward, reverse, brake and high impedance states. The new device incorporates a comprehensive range of built-in protection features as well as both high-side and low-side drivers. Control is achieved via a 16-bit serial peripheral interface (SPI) and a low quiescent current sleep mode helps address automotive demands for low power usage and high efficiency. The driver is daisy chain compatible with multiples of 8-bit devices.

The NCV7240 meanwhile, is an eight channel low-side driver delivering up to 600 milliamps (mA) drive capability per channel to provide control of power distribution to relays, LEDs and unipolar stepper motors in automotive applications. Each output driver is protected for overload current and includes a clamp for inductive loads. Output control is via a SPI port and other key features of the small footprint SSOP24 packaged low power device include parallel input pins, a ‘limp-home’ mode and low quiescent current in both sleep and standby modes that minimises demand on the car battery.

The NCV7471 SBC with dual LIN, high-speed CAN and a 500 mA boost-buck DC-DC controller provides and monitors low-voltage power suppliers and monitors the application software and via a watchdog. The CAN and LIN transceivers allow the electronic control unit (ECU) to host multiple communication nodes or to act as a gateway unit while an on-chip state controller ensures safe power-up sequence and supports low-power modes.

The NCV7430 SBC is a LIN-based single chip driver for dedicated multicolor LED applications in interior ambient lighting. The RGB driver includes three independent LED current regulators and a LIN interface for parametric programming of LED colour and intensity. Depending on customer requirements, the application schematic can contain extensions for current boosting, temperature compensation, dissipation balancing or auto-addressing via a LIN switch method. In a typical manufacturing flow, the NCV7430 is assembled on a board together with an RGB LED chip. The boards can be calibrated to compensate for the processing spread of the LEDs. To allow a distinction between different nodes, an address can be assigned to the nodes, either via pre-programming or auto-addressing.

The newest USB positive overvoltage protection controllers, the NCV380 and NCV360, prevent over-voltage and over-current damage to automotive infotainment systems caused by external devices plugged into USB ports. The devices instantaneously disconnect systems at their output when incorrect VBUS operating conditions are detected at the input; overvoltage protection of up to +20 volt (V) is provided. An integrated PMOS FET means no external devices are necessary helping to reduce system cost, bill of materials and the PCB area required to achieve a solution.

Similarly, the EMI2121 common mode filter with integrated electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is optimised to provide protection for in-vehicle USB 2.0 connectivity applications which are becoming increasingly common in automotive infotainment systems.

Finally, the company showcased its comprehensive range of MOSFETs that provide a cost-effective solution in a wide range of automotive applications such as engine, chassis and body control, infotainment, and more safety critical areas of the vehicle such as antilock braking systems.