A new family of gate drivers from STMicroelectronics in the PowerSSO-16 package is suitable for a wide range of automotive applications, including safety, comfort and powertrain functions as well as body electronics, infotainment and driver assistance systems.
The drivers are produced using ST’s proprietary VIPower M0-9 technology, which enables a high degree of integration with small die dimensions and also ensures high current capability and high efficiency. The chip also incorporates protection features such as load current limiting, load shedding protection up to 35V and fast thermal transient limiting. Thanks to the flexible reset management, the driver’s reaction to any errors can be individually configured to best meet the requirements of the respective application. The drivers are protected from a reversed battery thanks to their self-switching capability, which limits the power dissipation on the PCB to a manageable level.
Compliance with the LV124 test plan for low-temperature cold starts enables use with large loads such as starters and ensures reliable operation even in extreme winter conditions. Thanks to their very low standby current of only a few microamperes, the drivers place a minimal load on the battery of a switched-off, unused vehicle.
The built-in diagnostic functions include high-precision, proportional load current detection, which can be used to detect malfunctions in the load, such as an interrupted connection to an LED string. It also detects overload conditions, short circuits to ground and VCC, and line interruptions to the load when switched off. All diagnostic features are available with the drivers switched on and off, so that faults can also be detected when the load is not energised.
The new series includes the five single-channel drivers VN9004AJ, VN9006AJ, VN9008AJ, VN9012AJ and VN9016AJ, the dual-channel drivers VND9008AJ, VND9012AJ, VND9016AJ, and VND9025AJ, and the four-channel versions VNQ9025AJ and VNQ9080AJ. All versions feature a PowerSSO-16 package with a space-saving footprint of 6.00 mm x 4.9 mm and a height of only 1.7 mm, and are 1:1 pin-compatible with each other. They are also compatible with the M0-7 family of the previous generation.
The products of the new VIPower M0-9 series have already gone into production and can be ordered from st.com or distributors.
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