By Dave Bell, CEO, Intersil Corporation

The automotive markets have become very creative in their application of innovative electronics technology.  Every year the number of ICs per vehicle moves steadily higher. And the development of hybrid and full electric vehicles requires plenty of support and innovation from semiconductor leaders.

One of the critical items in these automotive systems is power management.

In most automotive applications, the main vehicle power supply comes directly from the 12V car battery. At engine start, the battery voltage may drop as low as 3V, a condition known as “cold crank”.  Electronics connected to the car battery require protection to survive voltage transients and, in many cases, to operate normally during cold crank.  Intersil’s ISL78200 represents an automotive DC-DC power supply that is fully specified to input voltages below 3V. 

Systems designed to monitor the battery cells in hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles must survive plugging in or removing from a live power supply to the battery pack as well as transient voltages which may exceed 100V -- all from a supply system capable of sourcing tens of kilowatts.  As the automotive industry continues its move toward better hybrids and more electric vehicles, this monitoring requirement becomes increasingly important.

There also are many types of ICs now proven in demanding industrial and high performance computing applications that can be adapted for auto systems, such as linear regulators, power supply support ICs, isolated power converters and current measurement ICs.   The ISL78220 multi-phase boost controller is a good example.  Based on advanced PC power technology, the ISL78220 provides a 6-phase boost function that is well suited for stop-start systems and for supplying power in high power audio applications. 

In addition to power issues, automakers also focus diligently on cost.  Adapting proven consumer electronics technology used in video and audio systems to the peculiarities of the vehicle environment is a solid approach to delivering the cost-efficiencies the car makers and their tier-one suppliers demand.

For example, the auto environment needs robust video and control data transport, using devices that convert wide parallel video data to a single differential pair, then convert it back to its original parallel format.  The process must be achieved cost-effectively with complete noise immunity and high EMI immunity at speeds well in excess of 1.2 Gigabits/second. The best answer -- video distribution SERDES (serialization-deserialization) technology, originally developed for commercial grade applications, and now adapted for the vehicle. 

Another IC technology proven in consumer electronics and able to deliver cost-efficient, high quality video is a highly integrated LCD controller for dual-view LCD panels in front console and rear-seat automotive infotainment systems. Developed by Techwell, Inc., which Intersil acquired in 2010, these controllers already display video in main consoles and headrests for most of the major automotive suppliers.  The video decoders can accept graphic content from a variety of sources such as TV tuners, DVD players, backup cameras, DTV/DMB receivers and navigation/GPS receivers.

For LCD displays used in the automotive infotainment system, Intersil’s ISL78100 is an excellent fit as the backlight driver IC and is optimized for 3.5” to 9” LCD panels. The ISL78100 is a high-power LED backlight driver with an integrated 3A/36V FET designed to drive up to 8 high-power LEDs in series.

Advanced audio system technology is also being applied in vehicle systems, as automakers differentiate themselves with specific A/V features.  They require higher power levels and higher quality audio capabilities to serve the car’s very unique and harsh operating environment.  Intersil’s D2Audio group is a leader in advanced audio, with scalable Class-D power solutions and a flexible, digital feedback process that optimizes amplifier response and fits well with the power and sound requirements of the vehicle. 

Intersil has broadened its portfolio of ICs designed for these innovative applications and completed the TS16949 compliance process. The company’s long and successful experience in the military and aerospace markets – with their zero-defects requirements – also is applicable to the vehicle sector.  We are working hard to combine high reliability with cost-efficiency and deliver the power, video and audio that characterizes the newest, most innovative vehicles.  

www.intersil.com