Spansion Launches First Automotive Power Management IC

Spansion Inc. (NYSE: CODE), a global leader in embedded systems solutions, announced its first automotive-grade, six-channel power management IC for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). This highly-efficient, multi-rail power management solution features solid control pins for each rail, precise voltage integrity monitors and a windowed watchdog timer to lower the system heat, complexity and solution cost for an ADAS implementation. The product family also supports the automotive safety integrity level-B (ASIL-B)(*1 )and is available for sampling now.

“This new product family expands our portfolio in automotive power supply products into the system level,” said Kiyoe Nagaya, vice president of analog marketing at Spansion. “Spansion has a rich history in providing flash memory and MCU products for ADAS and we are proud to now count power as our newest offering. This product was developed in conjunction with one of Spansion’s key automotive customers.”

Spansion’s S6BP401A series is a secondary power source IC for ADAS systems. This single-chip solution has a 6-channel power output, which includes a 4-channel DC/DC converter and 2-channel LDO. Integrating output setting impedance and phase compensation circuits internally for all channels, the S6BP401A reduces the PCB size and bill of materials, enabling a smaller, cost-effective ADAS. This series of parts is equipped with a built-in windowed watchdog timer, separate pins to turn on/off each channel and dedicated pins to monitor the power integrity of each channel. This ensures a highly reliable system, compliant with automotive safety integrity level-B (ASIL-B). Each output level is compatible with various system requirements and each voltage level is set when the product is shipped from the factory in accordance with customer specifications.

According to IHS, the worldwide revenue for ADAS chips is projected to reach $2.6 billion in 2020, more than fourfold the size of the market a decade earlier in 2010.

“Current cars are required to have advanced and sophisticated functional safety. The auto sensing system market, which includes ADAS, expects to expand four times larger by 2020 compared with 2014 with influences of newly established legislative change in the EU,” said Takahiko Komada, assistant manager of Techno Systems Research Co., Ltd.. “In order to implement ADAS into a versatile range of automobiles in the future, it is mandatory to reduce the system cost while maintaining or improving features and functional safety. Since Spansion S6BP401A integrates all channels of power supplies for ADAS system and reduces external components while maintaining high-level safety functionalities, this is one of the ideal solutions to enable such small ADAS systems.”

Spansion S6BP401A key features:

   — 6-channel PMIC: 4-channel DC/DC converter (factory preset output

       voltage), 2-channel LDO (factory preset output voltage), and phase

       compensation circuits for each channel are integrated into a 6x6mm

       single QFN40 plastic package. S6BP401A supplies all power rails for ADAS

       reducing PCB area and BOM.

   — Functional safety: S6BP401A equips individual pins to control each

       channel. It also equips these pins to control their own output voltage

       integrity for each channel. The pins and a built-in watchdog timer help

       the users to build a functionally safe system that is as safe as ASIL-B.

       In addition, S6BP401A includes multiple safeguard features.

   — Electric current provision capacity: S6BP401A is capable of supplying

       the high current required to support a high-powered SoC and DDR memory

       built into ADAS (maximum: 3A/channel).

Availability and pricing:

The Spansion S6BP401A multi-channel PMIC for ADAS is currently sampling in a 40-pin QFN package. The sample price is $13/unit.

(*?)((*))ASIL is an index stipulated by ISO26262 for automotive applications to specify a target level of risk reduction.

Resources:

   — Spansion S6BP401A datasheet:

       http://www.spansion.com/downloads/S6BP401A_DS405-00024-E.pdf

   — Spansion newsroom: http://news.spansion.com

       http://www.spansion.com/News

   — Spansion Core & Code technical magazine and blog:

       http://core.spansion.com

   — Spansion on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/spansion

   — Spansion on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spansion

   — Spanion on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/spansion

About Spansion

Spansion (NYSE: CODE) is a global leader in embedded systems solutions. Spansion’s flash memory, microcontrollers, analog and mixed-signal products drive the development of faster, intelligent, secure and energy efficient electronics. Spansion is at the heart of electronics systems, connecting, controlling, storing and powering everything from automotive electronics and industrial systems to the highly interactive and immersive consumer devices that are enriching people’s daily lives. For more information, visit http://www.spansion.com

Spansion(®), the Spansion logo, MirrorBit(®), HyperBus, HyperFlash, Traveo and combinations thereof, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Spansion LLC in the United States and other countries. Other names used are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.