An automotive high-side driver that offers expanded expandability by providing a pin configuration that can be simplified during circuit design is expected to be useful in the development of automotive applications.

STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, today announced the introduction of single, dual, and four-channel automotive high-side drivers in a common PowerSSO-16 package style.

This driver provides a pin configuration that can simplify scaling circuit design, making it easy to add more driver channels.

This high-side driver can be applied to applications across the entire vehicle, from safety and convenience to powertrain, body electronics, infotainment, and driver assistance systems.

It meets the automotive industry's LV124 test conditions for deep cold cranking, enabling use in high-load systems such as engine starters and ensuring reliable operation even in extreme winter weather.

Its extremely low standby current of just a few microamps also minimizes battery drain when the vehicle is turned off and not in use.

The driver is built using ST's proprietary VIPower M0-9 technology, which not only provides high current capability and efficiency, but also A huge amount of functionality is integrated into a small die.

Built-in protection features include load current limiting, load dump protection up to 35 V, and fast thermal transient limiting.

The reset management feature gives designers the flexibility to configure driver responses to errors to best meet application requirements.

It also provides reverse battery protection with self-turn-on function when reverse voltage is applied, limiting the power loss of the PCB to a safe level.

In addition, it has diagnostic functions such as proportional load current detection that can detect load malfunctions such as LED string short-circuits.

Overload, short-to-ground, short-to-VCC, and off-state open load detection functions are also provided.

All diagnostic functions are maintained whether the driver is turned on or off, allowing fault detection even when no load is supplied.

The series consists of five single-channel drivers: VN9004AJ, VN9006AJ, VN9008AJ, VN9012AJ, and VN9016AJ.

The dual-channel drivers are VND9008AJ, VND9012AJ, VND9016AJ, and VND9025AJ. The VNQ9025AJ and VNQ9080AJ each have four channels.

All products are available in the PowerSSO-16 package, which has a space-saving footprint of only 6.00mm x 4.9mm and a height of only 1.7mm, and is pin-compatible. It is also backwards compatible with the previous generation M0-7 family.

The new VIPower M0-9 series high-side drivers are in production now and available for purchase from st.com or distributors. Typical pricing is $0.95 for the single-channel VN9008AJ in quantities of 1,000, $0.97 for the VNQ9080AJ, and $1.33 for the VN9004AJ.