In recent years, the automotive, industrial, and AI data center markets have been experiencing a growing need to improve energy efficiency while enhancing the performance and functionality of end applications due to increasing power demand and stringent environmental regulations. In addition, as low-power devices such as medical wearables become more sophisticated, they require higher levels of intelligence and efficiency to improve personal care and reduce device costs. This has created a need for integrated, advanced power and sensing solutions that increase intelligence and energy efficiency across the entire power spectrum.

ONSemi, an intelligent power and sensing technology company, recently unveiled the Treo Platform. Built on a cutting-edge 65nm node with Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process technology, the analog mixed-signal platform provides the foundation for power and sensing solutions including high-performance, low-power sensing, high-efficiency power management, and specialized communication devices.

For automotive applications, Onsemi explains that high-performance ultrasonic sensors can detect objects closer to the vehicle than traditional parking assistance applications by doubling the accuracy, while enhanced parking assistance systems provide overall safety by helping drivers avoid collisions and more effectively avoid obstacles when parking.

In healthcare, ultra-low-power analog front ends (AFEs) for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices can measure currents as small as nanoamperes (nA) more accurately. This precision is critical for detecting the tiny signals generated by blood glucose sensors to determine accurate blood glucose levels.

Additionally, by integrating multiple functions into a single compact chip, the required footprint can be reduced by half and battery life can be extended by several weeks. In other words, all CGM devices can have a smaller form factor, be more comfortable to wear, and need to be replaced less frequently, contributing to lower healthcare costs.

For data centers, the Treo platform is expected to contribute to improved power efficiency for GPUs and CPUs by implementing a more compact OnSemi smart power stage, which will reduce cooling requirements and significantly save energy, thereby reducing operating costs and supporting a sustainable environmental footprint.

The Treo platform features a modular SoC-like architecture with powerful IP building blocks that comprise compute, power management, sensing, and communications subsystems. Built on a 65nm process node, the Treo platform delivers advanced digital processing capabilities and analog IP performance.

These capabilities enable the platform to provide local intelligence and compute for flexible configurations, and significantly improve performance and accuracy in end applications. Supporting a wide voltage range of 1 to 90 V and an operating temperature of up to 175°C, it supports integration from low power to high power functions.

The initial family of products built on the Treo platform, including voltage converters, ultra-low power AFEs, LDOs, ultrasonic sensors, multi-phase controllers and single pair Ethernet controllers, are currently sampling. By 2025, ON Semiconductor plans to offer a broader family of products that add system-level value, including high-performance sensors, DC-DC converters, automotive LED drivers, electrical safety ICs and connectivity.