65% reduction in power consumption compared to existing products through optimization of power system configuration

ROHM Co., Ltd. announced that it has developed a system power IC (BD49101AEFS-M) that achieves the industry's lowest operating power for multi-functional car audio power supplies.

Recently, along with the electrification of automobiles, there is a growing demand for lower power consumption and improved fuel efficiency. Under these circumstances, there are concerns regarding increased power consumption in car infotainment devices, such as car audio systems, as the number of power systems increases due to the integration of multi-functionality features like USB and Bluetooth.

However, while conventional system power ICs for car audio are generally easy to design, they are primarily composed of inefficient linear regulators, posing challenges regarding power efficiency during application operation. Consequently, the demand for high-efficiency power ICs is increasing, with requirements such as the adoption of high-efficiency DC/DC converters in system power ICs.

Accordingly, this product utilizes ROHM’s accumulated know-how in car audio system power supplies to implement an optimal power system centered on a high-efficiency DC/DC converter. As a result, the company explained that power consumption has been reduced from 13.3W to 4.66W compared to existing products. By successfully reducing power consumption by about 65%, the lowest operating power in the industry was achieved for a system power IC for car audio.

In addition, by suppressing heat generation, it is possible to adopt a surface-mount package that does not require a heat sink, thereby realizing significant simplification of the thermal design and space saving.

Furthermore, by incorporating a USB power supply equipped with cable impedance capabilities, it integrates the system power required for car audio into a single chip, contributing to the reduction of the customer's design load.

Mass production began in August 2015 with a production capacity of 500,000 units per month (sample price 700 yen/unit: tax excluded).