Power PROFET™ enables next-generation distributed power architecture replacing high-current relays and fuses

Infineon Technologies (Korea CEO Seung-soo Lee) announced the launch of Power PROFET™, a family of smart high-side switches with very low resistance, to meet the demand for decentralized, intelligent, and cost-effective automotive power network architectures.

These switch products, which include protection features, offer the industry's lowest on-resistance and highest energy capacity. They can replace electromechanical relays and fuses in power distribution systems or junction boxes up to 40A DC.

Today's automotive power architectures are constrained by the limitations of relays and fuses. Electromechanical relays and fuses are bulky, require frequent replacement, and have somewhat limited functionality. For example, their switching cycle capability is only about 200,000 cycles. Using Power PROFET switches not only solves these problems but also offers many advantages.

Power PROFET switches are capable of over 1,000,000 switching cycles. Additionally, a single device can replace multiple components used in existing systems, such as relays, fuses, relay drivers, cables, and connectors. This allows for installation in new locations, enabling the implementation of next-generation distributed power architectures.

The Power PROFET switch has an on-resistance as low as 1.0 mΩ and is designed to drive high-current applications. Examples of such applications include electronic control units (ECUs), auxiliary power outlets, PTC heaters, and rear window heaters. Additionally, these switches are suitable for applications requiring high switching cycles and high energy, such as starter relays in start/stop systems and electric brake vacuum pumps. Power PROFET switches enhance automotive system reliability by providing protection and diagnostic functions, such as short-circuit and overheating protection.

Using Power PROFET switches can reduce power loss by up to seven times, thereby increasing energy efficiency. They consume less than 2W while conducting 30A DC and enable additional power management through the integration of current detection and PWM functions. Furthermore, Power PROFET switches provide a new dimension of energy handling capacity, reaching up to 3,000mJ with a single pulse and 550mJ with repetitive pulses. Consequently, system costs can be lowered as most applications do not require a freewheeling current recirculation path.

Furthermore, these switch products have achieved an A rating according to AEC-Q100 by providing excellent protection performance of over 1,000,000 short-circuit cycles. In the event of a single overcurrent event, a restart strategy via a software reset can be employed, eliminating the need to repair or replace the component. At the system level, Power PROFET switches can be used to configure a more suitable system size.

In addition, the length of many wires can be reduced or eliminated, significantly simplifying the wire harness architecture. This allows the cost of the power distribution system, including the wire harness, to be lowered to 6 to 9 euros. This is because Power PROFETs can be effectively implemented, and it also simplifies the automotive manufacturing process.