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Reclocker / redriver devices extend reach with USB 3.2-compatibility

Wed, May 17, 2023

Suitable for automotive and industrial applications, Microchip’s EQCO510 and EQCO5X31 devices offer a two-channel option to engineers wishing to send high-speed data signals up to 15 meters in both directions

While the standard universal serial bus (USB) connection transfers data between two devices, the increase in electronic components in applications across the automotive, industrial and consumer industries has spurred the need for far-reaching USB cabling products. Microchip Technology announces two new reclocker / redriver devices for long range, reliable USB operations in industrial and automotive applications.

The automotive EQCO510 and industrial EQCO5X31 reclocker / redriver devices extend USB coverage up to 15 meters – rather than the standard three meters – for maximum reach and are compatible with the USB 3.2 Generation 1 SuperSpeed protocol.

The USB reclocker / redriver devices can send high-speed data signals at a rate of 5Gbits per second in both directions. The reclocking feature includes a bit-level clock data recovery (CDR) that is used to restore signal timing and prevent jitter accumulation. The redriving feature restores the levels and shape of the signal being driven into the next segment, such as a cable or PCB trace, thus compensating for signal degradation due to cable attenuation, explained Microchip.

“Our customers now have the capability to implement a fast, reliable and long-distance USB connectivity solution of up to 15 meters, extending the three meter standard by five times,” said Matthias Kaestner, corporate vice president of Microchip’s automotive infotainment systems business unit. These devices also reduce board space because of the on-chip clock and small form factor, he added.

The USB devices are equipped with EyeOpen cable compensation at the receiver to automatically adjust for frequency dependent losses in the cable and adjusting the signal strength between 0 and 24dB with 1.0dB steps. The devices also feature MarginLink signal integrity testing, which allows runtime evaluation of the integrity of the whole signal path.

The EQCO510 and EQCO5X31 ICs support shielded twisted pair and coax cables. The devices include an integrated crystal-less CDR, which reduces the need for additional components and overall board space.

Both USB devices are available in a 20-pin, 4.0mm QFN package with wettable flanks. The automotive EQCO510 complies with AEC-Q100 Grade 2 and operates in temperatures ranging from -40 to +105 degrees C.

Target applications are in automotive infotainment systems, data communication modules and real-time video systems. In industrial applications and consumer products they can be used in machine vision, gaming accessories and smart cables.

Microchip offers two evaluation boards for the EQCO5X31, which include the EVB-EQCO5X31 USB Type-C cable extender or the EVB-EQCO5X31 USB Type-C cable repeater to demonstrate use with longer cables.

http://www.microchip.com

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Hyperlux family claims to boost performance, speed and features of automotive image sensors

Thu, May 11, 2023

With a 2.1 Microm pixel size, 150dB high dynamic range (HDR) and LED flicker mitigation (LFM) across the full automotive temperature range, the onsemi Hyperlux family is claimed to provide high performance, speed and advanced features to propel the next generation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) forward. It also enables a smooth transition to Level 2+ driving automation, which requires the driver to take over only when alerted by the technology.

The Hyperlux family spans products with resolutions from 3 megapixel (MP) to 8MP and higher, catering to both sensing and viewing camera applications. With an HDR of 150dB, it claims to capture high quality images under extreme lighting conditions without sacrificing lowlight sensitivity. The LFM capability of the platform ensures that pulsed light sources do not appear to flicker and thereby avoids flicker-induced machine vision issues.

The simultaneous HDR and LFM capabilities ensure that the potential hazard can be identified in either very dark or bright scenes, critical to ADAS and in-cabin applications, said the intelligent driving sensor business unit at Desay SV. With the new Hyperlux technology, automotive OEMs and tier ones can expect proven high performance in all operating conditions to accelerate more advanced safety and convenience features, it added.

The Hyperlux product family claims to boast the industry’s lowest power consumption and smallest footprint. By using up to 30% less power and having an up to 28 per cent smaller footprint than competing devices, the automotive image sensors are claimed to deliver energy-efficient designs with the lowest system material cost. As more electronic content, including image sensors, is added to cars, the content needs to be as small as possible to fit in existing designs while not disrupting the internal and external style of the vehicle.

As vehicles become more connected and move closer to autonomy, the importance of safety and security is more critical than ever, said onsemi. It claimed its knowledge of automotive applications and trends, along with its engineering expertise in image sensing, enables its customers to develop next-generation products that bring it closer to the Vision Zero initiative, a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

Hyperlux is designed to meet the safety requirements of Automotive Safety Integrity Level D (ASIL D) systems, while integrated security gives the highest coverage to cybersecurity threats. These sensors also offer a dual output stream at differing resolutions, allowing sensing and other functions to be performed simultaneously. Designers can benefit from the flexible architecture for the use of a single camera for multiple functions, reducing design time, risk and cost.

The first two sensors of the Hyperlux product family, AR0823AT and AR0341AT, are now sampling.

Onsemi will be exhibiting at AutoSens Detroit, 9-11 May 2023.

https://www.onsemi.com

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Motor drive inverter supports 14V to 80V input DC voltage

Thu, May 11, 2023

EPC’s EPC9186 supports a wide input DC voltage ranging from 14V to 80V. The high-power capability of the EPC9186 supports applications such as electric scooters, small electric vehicles, agricultural machinery, forklifts and high-power drones.

The three-phase BLDC motor drive inverter uses the EPC2302 eGaN fet and four EPC2302 fets in parallel per switch position. It can deliver up to 200Apk maximum output current.

The EPC9186 contains all the necessary critical function circuits to support a complete motor drive inverter, including gate drivers, regulated auxiliary power rails for housekeeping supplies, voltage, and temperature sense, accurate current sense, and protection functions. The boards can be configured for multiphase DC–DC conversion and support both phase and leg shunt current sensing.

According to the company, the major benefits of a GaN-based motor drive are exhibited with this reference design, including lower distortion for lower acoustic noise, lower current ripple for reduced magnetic loss, lower torque ripple for improved precision and lower filtering for lower cost.

EPC provides full demonstration kits, which include interface boards that connect the inverter board to the controller board development tool for fast prototyping that is claimed to reduce design cycle times.

GaN-based inverters increase motor efficiency and can increase power capability without increasing size, claimed EPC. This enables motor systems that are smaller, lighter, less noisy, have more torque, more range, and greater precision for a wide range of consumer and industrial applications, it added.

The EPC9186 reference design board is priced at $900.00 and is available from Digi-Key.

Designers interested in replacing their silicon mosfets with a GaN solution can use the EPC GaN Power Bench’s cross-reference tool to find a suggested replacement based on their operating conditions.

EPC claims to be the leader in enhancement mode gallium nitride (eGaN) based power management. eGaN fets and integrated circuits are claimed to provide performance many times greater than the best silicon power mosfets in applications such as DC-DC converters, remote sensing technology (lidar), motor drives for eMobility, robotics, drones and low-cost satellites.

https://www.epc-co.com

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SiC gate driver could help extend the driving range of electric vehicles

Wed, May 10, 2023

A highly integrated, functional safety-compliant, isolated gate driver has been released by Texas Instruments (TI). The company claimed that the driver could enable engineers to design more efficient traction inverters and maximise the driving range of electric vehicles (EVs).

The UCC5880-Q1 reinforced isolated gate driver is claimed to offer features that enable EV powertrain engineers to increase power density and reduce system design complexity and cost.

According to TI, semiconductor innovations in traction inverter systems are helping to overcome critical barriers to their widespread adoption. These innovations are said to enable automakers to build safer, more efficient and more reliable silicon carbide (SiC)- and insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)-based traction inverters by designing with UCC5880-Q1, featuring real-time variable gate-drive strength, Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), advanced SiC monitoring and protection and diagnostics for functional safety.

The company said that the driver can be easily paired with other high-voltage power-conversion products, such as the UCC14141-Q1 isolated bias supply module, to improve power density and help engineers reach the high levels of traction inverter performance.

Achieving any increase in efficiency is difficult for designers, given that the majority of traction inverters already operate at 90 per cent efficiency or higher, according to TI. But by varying the gate-drive strength in real time, in steps between 20 A and 5 A, designers can improve system efficiency with the UCC5880-Q1 gate driver by as much as 2 per cent by minimising SiC switching power losses, resulting in up to seven more miles of EV driving range per battery charge, it claimed. For an EV user who charges their vehicle three times per week, that could mean more than 1,000 additional miles per year.

It is claimed that engineers can reduce components and prototype a more efficient traction inverter system by using the SiC EV Traction Inverter Reference Design. This customisable, tested design includes the UCC5880-Q1, a bias-supply power module, real-time control MCUs and high-precision sensing.

Preproduction quantities of the automotive-grade, ISO26262-compliant UCC5880-Q1 are available in a 10.5mm x 7.5-mm, 32-pin shrink small-outline package (SSOP). Pricing starts at US$5.90 in 1,000-unit quantities. Designers can purchase a UCC5880-Q1 evaluation module for US$249.

TI is exhibiting at the Power Conversion and Intelligent Motion (PCIM) Europe conference, Nuremberg, (9-11 May) at Hall 7, Booth No. 459.

https://www.TI.com

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Reclocker / redriver devices extend reach with USB 3.2-compatibility

Hyperlux family claims to boost performance, speed and features of automotive image sensors

Motor drive inverter supports 14V to 80V input DC voltage

SiC gate driver could help extend the driving range of electric vehicles

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