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Automotive 750V EDT2 IGBTs are in a TO247PLUS package

Tue, Mar 08, 2022

IGBTs optimised for automotive discrete traction inverters have been added to Infineon’s portfolio of discrete high voltage devices for automotive applications. The EDT2 IGBTs are supplied in a TO247Plus package.

The AIKQ120N75CP2 and the AIKQ200N75CP2 IGBTs meet and exceed the industry standard AECQ101 for automotive components. As a result, the devices can significantly increase the performance and reliability of inverter systems, said Infineon. They use the automotive micro-pattern trench field stop cell design technology that has already been used in other inverter modules from the company, such as the EasyPack 2B EDT2 and the HybridPack.

EDT2 technology has a breakdown voltage of 750V, supporting battery voltages up to 470V DC. The rated currents of the discrete EDT2 IGBTs are 120 and 200A at 100 degrees C, each with a very low forward voltage, reducing conduction losses by up to 13 per cent compared to the previous generation. With a rated current of 200A, the AIKQ200N75CP2 is claimed to be the best-in-class discrete IGBT in a TO247Plus package. Thus, for a defined target power class, fewer devices are needed in parallel.

The EDT2 IGBTs also feature an extremely narrow parameter distribution. The collector-emitter saturation voltage (V ce(sat)) difference between typical and maximum values is less than 200mV and the gate threshold voltage (V GEth) difference is less than 750mV. The thermal coefficient is positive. These characteristics combine to enable easy parallel operation and power scalability for final designs. Moreover, the IGBTs offer smooth switching performance, low gate charge (Q G) and a high junction temperature (T vjop) of 175 degrees C.

The AIKQ120N75CP2 and the AIKQ200N75CP2 are available now.

https://www.infineon.com

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Stella E MCUs power software-defined EVs

Thu, Feb 24, 2022

Automotive microcontrollers (MCUs) optimised for electric vehicles (EVs) and centralised (domain and zonal) electronic architectures have been released by STMicroelectronics. According to ST, they enable EVs to become more affordable, drive further and charge faster.

In current EVs, high-efficiency silicon carbide (SiC) -based power modules enable the greatest driving range and faster charging. Until now, they have required dedicated high-speed signal processors to control the advanced SiC power semiconductors. The Stellar E MCUs launched by ST are designed for the next generation of software-defined EVs, integrate high-speed control-loop processing on-chip. A single MCU can control the entire module, says ST, simplifying module design, saving costs and easing compliance with automotive safety and security standards.

The MCUs extend ST’s Arm-based Stellar family. They are a centralised domain and zone controller which simplify automotive electrical architectures for increased power, flexibility and safety, explained ST.

The MCU family includes the Stellar P series for integration and vehicle control and the Stellar G series for body applications. The Stellar family architecture integrates multiple Arm Cortex cores that deliver high performance with the opportunity for lock-step redundancy and support real-time hardware virtualisation. All Stellar devices are designed for software upgradeability through secure over-the-air (OTA) updates.

The first product in the Stellar E series, the Stellar SR5E1 is optimised for EV on-board chargers (OBC) and general DC/DC converters, is now sampling to lead customers. Full production will begin in 2023.

The Stellar E (Stellar Electrification MCUs) series are automotive-qualified MCUs that perform the high speed, control loop processing alongside general control in the same chip.

The MCUs can control multiple power converters, leveraging features including a high speed ADC, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller and fast-acting protection circuitry.

The Stellar E series supports the leading automotive standards for functional safety (ISO 26262 ASIL-D), security (HSM -), and industry standard software interoperability (via Autosar 4.3.x), as well as secure OTA update. The Stellar family is supported with an extensive software-development toolchain with a common ecosystem for control and actuation.

http://www.st.com

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Gen 4 PCIe switches for automotives are first in market, says Microchip

Tue, Feb 22, 2022

Able to deliver low latency and low power for autonomous driving ecosystems, the Switchtec PFX, PSX and PAX Gen 4 PCIe switches are the first in the market, says Microchip. High speed, low latency connectivity for distributed, heterogenous compute systems are a fundamental element in next-generation autonomous driving applications, said the company.

The Switchtec PFX, PSX, and PAX switches provide compute interconnect capabilities for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

“Our automotive-qualified portfolio of Switchtec Gen 4 switches provides the lowest latency and high bandwidth required to link the CPU and accelerator building blocks used in ADAS applications,” said Krishna Mallampati, associate director of marketing and applications for Microchip’s data centre business unit.

Switchtec Gen 4 PCIe switches provide the high speed interconnect that supports distributed, real time, safety critical data processing in ADAS architectures. As is the case for PCIe’s adoption in the data centre market, it is emerging as the preferred compute interconnect for the automotive industry where it provides low latency and low power bandwidth scalability to CPUs and specialised accelerator devices.

The GPU and computing giant, Nvidia is using the switches in its Drive platform. “The qualification of Microchip’s solutions to meet the stringent needs of the automotive market is a significant milestone, and one Nvidia closely collaborated on,” said Michael Truog, senior director of Automotive Platform Architecture at Nvidia. “Microchip’s automotive PCIe switches deliver flexibility and advanced programmability, enabling high speed SoC and GPU connectivity within our Nvidia Drive platform,” he added.

The Switchtec automotive-qualified Gen 4 PCIe switches are available in production. Microchip’s ChipLink diagnostic graphical user interface (GUI) provides debug, diagnostics, configuration and forensics tools for rapid deployment.

Microchip Technology provides smart, connected and secure embedded control solutions. development tools and comprehensive product portfolio enable customers to create optimal designs which reduce risk while lowering total system cost and time to market. The company’s products serve customers across the industrial, automotive, consumer, aerospace and defence, communications and computing markets.

http://www.microchip.com

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Aurelion validates autonomous vehicle sensors in virtual test drives

Thu, Feb 17, 2022

High resolution visualisation in the Aurelion sensor simulation suite allows functions for autonomous driving to be tested and validated. Developed by dSpace, it can be operated either in the cloud or locally. It generates photo-realistic images in real time for camera simulation. It uses ray tracing to create an exact environment for radar and lidar simulation. Developers can use Aurelion to validate algorithms for autonomous driving by means of simulation during virtual test drives, long before a prototype hits the road, advised dSpace.

The simulation can be used throughout all phases of the development process, for example, software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, or simultaneous validation in the cloud. Aurelion supports the development of functionalities and training data based on AI, including neural network training and testing.

A powerful 3-D rendering engine, high-precision dSpace simulation models and realistic 3-D assets, such as pedestrians or vehicles, enable accurate simulation of sensors, environments, weather conditions, light conditions (day, night), and materials, said dSpace. Developers can simulate a wide range of scenarios and test corner cases that very rarely occur in real test drives.

Aurelion draws on an extensive library of sensor models that is always updated, said the company, allowing new sensors to be replicated in simulation solutions long before they are launched on the market. dSpace has entered into co-operation agreements with leading sensor manufacturers and is continuously expanding its collaboration with developers of camera, lidar, and radar technologies. There is also the option of integrating third-party sensor models.

Aurelion bundles functionalities from dSpace MotionDesk and SensorSim into one single product, and also provides extended functionalities and more precision in the field of sensor simulation. In combination with other dSpace tools, such as the ASM simulation models, the VEOS simulation platform, and ModelDesk for parameterisation, dSpace said it provides an end-to-end solution for testing and validating the autonomous vehicle stack.

dSpace provides simulation and validation solutions worldwide for developing connected, autonomous, and electrically powered vehicles. The company’s range is used by automotive manufacturers and their suppliers to test the software and hardware components in new vehicles before a new model is allowed on the road. As well as vehicle development, the company works with engineers in aerospace and industrial automation.

The company is headquartered in Paderborn, Germany and serves customers through regional dSpace companies in the USA, the UK, France, Japan, China, Croatia, and South Korea.

http://www.dspace.de

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Automotive 750V EDT2 IGBTs are in a TO247PLUS package

Stella E MCUs power software-defined EVs

Gen 4 PCIe switches for automotives are first in market, says Microchip

Aurelion validates autonomous vehicle sensors in virtual test drives

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