Power management IC for automotive control units

A power management IC, known as the ARG82800, has been launched by Allegro MicroSystems Europe. It says the device integrates a buck or buck/boost pre-regulator, four LDOs and four floating gate drivers.

According to Allegro, the pre-regulator converts automotive battery voltages into a tightly regulated intermediate voltage complete with control, diagnostics and protections via a buck or buck/boost topology.

The output of the pre-regulator is said to supply a 3.3 or 5V selectable 350mA linear regulator, a 5V/100mA linear regulator and two 120mA protected linear regulators which track VUC output.

The independent floating gate drivers are designed to control the N-channel MOSFETs through SPI. Allegro says these MOSFETs can be configured as phase or battery isolation devices in high current motor applications.

The integrated charge pump should also enable the driver outputs to maintain the power MOSFETs in the on state over the full supply range with high phase-voltage slew rates.

Enable inputs include a logic level (ENB) and a high voltage key-switch enable (ENBAT). A disable function of the individual outputs is also accessible through a serial peripheral interface (SPI). The microprocessor can read fault status through SPI.

Diagnostic outputs from the device comprise a power-on reset output (NPOR) and a fault flag output.

Dual bandgaps, BIST and internal diagnostics are designed to enhance functional safety coverage for critical automotive applications.

The ARG82800 is supplied in a 38-lead eTSSOP package and includes an exposed power pad.