Devices in the S6BP20x series use a one-channel, buck-boost DC/DC converter to enable ECUs (electronic control units) to safely manage extreme battery voltage fluctuations. The PMICs use only one tiny ceramic capacitor instead of the two bulky, expensive electrolytic capacitors required by legacy PMICs, says the company.

Another series, the S6BP50x is for automotive instrument cluster systems. The three-channel output PMICs integrate a buck controller, a buck converter and a boost converter, and a spread spectrum clock generator in a single chip. Both complement the company’s secondary power source S6BP40x series, as well as its Traveo 32bit ARM Cortex-R5 core based automotive microcontrollers. The PMICs carry AEC-Q100 automotive qualification.

The ECUs of today’s vehicles must be small, low power and able to support system safety functions under all operating conditions, including during cold-cranking. The S6BP20x PMICs require only nine external components, providing a small PCB layout and reducing the system’s bill of materials. They consume only 20µA of quiescent current to extend battery life and they have an input voltage range of 2.5 to 42V.

The new S6BP20x and S6BP50x are currently sampling, with production expected in the first half of 2016. The S6BP20x PMICs are available in a 16pin HTSSOP and include the S6BP201A with an output current of 1.0A and a 5.0 to 5.2V output voltage range and is for body control modules; the S6BP202A with an output current of 2.4A and a 5.0 to 5.2V output voltage range and is for instrument clusters and ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and the S6BP203A with an output current of 2.4A and a 3.3V output voltage; suitable for high-end ADAS.

The S6BP50x PMICs are available in a 32pin, side-wettable QFN package. The series consists of the S6BP501A with a maximum output current of 1.4A at 1.0 to 1.3V output voltage, 1.6A at 3.2 to 3.4V output voltage and 1.3A at 5.0 to 5.2V output voltage. It is optimised for low-end hybrid instrument cluster systems with Traveo microcontrollers. There is also the S6BP502A with a maximum output current of 2.0A at 1.0 to 1.3V output voltage, 1.9A at 3.2 to 3.4V output voltage and 1.3A at 5.0 to 5.2V output voltage. It is optimised for mid-range hybrid instrument cluster systems with the Traveo family.