STMicroelectronics Develops Integrated Power Management Chip for Automotive Multimedia Networking

(Product News, 11 Mar 2008)

STMicroelectronics has launched what is said to be the industry's first integrated power-management solution for MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) networks. Optimized for in-car multimedia and infotainment applications, the MOST network, originally developed for the automotive industry, also has a wide range of applications in many other industries. MOST technology primarily allows for a range of multimedia devices, such as CD or DVD players, car radios, and personal navigation devices, to be added into the car environment with minimal effort.

The new L5961 power management IC, which has been designed in cooperation with fabless semiconductor manufacturer SMSC, includes both the power supply and MOST-compliant power-management control logic, together with enhanced diagnostic and full system monitoring (power supply, network status, wake-up events, temperature).

A chipset combining the L5961 power-management IC and and SMSC network processor can serve as a building block in any MOST network node, and provides significantly more independence from the individual applications that are connected to the network, in terms of turn-on/off timing and device failure, for example. Additionally, the combined chipset, once validated, can be placed in any MOST application without having to be redesigned and revalidated each time.

ST's integration of both the power-management control logic and power supply within the L5961 provides several key advantages for automotive OEMs, including significant PCB space savings, lower cost, lower cost of ownership and lower stand-by-mode power consumption, helping to meet specifications recently issued by many leading car manufacturers. In particular, the device features multiple power modes, including an Ultra-Zero Power Mode that offers a typical quiescent current of only 5µA, a considerably lower value than that achieved with discrete components.

Other features of the L5961 include: an integrated 5V or 3.3V, 650mA DC/DC converter; two voltage regulators to supply power to the fiber-optic transmitter and fiber-optic receiver; a diagnostic transceiver for the network physical layer; and the integration of three battery detectors for voltage monitoring, which are currently stand-alone functions in discrete component solutions.

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