Fully Integrated PMIC plus for 4x High Side Gate Drivers for Safety-Related Systems

The ARG82801 and ARG82801-1 are power management ICs designed to supply power for microprocessors, sensors, and CAN transceivers and ideal for under-hood applications. The devices integrate a buck or buck/boost pre-regulator, four LDO outputs, and four floating gate drivers. The pre-regulator uses a buck or buck/boost topology to efficiently convert automotive battery voltages into a tightly regulated intermediate voltage of 5.35V, which in turn supplies the four LDO outputs.

The independent floating gate drivers have the capability of controlling N-channel MOSFETs through SPI. These MOSFETs can be configured as phase or battery isolation devices in high current motor applications. An integrated charge pump allows 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 to the devices include a logic level (ENB) and a high voltage (ENBAT). The devices also provide flexibility with disable function of the individual output rails through a serial peripheral interface (SPI).

Diagnostic outputs include a power-onreset output (NPOR) and a fault flag output (FFn) to alert the microprocessor that a fault has occurred. The microprocessor can read fault status through SPI. Dual bandgaps, one for regulation and one for fault checking, improve safety coverage and fault detection of the ARG82801.

The ARG82801 and ARG82801-1 contain two types of watchdog functions: Q&A and Window Watchdog timer. The watchdog timer is activated once it receives a valid SPI command from a processor. The watchdog can be put into flash mode or be reset via secure SPI commands.

(Compared to ARG82801, the ARG82801-1 removes the 2ms NPOR toggle from all watchdog faults. Watchdog faults will only cause POE signal to change state.)

The devices are supplied in a low-profile (1.2 mm maximum height) 38-lead eTSSOP package (suffix “LV”) with exposed power pad.

ARG82801 and ARG82801-1 were developed in accordance with ISO 26262:2011 as a hardware safety element out of context with ASIL D capability (pending assessment) for use in automotive safety-related systems when integrated and used in the manner prescribed in the applicable safety manual and datasheet.