New Industry Products

Toshiba Launches Automotive-Grade Low-Standby Current Regulator

February 10, 2014 by Jeff Shepard

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) today launches its TB9021FNG device—a low-standby current, low-power, high-temperature and mission-critical 5V/200mA linear regulator supporting automotive grade 5-V microcontrollers. The deployment of the TB9021FNG, with automotive grade 5-V microcontrollers, provides automobile makers with reliability, power, and cost benefits in the design of entertainment, information, safety, and driver assistance systems for the next generation of automobiles.

"Reduction of system standby power consumption becomes increasingly important as the number of electronic components in new cars increases dramatically," says Deepak Mithani, senior director of the Mixed Signal Business Unit, System LSI Group at TAEC. "Nowadays, the hundreds of electronic components required for new car features present standby power consumption challenges. Having a low-standby power regulator in the system will not only manage the power usage during normal operation, but will also help preserve battery life especially when a vehicle has not been operated for an extended period of time."

The TB9021FNG is fabricated with Toshiba's low-power consumption, fine-pitch BiCD process. This process realizes a reduction of standby current to 25 percent from the company's previous products, down to typical 30uA. The new device contributes to a reduction of external components by integrating an output power MOSFET required by high-performance automotive electronic subsystems. Additionally, the TB9021FNG offers key protections of reverse battery connection, over-temperature detection, and an over-current limiter to prevent output shorted to ground or a "current hogging" situation.

The TB9021FNG also features a watchdog function to reset the MCU power under abnormal clock signals condition. The part is rated 50V input with an operating temperature of -40 degrees Celsius to +125 degrees Celsius. The TB9021FNG is housed in a design friendly and efficient 5.0mm x 4.4mm (0.65mm pitch) HTSSOP16 package. Sample shipments are expected to begin on February 2014, with mass production scheduled to start July 2014.