Freescale Semiconductor said that it is bringing enhanced load control capability to designers of automotive driver instrumentation, body control modules and other in-vehicle electronics applications. The company’s family of advanced MC338xx and MC3399x octal serial switch integrated circuits (ICs) is designed to manage control of multiple high-side loads, reduce board space and enhance automotive electronics system reliability.
Arman Naghavi, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s analog, mixed-signal and power division, said, "Freescale’s octal serial switch family is taking automotive power distribution to a new level of versatility. As the need to control multiple DC loads grows increasingly common, the ability to configure multiple outputs quickly and efficiently has become a sought-after feature. Our serial switch family, with up to 16 outputs and advanced self-configuration capabilities, effectively addresses this technical challenge.”
Freescale claims that it’s MC338xx and MC3399x devices reduce the number of necessary components and simplify body electronics designs, providing flexibility, load protection, and weight and size savings. Interior lighting control application solutions have typically employed multiple load-carrying switches (one switch for each lamp) or use discrete semiconductor power devices to power each lamp. Another common body application, power door locks, uses multiple electrical power door lock solenoids (one for each passenger door).
Freescale Semiconductor
