Audi/Volkswagen select austriamicrosystems' FlexRay transceiver for ECUs

UNTERPREMSTAETTEN, AUSTRIA: austriamicrosystems, a leading global designer and manufacturer of high performance analog ICs announced that Audi/Volkswagen has selected the AS8221 FlexRay transceiver for use in their Electronic Control Units (ECUs).

The AS8221 fully conforms to the FlexRay Electrical Physical Layer Specification V2.1 Rev B and is targeted for use in ECUs connected to the permanent battery supply where the transceiver manages the ECU power-up via its inhibit output pins.

The results of the required EMC validation of the AS8221 at the certified test laboratory IBEE in Zwickau/Germany showed the excellent performance during DPI (Direct Power Injection) immunity tests over the complete frequency range. High system stability enables faultless communication in the harsh automotive environment without usage of expensive measures against electromagnetic interferences.

FlexRay is an automotive network communications protocol designed to be faster and more reliable than CAN or TTP. These transceivers provide the interface between the digital logic and the copper cable transmission. With transmission rates up to 10 Mbit/s, FlexRay provides 20 times the speed of unshielded twisted copper cable used in cars today.

Key features of the AS8221 FlexRay transceiver include a high common mode range to ensure excellent EMI, an interface for Bus Guardian or supervision circuits, automatic thermal shutdown protection, integrated power management, two inhibit pins for external voltage supply control, local wake-up input and remote wake-up capability. The AS8221 supports 12 and 24 V systems with very low sleep current and supports 2.5, 3, 3.3, and 5 V microcontrollers.

“The AS8221 FlexRay transceiver is attractive to automotive manufacturers such as Audi /Volkswagen since it provides system stability through its unmatched immunity,” commented Harald Gall, Product Manager Automotive at austriamicrosystems. “We focused on minimizing the asymmetrical delay of the transceiver in order to solve one of the car makers’ key challenges of providing a stable network.”

The AS8221 is available in SSOP 20 package and has an operating temperature range of -40 to 125 °C. Pricing is less than $1.60 for 250 thousand piece quantities.