Gauge Driver Precisely Controls Car Instrumentation Panels

April 1, 2001

Precise control of vehicle instrument panels such as speedometers, tachometers, fuel gauges and temperature meters is provided by the CS4122 triple air-core gauge driver. The device enables automotive engineers to design information-rich instrumentation displays at a reduced cost by combining the multiple functions in a single device. Complete with serial-to-parallel input bus interface for seamless processor-to air core control, the driver translates a 12-bit digital word provided by a microcontroller into addressable dc outputs that control three air core meters. Equipped with an on-chip SPI port, the device employs a 2-MHz clock frequency to shift input data to the appropriate D/A converter/multiplexer channel. The DAC/MUX provides an accurate tangential conversion to a dc coil voltage representing the digital data, and on-chip output buffer amplifiers deliver 70 mA of drive current to each quadrature coil. Other features include power-on reset, thermal shutdown, and self-protection against output short-circuit conditions. In a 24-lead SOIC package, the device costs $2.55 each/10K.

Sponsored Recommendations

Highly Integrated 20A Digital Power Module for High Current Applications

March 20, 2024
Renesas latest power module delivers the highest efficiency (up to 94% peak) and fast time-to-market solution in an extremely small footprint. The RRM12120 is ideal for space...

Empowering Innovation: Your Power Partner for Tomorrow's Challenges

March 20, 2024
Discover how innovation, quality, and reliability are embedded into every aspect of Renesas' power products.

Article: Meeting the challenges of power conversion in e-bikes

March 18, 2024
Managing electrical noise in a compact and lightweight vehicle is a perpetual obstacle

Power modules provide high-efficiency conversion between 400V and 800V systems for electric vehicles

March 18, 2024
Porsche, Hyundai and GMC all are converting 400 – 800V today in very different ways. Learn more about how power modules stack up to these discrete designs.

Comments

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Electronic Design, create an account today!