STMicroelectronics has developed a power-management IC for car body applications. The device addresses the carmakers’ challenge to reduce the stand-by current consumption (quiescent current) at a time when the number of power-consuming products in the car continues to increase. Minimising quiescent current consumption in today’s automotive electronic modules is critical for preserving the energy stored in the car battery. ST’s L99PM62XP advanced power-management IC provides a dedicated regulator with optimised dynamic behaviour enabling periodic system activation to monitor configurable wake-up sources, coupled with diagnostic and system-status features.
The device also integrates fail-safe functionality to improve the sustainability and reliability of automotive electronic control units. The intrinsic fail-safe concept, including supervision of the microcontroller, supply voltages, and temperatures, prevents the system from locking up under known failure conditions. The L99PM62XP offers compatibility with both LIN (Local Interconnect Network) and High-Speed CAN (Controller Area Network) automotive communication protocols for increased performance and versatility. The IC targets microcontroller-based automotive applications such as door modules, body control units, and mechatronic subsystems.