New series of automotive grade LDOs from Nexperia offer high accuracy and ultra-low quiescent current

Nexperia introduced a new series of AEC-Q100 qualified general-purpose low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulators with ultra-low quiescent current. This new series includes tracking LDOs with high tracking accuracy and protected outputs, capable of direct connection to vehicle batteries thanks to their wide input voltage tolerance. These LDOs are thermally enhanced and can generate a stable voltage source under cold-crank conditions for ripple-sensitive loads in automotive applications including infotainment systems, ADAS as well as telematics, and lighting systems. The tracking LDO’s outstanding output protection enables their use in body control modules, zone controller units and power train systems, even in scenarios involving off-board loads such as sensors. Beyond automotive applications, these LDOs are well-suited for industrial applications, including power tools, e-bikes and battery packs.

In battery-powered automotive applications, low quiescent current (Iq) and shut-down current (Ishut) are critical for saving energy and extending battery lifetime. Always-on systems require ultra-low Iq and stable output cross temperature range. In CAN-wake systems and some systems with sleep state, ultra-low Ishut is essential to minimize battery drain even in deep-sleep (disable) mode. Consuming only 5.3μA (typical) quiescent current at light load and 300nA (typical) shut-down current under disabled mode, these LDOs are ideal for powering always-on components like microcontrollers (MCUs), controller area network (CAN) or local interconnect network (LIN) transceivers in standby and CAN-wake systems (more info).