Reduce Board Space, Noise, and Power Consumption in Automotive Instrument Clusters with Highly Integrated Power-Management IC (PMIC)

The MAX16993 automotive PMIC reduces space and noise in instrument clusters.

Maxim Integrated's automotive PMIC combines three high-current DC-DC converters, saving over 50% board space compared to discrete solutions.
San Jose, CA—February 18, 2014—Engineers can now design automotive clusters that are smaller, quieter, and more efficient, thanks to the MAX16993 PMIC from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM).

Automotive OEMs often limit instrument cluster module consumption to less than 100µA in standby mode. Given all the functions that the instrument cluster performs, the power supply itself must consume only a tiny portion of the power budget. Under no-load conditions, the MAX16993 is the only 3-channel solution on the market that consumes just 25µA of quiescent current. This makes the PMIC more efficient than traditional DC-DC converters, which often run on several milliamps. Additionally, because the MAX16993 integrates a high-switching-frequency controller and two output converters capable of 3A each, it saves over 50% board space compared to traditional discrete solutions. The device's 2.1MHz frequency improves AM band noise avoidance and keeps the external inductors and capacitors small. The MAX16993 is ideal for automotive instrument clusters and infotainment applications.

 
Key Advantages
• Small: integrates one high-voltage step-down controller and two 3A, low-voltage step-down converters, saving over 50% board space compared to discrete solutions.
• Efficient: consumes 25µA of quiescent current under no-load conditions, meeting OEM power demands.
• Quiet: reduces AM band noise; provides a spread-spectrum enable input to minimize radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI); includes factory-programmable synchronization I/O to allow better noise immunity.

Commentary
• “The MAX16993 offers many best-in-class features in a single chip,” said Dan Dempsey, Executive Director in the Automotive Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. “As a result, the MAX16993 is a highly efficient automotive power solution for today's instrument clusters.”
Availability and Pricing
• The MAX16993 is available in a 5mm x 5mm x 0.75mm, 32-pin TQFN-EP and a 5mm x 5mm x 0.8mm, side-wettable QFND-EP package.
• The device is AEC-Q100 qualified and operates over the -40°C to +125°C automotive temperature range.
• Pricing starts at $5.39 (1000-up, FOB USA).

To ease design, a MAX16993 evaluation kit is available. Hi-res images for the MAX16993 end application and MAX16993 block diagram are available.