ROHM, a leading global semiconductor manufacturer, has developed the BD48HW0G-C, a reset IC*1 (voltage detector) with high accuracy and ultra-low quiescent current, for various automotive and industrial equipment applications (including vehicle engine control units and FA equipment) that require voltage monitoring of electronic circuits to ensure safety. 

In recent years, technological innovations around autonomous driving (automation) have been changing rapidly in the automotive and industrial equipment fields, and the demand for safety has been increasing. At the same time, in order to build safer systems, it is required to consider how to ensure safety (fail-safe and function-safe) in the event of a problem during the device development process. Currently, ROHM has developed more than 1,000 reset ICs, which are indispensable for voltage monitoring of electronic circuits and play an important role in ensuring device safety. With its extensive product lineup, ROHM has set an annual shipment record of 250 million units (FY 2021) in a wide range of applications in the low-voltage range. To meet the growing functional safety requirements of automotive and industrial equipment, this time ROHM has developed a new product that achieves an operating voltage of up to 40V, industry-leading voltage detection accuracy, and ultra-low quiescent current. 

The new product uses a high-voltage BiCDMOS process and incorporates ROHM's expertise in analog design technology to achieve operating voltages up to 40V and an industry-leading ±0.75% voltage detection accuracy for window-type*1 reset ICs. This enables high-precision monitoring of voltage abnormalities in a wide range of applications, and thus contributes to the construction of systems with high reliability and no waste (moderate voltage margin). 

In addition, by incorporating ROHM's own ultra-low quiescent current technology "Nano Energy™", which reduces quiescent current to a very low 500nA (0.5µA, or 1/16th of a normal product with the same functionality and accuracy), customers can use this product without worrying about the increase in power consumption when the engine stops for battery-driven automotive applications. The product is also suitable for adding voltage monitoring functions to various power supply circuits for automotive and industrial equipment that require functional safety*2 when customers adopt the product without having to worry about the increase in power consumption when the engine stops. 

Samples of the new product will be available in May 2022 (sample price 300 yen per unit, excluding tax), and mass production is scheduled to begin in October 2022 at a tentative scale of 1 million units per month. In addition, the new products are already available for sale through e-commerce platforms such as Ameya360, Sekorm and Oneyac. 

In the future, ROHM plans to expand its lineup of fixed and unidirectional*1 products that detect voltage through reset ICs equipped with Nano Energy™ technology and supporting high voltages, and to contribute to further improvements in the safety of automotive and industrial equipment. 

<New Product Details 

The new "BD48HW0G-C" is a window-type reset IC that achieves an ultra-wide operating voltage range of 1.8V to 40V and industry-leading voltage detection accuracy of ±0.75% (over the entire temperature range). In addition to operating voltages up to 40V, the detection voltage can be flexibly set with an external resistor, making it possible to detect voltage abnormalities with high accuracy over a wide voltage range from low to high. 

In addition, the ultra-low quiescent current technology "Nano Energy™" enables ultra-low quiescent current of 500nA (0.5µA), which is 1/16th of that of conventional products with the same functions and accuracy, and can be used in applications where increased power consumption is a concern. 

* Including the above products, ROHM has a product lineup of over 1,000 reset ICs. 

<Application Examples 

Automotive equipment: EV/HEV inverters, engine control units, ADAS, car navigation systems, car air conditioners 

Industrial equipment: FA equipment, measuring instruments, servo systems, various sensor systems, etc. 

Various automotive and industrial equipment applications that require voltage monitoring of electronic circuits. 

<Electronics sales information 

Sales start date: June 2022 

E-commerce platforms: Ameya360, Sekorm, Oneyac 

Other e-commerce platforms are expected to be available gradually. 

Product for sale: BD48HW0G-C 

<About Nano Energy™ 

Nano Energy™ is an ultra-low quiescent current technology realized by combining the advantages of three advanced analog technologies: "circuit design," "layout," and "process" under ROHM's vertically integrated production system. The ultra-low quiescent current technology enables quiescent currents as low as the nanoamp (nA) level at no load, extending drive times for battery-powered IoT and mobile devices, as well as contributing to the efficient operation of automotive and industrial devices where increased power consumption is not desired. 

<Terms Explained 

*1) Reset IC (voltage detector), window type 

Reset ICs are used for voltage monitoring of electronic circuits and have the function of changing the output when the threshold value (i.e., detection voltage) is exceeded, and thus have the function of ensuring system safety by cooperating with microcontrollers. Standard reset ICs can only monitor a single side (overvoltage or undervoltage) voltage, and are called "one-way" reset ICs; while window-type reset ICs can monitor both sides of the voltage, so a product can play two roles. 

*2) Functional safety 

Functional safety is "a measure to reduce risk through additional functions such as monitoring equipment and protective equipment", and is a type of safety measure (for safety reasons). Functional safety in the automotive field refers to safety protection to reduce the risk to a level that is not harmful to humans in the event of malfunction of electronic systems, etc.