TOYOTA Industry has selected STMicroelectronics’ microcontrollers and power semiconductors for the DC-to-DC voltage converter in the new Prius automobile.
According to the companies, the integration of the 32-bit automotive microcontrollers and power MOSFETS with Toyota’s software will enable highly efficient voltage conversion and low heat dissipation, while helping miniaturise the power control unit.
The DC-DC converter underlies the power control unit, the heart of a hybrid electric vehicle, along with the inverter and the variable-voltage system. It controls the voltage reduction of the current generated from the battery or the generator which is used by the vehicle’s 14V subsystems, such as the car radio, lighting and wipers.
The automotive-grade microcontrollers provided by STMicroelectronics are based on the new PowerPC architecture, and manufactured using ST’s proprietary in-house embedded-Flash technology.
Spanning breakdown voltages from 500V to 1500V, ST’s Power MOSFETs combine low gate charge and low on-resistance with state-of-the-art packaging to deliver highly-efficient power-handling capability.
According to Toyota, the ST-powered DC-DC converter developed by TICO for the new, fourth-generation Prius establishes a new benchmark in efficiency and technology features.