High-speed Transceiver Ideal for Automotive Bus Systems, Safety-Critical Applications, X-by-Wire Systems, and Time-Triggered Bus Systems
DETROIT – October 18, 2004 – austriamicrosystems introduces a transceiver for high bandwidth communication covering FlexRay and TTP (time-triggered protocol) standards. The AS8221 high-speed automotive bus transceiver is cost-optimized and provides various bus and failure diagnostics, making it optimal for high-speed automotive bus systems, safety-critical applications, X-by-wire systems and time-triggered bus systems. FlexRay is an open, common, scalable electronic architecture for automotive communication applications developed by a consortium of automobile and semiconductor manufacturers founded in 2000. austriamicrosystems has joined the FlexRay consortium as associate member in 2004 to continue its pioneering role in time-triggered bus-systems.
The AS8221 supports high-speed, fault-tolerant time-triggered applications, operating as the interface between a FlexRay or TTP communication controller and the copper-wire physical bus. The output drivers are short-circuit protected against the positive and negative supply voltage. The AS8221 operates at baud rates of up to 10 Mbit/sec and its bi-directional serial host interface is used to set the various low-power operation modes and to request the diagnostic status.The AS8221 transmitter part contains the high-side driver and the low-side driver for the PLUS bus line and the MINUS bus line. A symmetrical transient control of the driver pairs provides a well-balanced transmission of digital signals.
A thermal sensor circuit detects over-temperature and can thereafter shut down the drivers into a high-impedance state. This option can be disabled by a serial host interface. The bus monitor supervises different fault conditions on the bus and can be digitally read out by the serial host interface. “The availability of an automotive-qualified transceiver for high bandwidth networking or for time-triggered solutions is a major advantage for automotive engineers,” said Franz Faschinger, head of the Automotive business unit at austriamicrosystems.
“The bus and failure diagnostics, low-current standby operation, automatic thermal shutdown protection and other key features make it ideal for numerous applications.”Other key features of the AS8221 include a bus guardian interface, protection against damage due to short-circuit conditions (positive and negative battery voltage), and an operating ambient temperature range of –40°C to +125°C. The AS8221 is available at prices starting from US$1.25 for one hundred thousand units.
About austriamicrosystems
austriamicrosystems AG is a leading designer and manufacturer of highly integrated analog intensive mixed signal ICs. austriamicrosystems combines more than 20 years of design capabilities, product and marketing know-how with its own cutting edge analog manufacturing and test facilities. Operating worldwide with more than 800 employees, austriamicrosystems serves four strategic markets: Communications, Industry & Medical, Automotive and Full-Service Foundry. austriamicrosystems AG is listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (ticker symbol: AMS).
For more information, please visit the web site at www.austriamicrosystems.com .