Date: 31/01/2012

IC for car door actuation eliminates relay requirement

STMicroelectronics has introduced what it claims as the market's first multi-functional door-zone driver with an integrated electric-window control.

ST says equipment manufacturers use relays to drive the electric-window motors. ST's newest door actuator driver redefines the established system topology, removing the need for mechanical relays in car-window control, this also results in less noise. ST's new door-zone driver supports adjustable window speeds related to the position of the window - soft start and shutdown.

ST's L99DZ80 embeds an SPI-programmable slew-rate1 control IP that can drive 4 external MOSFETs in a half-bridge configuration dedicated to PWM (Pulse Width Mode)-driven electric-window applications. Other features include six bridges for double door-lock control, mirror fold, and mirror-axis control, together with a high-side driver for mirror defroster, bulbs and LEDs. The device also integrates a control block with an external MOS transistor for charging and discharging of electrochromic (dimmable) mirror glasses.

ST claims it is the world's largest supplier of car-door electronics, with more than 100 million door-actuator devices shipped over the past ten years.

The L99DZ80 is available in volumes.