ROHM’s New PMICs for Camera Modules in Next-Gen Vehicles: Compliant with the ISO 26262 Functional Safety Standard
Provides anomaly detection notification mechanisms in the industry’s smallest form factor

 

BD868xxMUF-C Series

ROHM has recently announced the availability of ISO 26262 and ASIL-B compliant PMICs, BD868xxMUF-C (BD868C0MUF-C, BD868D0MUF-C) for automotive camera modules that are increasingly being adopted in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems).

The continuing evolution of ADAS in recent years has increased the number of onboard cameras. At the same time, introducing the concept of functional safety is taking on greater importance, as the failure of even one camera can lead to a serious accident, making it imperative for manufacturers of cars and vehicle components – including semiconductor suppliers – to comply with the international safety standard ISO 26262.

In 2018, ROHM successfully achieved ISO 26262 Development Process certification from German certification body TÜV Rheinland, and in 2021 launched the brand ‘ComfySILTM to contribute to the safety, security, and comfort of users and systems through products that support functional safety. As part of the ComfySILTM series, these ICs are ‘FS (Functional safety) process compliant’ products (the highest grade), indicating compliance with the ISO 26262 standard.

BD868xxMUF-C Overview and Mounting Area Comparison

Meeting the strict requirements for functional safety allows these latest products to facilitate safety design in next-generation vehicles equipped with ADAS. Moreover, the 4 power supply systems (3 DC/DC + 1 LDO) necessary for automotive cameras are integrated into a 3.5mm × 3.5mm package, achieve the industry's smallest size in comparable camera PMICs. They are equipped with an anomaly status notification mechanism such as abnormal voltage detection and feedback via I2C. This reduces the number of components by 3 compared to former solutions, which results into a 25% smaller mounting area compared to conventional solutions and contributes to smaller vehicle cameras. (The above 25% is just an example, further miniaturization is possible by optimizing for individual applications.) At the same time, a wide range of output voltage and sequence control settings can be configured to meet the varying requirements of CMOS image sensors from different manufacturers, simplifying development considerably.

Product Lineup

In addition to the four models (BD868A0MUF-C, BD868B0MUF-C, BD868C0MUF-C, BD868D0MUF-C) that comply with both ISO 26262 and ASIL-B, the lineup will include the non-ISO 26262-compliant BD868C1MUF-C for users that do not require ASIL compliance. Also, Rohm can offer the products based on customer setup requirements like output voltages, voltage tolerances, sequencing and functional safety requirements.

Part No.Supply Voltage(V)Oscillation Frequency(MHz)Operating Temperature(°C)Output Voltage Accuracy(%)ParameterDC/DC OutputLDO OutputFunctionsISO 26262 Compliant
DC/DC1DC/DC2DC/DC3LDOProtection FunctionsSpread Spectrum Function
☆BD868A0MUF-C4 to 182.25-40 to +1252Output Voltage(Typ.)(V)3.71.11.83.3
Output Current(Max.)(A)2.01.21.00.3
☆BD868B0MUF-C*1Output Voltage(Typ.)(V)3.71.11.83.3
Output Current(Max.)(A)2.01.20.40.3
BD868C0MUF-C*2Output Voltage(Typ.)(V)3.31.21.82.8
Output Current(Max.)(A)2.01.21.00.3
☆BD868C1MUF-COutput Voltage(Typ.)(V)3.81.11.83.3
Output Current(Max.)(A)2.01.21.00.3
BD868D0MUF-C*2Output Voltage(Typ.)(V)3.31.21.82.8
Output Current(Max.)(A)2.01.21.00.3
  • *1: The BD868B0MUF-C can output a driver signal for camera module heaters when used in cold climates
  • *2: The BD868C0MUF-C and BD868D0MUF-C have the same specifications but different sequence control settings
  • ☆: Under Development

Availability

April 2022 (samples), August 2022 (in mass production)
Derivative models (BD868A0MUF-C, BD868B0MUF-C, BD868C1MUF-C) are also scheduled to be released in succession.

Application Examples

Rear view/perimeter cameras, drive recorders, driver monitoring systems, etc.

About the ComfySILTM Brand

ROHM launched the ComfySILTM brand for customers involved in the design of functional safety to use products that support SIL (Safety Integrity Level) in a ‘Comfy’ (comfortable) manner, and for social systems' greater safety, security, and convenience to which ROHM can contribute through its products.
ComfySILTM is awarded to products that conform to the ComfySILTM concept for functional safety in the industrial equipment and automotive markets.

Dedicated ComfySILTM site: https://www.rohm.com/functional-safety

comfySIL

*ComfySILTM is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd.

Terminology

ISO 26262 / ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level)
ISO 26262 is an international functional safety standard for vehicle electronic controls officially published in November 2011.
It standardizes the development process for achieving functional safety, in which the risk of failure is calculated for onboard electronic controls and a mechanism for reducing this risk incorporated into the system as a function in advance. The entire vehicle development life cycle is covered, from vehicle conception to systems, ECUs, embedded software, device development and their production, maintenance, and disposal.
ASIL is a four-level risk classification system defined in ISO 26262. The higher the risk level, the higher the requirement for functional safety.

PMIC (Power Management IC)
An IC that contains multiple power supply systems and functions for power management and sequence control on a single chip. It is becoming more commonplace in applications with multiple power supply systems in both the automotive and consumer sectors by significantly reducing space and development load vs conventional circuit configurations using individual components (i.e. DC/DC, LDO, discretes).

DC/DC Converter (Switching Regulator), LDO (Low Drop Out/Low Saturation Regulator)
Both are types of power supply ICs that convert one DC voltage to another. DC/DC converters, also called switching regulators, generate an output voltage through switching operation. Characterized by high power conversion efficiency, they are available in 2 types: a step-up type (boost) configuration that increases the voltage and step-down (buck) topology that reduces voltage. LDOs (classified as linear regulators), on the other hand, generate an output voltage using resistance voltage division. Unlike DC/DC converters, they can only perform step-down operation, but provide the advantages of easy configuration and low noise.

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