Under the bonnet with MPS’ automotive solutions 

In ipXchange’s first (posted) interview with Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) at CES 2024, Guy chats with Adrian about several automotive power solutions, including the MPQ7795 class-D audio amplifier, the MPQ7225 LED driver for exterior automotive lighting, and MPS’ range of automotive-grade DC-DC PMICs.  

The MPQ7795 is a highly compact 24.5-W monophonic amplifier with a footprint of just 4 x 4 mm, and it is built to be resilient against AM radio interference thanks to a high switching frequency, which also results in over 90% efficiency. 

The MPQ7225 LED driver is great for headlights, indicators, and any external automotive lighting, with 16 channels rated at up to 200 mA. It is especially useful for engineers that wish to add sequenced lighting during startup or to turn signal lighting arrays thanks to 12-bit PWM dimming and 6-bit analogue dimming per channel. For even more exciting displays, 16 individual MPQ7225 ICs can be cascaded to create a 256-channel solution! 

MPS’ automotive-grade PMICs are general-purpose devices that can be used to convert battery or DC power to suit the requirements of other aspects for your vehicle circuitry, such as the infotainment system.  

Adrian then briefly introduces some solutions more specific to Electric Vehicles (EVs) or hybrid vehicles that use a battery. MPS’ traction invertor solution is a module with an integrated transformer which is then used to drive silicon carbide FETs. In addition to traction inversion, it can also be used for on-board battery charging from the movement of the vehicle. 

Additionally, we get a glimpse of a multi-phase power supply with 50 A per phase, and another for lower currents, both used for powering multiple rails within the vehicle. The latter is especially good for dealing with transients that may damage elements of your vehicle’s system. 

Follow the links above to learn more about the MPQ7795 or MPQ7225 devices and see their evaluation boards, or alternatively use the link below to enter consultation with MPS and discover the full range of automotive solutions that this company has to offer. 

Keep designing!