Local Interconnect Network (LIN) nodes continue their exponential growth in Europe. To address this increasing demand for LIN transceivers, Melexis is introducing its next-generation LIN transceiver IC for LIN Bus systems compliant with the LIN 2.x standard. The MLX80020BA expands Melexis' existing product line of LIN transceivers and System Basis Chips, as well as fully integrated LIN solutions.
The LIN bus continues its successful adoption in automotive applications. This robust and cost-effective communication scheme enables many basic networking functions in subsystems previously considered uneconomical for sensors, actuators, and intelligent controls. As a result of this successful implementation in many different LIN applications, there is a need for LIN transceivers to manage the physical connection of the standard MCU to the LIN bus. The new Melexis MLX80020BA easily meets the demand for LIN transceivers compliant with the LIN 2.x standard.
The MLX80020BA is a standalone LIN transceiver with excellent performance. Designed and manufactured using 0.35 µm HV-CMOS technology, it enables lower system costs for our customers' LIN implementations. This transceiver features built-in safety functions, including a dominant TxD hold interval and a high-impedance bus pin in case of loss of low voltage and ground. The pin configuration of this new LIN transceiver is compatible with OEM-defined standard pin outputs.
The EMC behavior of LIN bus ICs is critical in automotive applications. The MLX80020BA design exhibits excellent robustness when subjected to high-frequency disturbance injection. The IC also achieves very low electromagnetic emission to further simplify the design challenges of networked communication in harsh automotive environments. Timing parameters are optimized for data transmission in accordance with LIN 2.x to achieve excellent EMC performance.
The MLX80020BA meets the automotive temperature range of -40°C to 125°C and features on-chip protection against over-temperature, 40V load loss, and LIN short-circuit to ground, resulting in lower system component calculations and costs. Integrated standby management ensures the MLX80020BA can wake up from the LIN bus either on its own or directly from a connected microcontroller or an external power source. Typical current consumption in sleep mode is less than 9 µA. It is supplied in an SOIC8 package and is RoHS compliant.
