Meeting the power demands of battery supplied automotive electronics

Focus:

The growing popularity of micro and mild hybrids with their dual-battery (12 and 48-V) electrical systems is creating requirements for voltage regulators that support battery charging and buck-boost voltage regulation in both 12- and 48-V automotive systems. After some brief discussion of market trends, this article describes how operating conditions in these dual-battery systems create requirements for buck-boost regulators capable of accepting very wide input voltage ranges, constant-voltage and constant- current modes of regulation for charging, flat efficiency over line conditions, and small size and light weight. The need for buck-boost regulators to power in-cabin aftermarket electronics for entertainment, navigation, and video surveillance systems is also discussed. While this discussion serves to explain why parts like Vicor’s Cool Power PI3740 regulator are suited for use in micro and mild hybrids, the author has refrained from mentioning his company's parts except to show the PI3740 in a block diagram for an aftermarket camera application.

What you’ll learn:

• How to understand voltage regulation requirements in dual-battery (12-V/48-V) micro and mild hybrid automotive systems

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Author & Publication:

Travis Williams , EDN, May 26 2017

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