ams gains tier-one automotive design win for AS8222 FlexRay transceiver

The AS8222 was selected to provide the network interface in the harsh powertrain environment because of its extremely high temperature rating. It is the only FlexRay transceiver on the market to be specified for operation at a junction temperature as high as 165°C.

The module manufacturer also requires the part to be supplied as a bare die, an option that ams is able to provide while meeting the automotive industry’s stringent quality specifications for unpackaged devices. The part is also available in an SSOP20 package qualified up to 150° ambient temperature.

The AS8222 transceiver, which provides the interface between the digital logic and the copper cable transmission lines, conforms to the FlexRay™ standard v2.1 rev B. With transmission rates up to 10Mb/s, FlexRay provides 20 times the speed of the unshielded twisted copper cable used in cars today. FlexRay is fault tolerant and time triggered, providing dependable delivery of messages for safety applications.

The AS8222 forms part of a family of FlexRay devices from ams addressing requirements for basic and standard transceivers, as well as for Active Star network management transceivers.

Bernd Gessner, vice-president and general manager of the automotive business unit at ams: “The AS8222 FlexRay transceiver is the first to be able to work in high-temperature applications.

That is why we have been successful in gaining this highly prestigious design win against tough competition from other semiconductor manufacturers.

“The extreme high-temperature operation of the AS8222 transceiver enables for the first time the high-speed FlexRay network protocol to be deployed in parts of the vehicle which are subject to harsh conditions, such as the transmission and under the hood.”

Well known as a FlexRay transceiver supplier, ams is helping to force the pace of FlexRay adoption by extending its use into drivetrain applications, and to bring forward the point at which FlexRay is the dominant network technology in new vehicles. Development work is already underway at ams on next-generation FlexRay devices meeting the requirements of the FlexRay 3.0.1 specification, and complying with new EMC and ESD specifications. New products will also be introduced offering higher data rates, suitable for the demands of the Japanese automotive market.

The transmission module using the AS8222 will begin volume production in Q2 of 2013.

Price & availability:

The AS8222 FlexRay™ transceiver is available in an SSOP20 package with an ambient temperature range of -40°C to +150°C. It is also available as a bare die with a junction temperature range of -40°C to 165°C. Prices are available on request.