EPN Automotive Electronics Blog

Approved CAN bus coupler

In order to ensure reliable operation of motor vehicles on the road, German law requires a motor vehicle type approval (Allgemeine Betriebs-Erlaubnis, ABE) – also referred to as »e1« approval – for all components that are connected to the vehicle's electrical system. This is required even for the most unspectacular components.

Isolators for hybrid cars

The simple I2C bus connects controllers and peripheral devices. In automotive and especially hybrid electric vehicle applications, controllers or peripherals are isolated from the bus to avoid interference or harmful voltage levels. Usually, optocouplers are being used, but this increases the cost and complexity disproportionally. Digital isolators have the potential to simplify I2C design in electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.

Making a Difference in Automotive

One of the most challenging things in electric vehicles is the battery management. The need for small size, low power consumption, and extended battery life for longer cruising ranges and maximum service life for the vehicle are crucial. That may be the reason why Mitsubishi Motors has adopted the digital isolators iCoupler from Analog Devices for its next-generation electric vehicle “i-MiEV”.

Small circuits for huge batteries

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) need extremely big, heavy and expensive batteries. In order to make reasonably affordable cars, manufacturers need to save space, weight and cost practically everywhere else. A technology that promises to reduce board space by 70 % and halve costs for electric isolation certainly sounds interesting. Actually, HEV batteries operate at voltages of up to 600 V, so isolation is required for safe and reliable operation.