POWERQUARK has announced the launch of a high-performance PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuits) PQ6201Q specifically designed for automotive camera modules. Leveraging the advantages of "high integration, high efficiency, and high reliability," this PMIC can achieve safe and efficient power management for automotive cameras with just a single chip. This helps customers enhance the integration of their ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and provides support for higher-level smart driving. PQ6201Q has already passed the AEC-Q100 certification and achieved mass production.
High Integration: Single-Chip Solution
With the development of smart driving technology, automotive cameras, as the "eyes of the car," are essential core components for ADAS functions such as automatic cruise control and automatic parking. According to predictions, by 2025, the total number of cameras installed in domestic passenger cars will exceed 100 million, with an average of 4.9 cameras per vehicle, almost doubling the number in 2021. This trend demands that automotive camera modules become more lightweight and miniaturized, integrating more modules within limited space.
POWERQUARK's automotive camera PMIC integrates multiple buck converters and LDOs (Low Dropout Regulators) into a single chip, providing stable and adjustable voltage outputs through multi-stage buck conversion to meet the power supply requirements of different image sensors at various voltage levels. PQ6201Q integrates one high-voltage buck converter, two low-voltage buck converters, and one LDO, significantly saving customer PCB space and reducing product size.
Due to differences among manufacturers, the driving voltage settings and sequence control of various automotive camera modules vary, requiring external component configurations. PQ6201Q can configure and adjust the power-on sequence and analog supply voltage of CMOS image sensors by connecting different resistors to the SEQ and RSET pins. Future products are also planned to be configured directly via an I2C interface, further reducing the number of external components and simplifying the power design of the module, making the automotive camera module more compact.
PQ6201Q supports both direct battery power supply and power-over-coaxial-cable supply, making it suitable for almost all automotive camera modules, including those for surround view, side view, front view, and in-cabin applications.
High Efficiency: Optimizing Temperature Rise and Image Quality
Cameras are usually installed on the exterior of the car and are sensitive to temperature. Excessive temperature can increase thermal noise and degrade image quality. Therefore, high-efficiency power management chips are crucial for maintaining stable camera operation and providing high-quality images.
Drawing on POWERQUARK's extensive experience in the buck converter field, the latest automotive camera PMIC series supports a wide input voltage range and offers excellent energy conversion efficiency. The high-voltage buck converter in PQ6201Q supports an input voltage range of 4V to 19V, as well as adjustable output voltage and 2A output current, powering the low-voltage buck converters and LDO. The low-voltage buck converters have an input voltage range of 2.7V to 5.5V, with fixed output voltages and support for 1.5A and 0.75A output currents. The peak efficiencies of the buck converters can reach 93.0%, 87.4%, and 91.7%, respectively.
The LDO integrated in the chip also features high stability, with a PSRR (Power Supply Rejection Ratio) of up to 70dB at 1kHz and output noise as low as 60μV in typical scenarios.
High Reliability: Multiple Protections Against Interference
All switching converters in PQ6201Q operate in a 2.2MHz fixed-frequency PWM mode, integrating spread-spectrum and phase-shifting technologies to optimize EMI performance. They can pass the stringent CISPR 25 Class 5 standard without the need for common-mode chokes.
PQ6201Q also supports a variety of protection functions, including protection mechanisms for input under-voltage and over-voltage, output under-voltage and over-voltage, as well as cycle-by-cycle current limiting and thermal shutdown protection.
