Innovative car cockpits, seamless connectivity with new services and improved passive safety: 3D depth sensors play an important role in in-vehicle monitoring systems. They are essential for meeting the requirements and safety ratings of the European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) and for implementing differentiating comfort features. Infineon Technologies AG has developed the highly integrated IRS9103A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) driver IC for automotive applications. In combination with Infineon’s REAL3™ image sensor, the automotive-grade laser diode driver IC enables size-, cost- and performance-optimized designs of 3D camera modules.
“What is already standard in consumer electronics is now available for automotive Time-of-Flight (ToF) applications,” said Andreas Kopetz, Vice President Ambient Sensing at Infineon. “Instead of four discrete key components needed to drive the laser illumination source, only one is required. This greatly simplifies the design and minimizes the bill of materials and module size, while improving performance and robustness.”
The driver IC integrates a Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) receiver, gate driver and switching components in a single tiny AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualified 1.35 x 1.35 mm² wafer-level package. The IC can be fully powered from the existing 3.3 V imager supply, eliminating the need for an additional 5 V rail for a discrete gate driver. With support for 10 A driver current and 14 V laser diode voltage, the product can drive up to two triple-junction VCSELs at a modulation frequency of up to 130 MHz. Built-in fail-safe mechanisms such as under-voltage and over-temperature protection as well as a pulse-width limiter in combination with Infineon’s REAL3 image sensor provide an optimal package for an eye-safe 3D ToF camera module.
In addition to the small footprint, the reduction from four AEC-Q100 qualified key components to one offers other benefits such as simplified design and reduced development effort. It also reduces component tolerances for more efficient and robust conversion of electrical to optical performance and increases supply reliability.
Availability
Development samples of the new IRS9103A VCSEL driver IC are now available, and volume production has begun. More information is available at www.infineon.com/real3-automotive.