STMicroelectronics AEK-POW-LDOV02X Voltage Regulator Evaluation Board

Thanks to its operating temperature range (T_j = -40°C to +175°C), the device is suitable for electronic applications with high temperature environments and for applications that require stable power supplies (for example, navigation systems, microcontroller supplies, audio systems, automotive display drivers, sensors, infotainment processors, and powertrain systems).

In automotive systems, thermal performance is always a critical concern for battery-direct connection LDOs. The LDO connected to a car battery needs to convert the battery voltage down to 5V, 3.3V, or even lower voltage for powering an MCU, CAN bus, and other devices. In these situations, the voltage drop on the LDO might be very high, and power dissipation on the LDO might even exceed 1W for a 100mA loading current. A single LDO is not able to handle the power dissipation if the system demands several hundred milliamps of current.

The STMicroelectronics AEK-POW-LDOV02X addresses this challenge, thanks to the L99VR02XP dual linear voltage regulator, which reaches a higher output current and distributes power consumption among multiple devices. LDO2 automatic voltage tracking and de-tracking of LDO1 or an external LDO voltage represents an accurate solution for automotive off-board sensors and small current off-board modules, where the power supply runs through a long cable from the main board.

Under this condition, the long cable might be damaged, causing short-to-ground, short-to-battery, or other fault events. In these cases, the system needs to implement a mechanism to protect onboard components from damage. Meanwhile, the voltage-tracking tolerance between the off-board sensors' power supply and the MCU/ADC power supply must be kept to the lowest level. In this scenario, the voltage-tracking LDO represents the perfect solution for driving the off-board loads, offering full protection features and an ultra-accurate output tracking voltage.