Mar 30 2010
High-performance analog IC provider austriamicrosystems has introduced its AS8510, which is a high precision data acquisition front-end IC meant for applications in automotive battery voltage, current and temperature sensing. It is also used in sensor interfaces wherein there is a requirement to measure small signals.
Block Diagram of AS8510 Data Acquisition Device for Battery Sensor
Some of the advantages of the company’s IC compared to other products include a 16-bit dual-channel ADC + PGA architecture having fewer than one LSB of noise and offset and highly configurable ICs, which means the product can be customized according to the user’s needs. The AS8510 when used along with a microcontroller and the company’s “System Basis Chip” offers a complete battery sensor semiconductor solution meant for both low-side and high-side.
The AS8510 has two analog input channels completely independent of each other with 16-bit ADCs. The two channels comprise a low-drift programmable gain amplifier capable of handing 0–1 V or ±160 mV signals when by-passing PGA. The channels’ offset auto-zero feature facilitates highly precise measurements even with low value shunt resistance. Moreover, the AS8510 is ideal for use in EVs (electric vehicles).
The Product Manager of Automotive Sensor Interface and SBC ASSPs of austriamicrosystems Manfred Brandl stated that the AS8510 makes it possible to achieve accurate results for a wide range of applications. Furthermore, by incorporating a low-cost microcontroller and an austriamicrosystems LIN companion IC with the AS8510, automotive applications can witness decreased time to market.
The company’s product functions in a 12 V system with a current shunt sensor. The ICs two-channel architecture facilitates digital error correction techniques such as capturing bridge current/voltages or “delta by sigma” division with consequent error correction in a microcontroller placed externally.
In addition to measuring current and voltage, the AS8510 accurately measures temperature from either an external temperature sensor or an internal sensor. The AS8510 comprises low-pass digital filters, a SPI interface having four wires, on-chip precision oscillators and an internal precision reference.