New automotive-grade fan driver ICs for small applications

Melexis has a new automotive-grade fan driver ICs for automotive and other applications where an extremely reliable, ultra-small solution is required. The US168KLD and US169KLD are for driving single-coil brushless DC fans and motors. As a consequence of their soft-switching characteristics, they guarantee low levels of EMI and acoustic noise, making them perfect for in-cabin automotive applications such as sensor fans as well as other applications such as cooling fans for audio, computing, wireless chargers and multimedia. The devices include a highly sensitive integrated Hall effect sensor and are configured as a full-bridge driver with the capability to drive motor currents up to 300mA with a supply range from 1.8V to 5V. Built-in reverse voltage, locked rotor, and thermal protection ensure that the drivers are robust, even in challenging applications. Commenting, Dirk Leman, fan drivers product line manager,said: “Cooling has always been an enabler for innovation, allowing to push limits of CPU calculation power, or avoid overheating of power supplies. As more electronics are integrated into cars, there is a growing need for automotive fans. These new drivers from Melexis ensure that the fans can be driven quietly and reliably, which consumers expect for in-cabin applications. As these automotive-grade devices are fully integrated with no external components required, it is now possible to utilise the benefits of soft switching in the smallest fan applications.”