New version of pump/fan driver ICs push lifetime boundaries to next level

Melexis has expanded its MLX90412 product range with the latest version of this 2.2A automotive-qualified pump/fan driver IC. It is optimised to deal with high ambient temperature levels and supports extended operational lifespans.

The company introduces the MLX90412GLW single-coil pump/fan IC with an integrated driver stage. It is designed for applications with high ambient temperatures, such as automotive water pumps. It drives pumps up to 15W in ICE. This typically indicates a maximum ambient operating temperature up to 135C. While water pumps up to 20W can be driven within the maximum ambient temperature of 85C of EVs.

The device is qualified to satisfy the growing operating lifetime demand. This goes up to 15,000 hours of EV applications such as battery cooling.

The device, a dedicated automotive one-coil motor driver, incorporates all state-of-the-art protections. Hall-sensor based one-coil water pumps are well known for their sturdy start-up performance.

With the new IC, pump manufacturers can provide a comprehensive portfolio of water pump solutions. It can be configured in various BLDC commutation options from sinewave mode, giving the lowest noise performance ideal for EVs over a high torque mode, up to a low EMI mode, for ON/OFF applications needing minimum external EMI filter components.

“We are proud to offer a versatile one-stop-shop solution for a complete portfolio of 20W water pumps. It is also future-proof, meeting the challenging lifetime requirements, for instance, for battery cooling in electrical vehicles”, explains Dirk Leman, Smart Drivers product line manager at Melexis. “This device saves space, lowers BOM costs and reduces development time.”