eFuses deliver dependable power distribution

Modern, decentralised, and zonal power distribution architectures need dependable solutions. With PROFET Wire Guard, Infineon Technologies AG supplies developers with advanced wire protection for modern power distribution. Compared to conventional fuses, the product family can emulate the stress characteristics of the wires far more accurately with an integrated and precise I²t wire protection curve, which can be selected from six implemented curves depending on the application requirements. Combined with other features, the integrated I²t wire protection accuracy optimises wire harnesses when replacing mechanical relays and fuses.

The five PROFET Wire Guard devices come in the proven TSDSO-14 and TSDSO-24 packages. They provide full pin-to-pin compatibility within the family and high compatibility with PROFET +2 12V devices and are targeting currents of up to 27A. To extend the current capabilities up to 36A, the product line-up will be further expanded, with a further device coming in Q4 2025. The devices have a capacitive load switching (CLS) mode implemented to charge capacitive loads. An adjustable overcurrent detection threshold supports fast fault isolation from the power supply. The integrated automatic idle mode lowers current consumption during parking to typically 50µA while the output stage remains fully switched on. Built-in sequential diagnosis provides accurate application data across five addresses on a single pin, allowing application integrity testing for functional safety requirements and further wire harness optimisation during facelifts based on analysing the wire protection status during vehicle operation. The devices have been developed and are released as ISO 26262:2018 Safety Element out of context for safety requirements up to ASIL D.

To support the design-in process, the product family is integrated into the Infineon Automotive Power Explorer, which is obtainable in the Infineon Developer Center. This simulation tool supports, for example, the evaluation of the system protection capability of PROFET Wire Guard devices with a given wire and load profile. It also calculates the correct resistance values for the adjustable overcurrent detection threshold and the selection of the integrated I²t wire protection curves. The tool can also calculate parameters like kILIS accuracy or power dissipation for the whole product family.