Use expandable PMIC to avoid redesigning the power circuit of car camera module

“Automotive camera module designers must shorten the time to market while creating smaller camera module designs that can be expanded and reused for various types of image serializers and sensors. In this article, I will address several key design challenges in automotive camera module design, including design simplification and platform scalability.

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Automotive camera module designers must shorten the time to market while creating smaller camera module designs that can be expanded and reused for various types of image serializers and sensors. In this article, I will address several key design challenges in automotive camera module design, including design simplification and platform scalability.

Simplify design and accelerate time to market with scalable PMIC

Maintaining a common power supply design platform helps engineers shorten design time, thereby shortening time to market. Pin-to-pin and programmable power management integrated circuits (PMICs) with integrated voltage monitors can be extended from non-functional safety applications (such as surround view cameras) to functional safety applications (such as driver monitoring in autonomous vehicles, Electronic rearview mirror and camera) without the need to redesign the power circuit.

There are two types of programmable PMICs: software programmable PMICs and hardware programmable PMICs. Software programmable PMICs support a fully scalable power management platform without the need to redesign printed circuit boards (PCBs).

Let us illustrate through the TPS650330-Q1 software programmable PMIC. The software has an integrated tool set that supports design reuse and simplifies design. TPS650330-Q1 also realizes platform scalability through electrically erasable programmable read-only memory programming, is suitable for output voltage and power sequencing settings, and has sufficient current margin to support image sensors with various resolutions. Since there is no need to redesign the power supply circuit, engineers can reuse the power supply design between image sensors.

TPS650330-Q1 integrates a voltage monitor and also supports pin-to-pin platform scalability from non-functional safety applications to functional safety applications without the need to redesign the power supply circuit.

The same power board can support multiple types of image sensor circuit boards by using two stacked PCBs, which can be found in some automotive camera modules. For example, when the application must comply with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26262 functional safety standard, engineers only need to put it into the TPS650330-Q1 functional safety device to upgrade the same power board to a functional safety TPS650330-Q1 derivative product. For a single PCB design, engineers can also reuse the same power supply design by copying and pasting the same power supply design into multiple platforms.

in conclusion

In addition to solution size, thermal performance, electromagnetic compatibility issues, and power supply rejection ratio performance, platform scalability is also a key factor to be considered in the design of automotive camera module power supplies. Choosing a PMIC that can achieve platform scalability/reusability can shorten the time to market and save development costs between platforms.