ROHM’s New PMICs for Camera Modules in Next-Gen Vehicles: Compliant with the ISO 26262 Functional Safety Standard

Provides anomaly detection notification mechanisms in the industry’s smallest form factor

ROHM has recently announced the availability of ISO 26262 and ASIL-B compliant PMICs, BD868xxMUF-C (BD868C0MUF-C, BD868D0MUF-C), for automotive camera modules that are increasingly being adopted in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). (Fig. 1)

The continuing evolution of ADAS in recent years has increased the number of onboard cameras. At the same time, introducing the concept of functional safety is taking on greater importance, as the failure of even one camera can lead to a serious accident, making it imperative for manufacturers of cars and vehicle components – including semiconductor suppliers – to comply with the international safety standard ISO 26262.

In 2018, ROHM successfully achieved ISO 26262 Development Process certification from German certification body TÜV Rheinland, and in 2021 launched the brand ‘ComfySIL™’ to contribute to the safety, security, and comfort of users and systems through products that support functional safety. As part of the ComfySIL™ series, these ICs are ‘FS (Functional safety) process compliant’ products (the highest grade), indicating compliance with the ISO 26262 standard. (Fig. 2)

Meeting the strict requirements for functional safety allows these latest products to facilitate safety design in next-generation vehicles equipped with ADAS. Moreover, the 4 power supply systems (3 DC/DC + 1 LDO) necessary for automotive cameras are integrated into a 3.5mm × 3.5mm package, achieve the industry’s smallest size in comparable camera PMICs. They are equipped with an anomaly status notification mechanism such as abnormal voltage detection and feedback via I2C. This reduces the number of components by 3 compared to former solutions, which results into a 25% smaller mounting area compared to conventional solutions and contributes to smaller vehicle cameras. (The above 25% is just an example, further miniaturization is possible by optimizing for individual applications.) At the same time, a wide range of output voltage and sequence control settings can be configured to meet the varying requirements of CMOS image sensors from different manufacturers, simplifying development considerably.

Product Lineup
In addition to the four models (BD868A0MUF-C, BD868B0MUF-C, BD868C0MUF-C, BD868D0MUF-C) that comply with both ISO 26262 and ASIL-B, the lineup will include the non-ISO 26262-compliant BD868C1MUF-C for users that do not require ASIL compliance. Also, ROHM can offer the products based on customer setup requirements like output voltages, voltage tolerances, sequencing and functional safety requirements. (Fig. 3)

Availability: April 2022 (samples), August 2022 (OEM quantities)
Derivative models (BD868A0MUF-C, BD868B0MUF-C, BD868C1MUF-C) are also scheduled to be released in succession.

Application Examples
Rear view/perimeter cameras, drive recorders, driver monitoring systems, etc.