Switching regulators shrink automotive cameras

Ablic’s S-19954/5 step-down switching regulators offer the industry’s smallest mounting area, enabling smaller automotive camera modules.

Ablic, a group company of MinebeaMitsumi Inc., has introduced the S-19954/5 Series of step-down switching regulators that operates at 5.5 V with a 1-A output for automotive cameras. The series is housed in an HSNT-8(1616)B package—the industry’s smallest package to date at 1.6 × 1.6 × 0.41 mm, according to the company.

The new series solves challenges associated with using traditional LDO regulators for viewing and sensing cameras in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD) systems. Higher resolution automotive camera image sensors have higher current consumption and using conventional LDO regulators will increase heat generation, Ablic explained.

As a result, switching regulators with high power conversion efficiency are often used to solve the heat problem, but they also require a greater number of peripheral components, necessitating a larger mounting area, the company continued.