Mitsubishi Motors describes the electric car as the ultimate eco-car that produces no CO2 emissions. Powered by 100 percent electrical power, the i-MiEV has a single-charge range of 160 kilometers and features a three-way charging system that allows a driver to charge the battery at home at 100 Volt or 200 Volt or at a remote quick-charge station.
The i-MiEV has won several awards, including the "Most Advanced Technology" award as selected by the Japan 2009-2010 Car of the Year supervisory board and the "2009 Car Technology of the Year" award as selected by the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame, a non-profit trade organization. The i-MiEV will be introduced in Japan during calendar year 2010.
"Mitsubishi Motors has demonstrated exemplary leadership and innovation in their approach to electric vehicles design and we are pleased that they selected our iCoupler digital isolation technology for the i-MiEV," said Thomas Wessel, vice president, Automotive Group, Analog Devices.
"Advances in battery technology for hybrid/electric vehicles require similar advances in isolation technology, such as higher levels of integration, temperature resistance and interfaces that eliminate the need for external signal conditioning. ADI’s digital isolation technology is effective for meeting these stringent requirements."
ADI’s ADuM1402W and ADuM1201W iCoupler(R) digital isolators provide the means to transmit data across the safety isolation barriers between the high-voltage Li-ion battery system electronics and standard vehicle electronic systems. The iCoupler isolators addressed additional requirements such as small size, low power consumption, and extended battery life for longer cruising ranges and maximum service life for the vehicle.
iCoupler products consume one-tenth to one-sixth of the power of optocouplers at comparable signal data rates (e.g. 0.8 mA per channel maximum @ 0 Mbps to 2 Mbps during 3 V operation). iCoupler digital isolators are available in industry-standard, small RoHS-compliant, SOIC (small-outline integrated circuit) packages.
iCoupler(R) Technology
With more than 300 million channels deployed throughout the industry, ADI’s proven iCoupler technology is based on chip-scale transformers, rather than the LEDs and photodiodes used in optocouplers, which ensures higher data rates, lower power consumption, and more stability over the life time of the system.
By fabricating the transformers using wafer-level processing, iCoupler channels can be integrated with each other and other semiconductor functions at low cost. iCoupler transformers are planar structures formed from CMOS and gold metal layers. A high breakdown polyimide layer underneath the gold layer insulates the top transformer coil from the bottom.
CMOS circuits connected to the top coil and bottom coil provide the interface between each transformer and its external signals. Automotive grade versions are qualified for 125 degrees C operation per AEC-Q100.
Making a Difference in Automotive
As automobiles become more complex and rely on electronic systems, signal processing technologies are increasingly being used to create automobiles that provide more safety, performance, driving comfort, and become environmentally friendly. By combining over 40 years of signal processing experience with the industry’s leading portfolio of reliable circuit designs, ADI is the semiconductor partner design engineers around the world are working with to address the most challenging signal chain requirements in the most advanced safety, infotainment, powertrain, and body/chassis electronics systems.
Innovation, performance, and excellence are the cultural pillars on which Analog Devices has built one of the longest standing, highest growth companies within the technology sector. Acknowledged industry-wide as the world leader in data conversion and signal conditioning technology, Analog Devices serves over 60,000 customers, representing virtually all types of electronic equipment.
Celebrating over 40 years as a leading global manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing applications, Analog Devices is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, with design and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Analog Devices’ common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "ADI" and is included in the S&P 500 Index.
iCoupler is a registered trademark of Analog Devices, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
As examined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, charging cruising range is 160 km in the Japanese 10-15 mode urban driving pattern. Actual range will vary depending on driving conditions, such as weather, road construction, and how a driver operates the vehicle (for example, use of acceleration and the climate control system). The 10-15 mode cycle is currently used in Japan for emission certification and fuel economy for light duty vehicles.
The annual Car of the Year Japan award, also known as Japan Car of the Year (or JCOTY), is given to newly released or redesigned vehicles released to the Japanese car buying market from November 1 of the previous year to October 31 of the current, and each award spans two calendar years. The supervisory board is made up primarily of Japanese automotive journalists.
