Secondary power distribution system
Reduce wire harness complexity in automotive applications with decentralized architectures and the electrification of secondary distribution systems
Wire harness optimization is a key challenge for designers, with a solution found in transforming power distribution from centralized to decentralized architecture with electrified power distribution centers. Infineon offers a complete chipset solution for secondary distribution systems, enabling reliable and compact secondary distribution with supply, control, communication, sense, and actuation functions.
A revolutionary shift from acentralized to decentralized architecture
Secondary power distribution is supplied from primary power distribution and controls the power supply to electronic control units (ECUs) for the main car functions and directly supplies major loads. The classical solution is based on relay and fuse boxes, but the location is restricted to easily accessible areas to limit labor cost in case of relay or fuse malfunction. To enable higher reliability, diagnostic capability, protection features, and smaller size, secondary distribution is getting partly or fully electrified. The electrical part of secondary distribution is no longer called relay and fuse box, but secondary power distribution centers (PDC). Such PDCs can be located anywhere in the vehicle, even in non-accessible areas and thus, significantly enable a decentralization of the power distribution architecture. One step further, with regard to zonal concepts of the E/E architecture, the secondary PDC can be integrated into the infrastructure of the zone controllers.
- Diagnostic coverage at 99%
- Fast failure isolation time <100-500 µs
- I2t wire protection
- Low power ON
- Capacitive load switching
Overcome design challenges through wire harness optimization
Due to the increasing number of functions in the car, the complexity of the secondary PDCs is continuously increasing. Infineon offers over two decades of expertise in relay and fuse replacement and functional safety ECU development. Technical documents are available and tools are provided to enable easy design-in and a reduced time-to-market.
Examples are:
- Application notes and whitepapers to support relay and fuse replacement
- Arduino shields for easy-to-use device evaluation
- Design-in tools and simulation models for virtual prototyping and system evaluation
- Smart Power Switches forum to place your questions or provide your supportive feedback
Scalable/flexible product families in intelligent power distribution
Designs require scalable and flexible semiconductor chip-set solutions, depending on the amount of electrification and variants of currents per output. Infineon offers scalable product families to enable module designs best fitting to the diversity of secondary distribution architectures.
Examples are:
- MOSFETs and smart power product families with a wide range of features in pin-compatible packages with common footprints and interfaces
- Scalable and flexible MCU families with respect to performance, memory, peripherals, as well as safety and security implementation
System understanding to handle design complexities and modifications
The software-defined vehicle development and E/E architecture changes require deep system understanding across the vehicle. We support with functional safety experts, system understanding, and chipset solutions for dependable electronics.
Examples are:
- Globally recognized partner at OEMs and Tier 1 companies for system partitioning and configuration support including functional safety concepts
- Actively contributing to conferences, standardization committees, e.g., VDA, and papers, e.g., Automobile Electronica 2022 edition
- Whitepapers on transition of power distribution and zonal E/E architecture
Premium service for advanced automotive systems
Premium service is a wide field of the Infineon core competence and includes: Operational excellence, zero-defect mentality, disaster and risk management planning, global customer support and distributors, system competence teams, and highest automotive qualification standards.
Examples of standards to support:
- AEC-Q100/101 qualification, leading short-circuit robustness, lowest field return rates (ppb)
- Expanding product families with Grade 0 qualification for harsh environments
- Product families for safety-critical applications to support ASIL-B to ASIL-D with ISO-ready documentation or ISO-compliant development
If we have a look at the generations of the Power Distribution System, the decentralization and partly or fully electrification of the secondary power distribution starts already in generation 2:
On the one hand side, ADAS/AD requirements are forcing the electrification of the primary power distribution with the introduction of safety elements. On the other hand, the transformation of the IVN to domain/ zone architecture is providing a decentralized infrastructure to electrify the secondary power distribution.
The electrical part of the secondary power distribution is no longer called relay & fuse box, but secondary Power Distribution Centers (secondary PDCs), which can get located anywhere in the vehicle, even in non-accessible areas.
If we have a look at the generations of the Power Distribution System, the integration of the secondary power distribution and IVN is realized in generation 3 with zone controllers:
Characteristic for the generation 3 is the transfer of the former secondary power distribution into
the primary power distribution and mainly into the Zone Controller and fully electrified:
The corresponding functional block of the zone controller is very similar to a Body Control Module with integrated gateway, but every OEM has its own flavors and degree of domain integrations.
Today, one of the major challenges facing designers is the need of wire harness optimization to reduce its significant cost, length, weight and complexity. A possible solution is the transformation of the power distribution system from a centralized to a decentralized architecture.
- We will demonstrate this advanced feature using our Infineon PROFET™ Load Guard demonstrator, providing you a visual representation of the feature in action.
- Additionally, we will explore the various use cases in modern vehicle power distribution systems.
In this training, you will:
- Indicate what an electrical power distribution center is and describe what solutions Infineon offers for
- Explain why relays and fuses are being replaced with semiconductors and identify the devices that Infineon provides for replacing
Description:
- Explain how the major automotive trends are shaping the evolution of electrical and electronic or E/E architectures in cars
- Identify the trending E/E architecture concepts and their impact on networking technologies and recognize the solutions that Infineon provides to support current and future E/E architectures
In this training, you will:
- Understand what a body control module is and what solutions Infineon offers for standard and high-end body control modules
- Discover why relays and fuses are being replaced with smart switches and identify Infineon's alternative devices
