Low-Power Communication For Vehicle Electronics

Need a way for car systems to communicate without using extra power or adding complexity? See a solution that lets vehicle electronics connect and work together.

Low-Power I2C/SPI-Bus-to-Dual-Channel UART Bridge from Diodes Incorporated Improves Automotive Connectivity Robustness

Designing modern electric vehicles requires reliable, low-power communication between multiple controllers and subsystems, from smart cockpits to ADAS, telematics, and zonal gateways. Managing these connections efficiently is critical, especially when power consumption, software integration, and system stability are all under tight constraints. Diodes’ PI7C9X762Q addresses this need as an automotive-compliant I2C/SPI-to-dual-channel UART bridge, enabling seamless communication across vehicle electronics while minimizing design complexity.

The UART bridge offers full bi-directional protocol conversion and supports SPI clock speeds up to 33 Mbps, ensuring fast and reliable data transfer between digital modules. Each UART channel features 64-byte TX and RX FIFOs with programmable trigger levels, allowing designers to handle variable data loads effectively. Flexible character formatting supports 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-bit characters, with even, odd, or no parity, and 1, 1.5, or 2 stop bits. Its internal register set is backward compatible with existing UARTs on the market, making software development and migration easier and reducing integration time.

The device comes in a compact 32-contact TQFN package, offering up to eight programmable GPIO pins for added flexibility in system design. Advanced features such as auto-hardware and software flow control maintain stable communication while reducing the risk of data loss or errors. Fractional baud rate support allows precise timing adjustments, and a software reset function enables the UART to restart independently of a hardware reset, adding resilience to system operation.

The PI7C9X762Q provides a complete, adaptable solution for automotive communication challenges. By combining low power consumption, high-speed protocol conversion, flexible configuration, and robust control features, it helps vehicle designers achieve reliable, safe, and cost-effective interconnectivity across a wide range of electronic systems.