A New 3.3v IO CAN Transiver.

Latest CAN transceiver IC combines true 3.3V I/O with excellent EMC performance and green packaging

Pocatello, Idaho - June 28, 2004 - AMI Semiconductor (NASDAQ: AMIS), a designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products for the automotive, medical and industrial sectors, has expanded its family of Controller Area Network (CAN) ICs with a high-speed CAN transceiver that combines true 3.3V or 5.0V logic interfaces, excellent EMC performance and a new environmentally friendly package. The AMIS-30663 provides the interface between a CAN controller and the physical bus, and will simplify the design and reduce the component count of 12V and 24V automotive and industrial applications requiring CAN communication at rates up to 1Mbaud.

Fully compatible with the ISO 11898-2 standard, the AMIS-30663 provides differential signalling capability to the CAN bus via the transmit and receive pins of the CAN controller. The IC provides designers with the option of 3.3V or 5V logic level interfaces, ensuring compatibility with both existing applications and emerging lower voltage designs. Carefully matched output signals eliminate the need for a common-mode choke by minimizing electromagnetic emission (EME), while the wide common-mode voltage range of the receiver inputs (±35V) ensures high electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS).

Designed to minimize the need for external components, the AMIS-30663 features a variety of built-in capabilities, including a time-out function that prevents bus lines being driven to a permanent dominant state – a situation that can lead to the blocking of all network communication. Built-in protection includes current-limiting circuitry to protect the transmitter output stage from damage caused by an accidental short-circuit to either positive or negative supply voltage. A thermal protection circuit protects the IC from damage by switching off the transmitter when the junction temperature exceeds 160ºC. The transceiver withstands all voltage transients associated with the automotive environment.

“Industrial and automotive OEMs are looking to simplify design, reduce component count and drive costs down. As a result, there are growing demands for peripheral ICs to operate with the same low voltage supplies used by modern microcontroller, memory and logic devices,” stated Bob Klosterboer, vice president of AMI Semiconductor’s Integrated Mixed-Signal Products. “By offering true 3.3V and 5.5V interface options, the AMIS-30663 CAN transceiver can work with existing applications while eliminating the need for the CAN controller to have a 5V-tolerant interface in lower voltage designs. In addition, the excellent EMC performance of the device, coupled with integrated protection functionality, will help designers to simplify circuit layout and reduce the number of components required to implement a complete solution.”

The AMIS-30663 is available now and is supplied in AMI Semiconductor’s SO-8 ‘green’ package, and is priced at $0.73/unit in quantities of 5K units.