Designed to replace traditional fuses and relays, this advanced product family offers unparalleled wire protection with integrated I²t technology, enhanced diagnostics, and unmatched efficiency.
Infineon Technologies has launched the PROFET Wire Guard, an innovative solution for decentralized and zonal power distribution systems. Designed to replace conventional fuses and mechanical relays, this advanced product family offers precise and dependable wire protection tailored to modern automotive architectures.
The Wire Guard employs an integrated I²t wire protection curve, enabling highly accurate emulation of wire stress characteristics. Developers can select from six integrated curves to meet specific application needs. This precision facilitates wire harness optimization, enhancing efficiency in power distribution designs.
The key features include:
- RDS(on) range 1.3-16 mΩ
- Adjustable current trip
- Integrated I2t wire protection
- System & self-protection
- Seq. Diagnosis incl. current sense
- Automatic low power Idle mode
The product line includes five devices in TSDSO-14 and TSDSO-24 packages, ensuring full pin-to-pin compatibility within the family and high compatibility with PROFET +2 12V devices. The devices are optimized for currents up to 27 A, with plans to extend the range to 36 A in Q4 2025 through an additional device. It include a capacitive load switching (CLS) mode for charging capacitive loads and an adjustable overcurrent detection threshold for rapid fault isolation. During idle mode, power consumption is reduced to a mere 50 µA, while the output stage remains active.
Enhanced diagnostic capabilities provide accurate application data through built-in sequential diagnosis across five addresses on a single pin. This feature supports functional safety requirements, including ISO 26262:2018 compliance up to ASIL D, and further optimizes wire harnesses during vehicle operation.
The company’s Automotive Power Explorer, integrated into the Infineon Developer Center, simplifies the design process. The tool evaluates system protection capabilities, calculates resistance values for adjustable overcurrent thresholds, and assists in selecting suitable I²t wire protection curves. It also computes parameters such as kILIS accuracy and power dissipation for the entire product family.
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