Rohm Scales Power Supply Tools for Automotive SoCs

Why It Matters

The offering shortens time‑to‑market for next‑gen vehicle electronics and reduces redesign costs as automakers shift to domain‑controller architectures.

Key Takeaways

• Configurable PMIC/DrMOS platform supports 2.7‑5.5 V input range
• Enables reuse across SoC suppliers and performance tiers
• Reduces development time for new vehicle models
• AEC‑Q100 qualified QFN packages meet automotive reliability standards
• Targets ADAS, driver‑monitoring and in‑vehicle camera applications

Pulse Analysis

The automotive industry is undergoing a rapid transition from legacy ECUs to centralized domain‑controller architectures, where a single high‑performance system‑on‑chip handles multiple functions such as advanced driver‑assistance, driver‑monitoring and camera processing. These SoCs draw significantly more power and require precise sequencing, low‑voltage tolerance and high‑current delivery. Traditional power‑management solutions, often tied to a specific silicon vendor, force engineers to redesign boards whenever a new chip or supplier is introduced, inflating development budgets and extending vehicle program timelines.

Rohm’s new configurable platform addresses that friction by bundling its BD968xx‑C PMIC family with the BD96340MFF‑C DrMOS driver in a modular architecture. Engineers can select a main PMIC, add sub‑PMICs for peripheral blocks, and attach the DrMOS for high‑current rails, all operating from a 2.7‑5.5 V input. The parts are delivered in wettable‑flank quad‑flat no‑lead and flip‑chip QFN packages that meet AEC‑Q100 automotive standards, ensuring reliability under vibration and temperature extremes. This flexibility lets OEMs reuse the same power topology across multiple SoC generations, cutting redesign cycles dramatically.

By simplifying power‑train integration, Rohm’s solution could give automakers a competitive edge in the race to commercialize Level‑2 and Level‑3 autonomous features. The reduced engineering effort translates into faster model rollouts and lower total‑cost‑of‑ownership, a critical metric as vehicle margins tighten. Competitors such as Texas Instruments and Infineon are also expanding their automotive PMIC portfolios, but Rohm’s emphasis on configurability and DrMOS pairing is a distinctive proposition. As domain‑controller adoption accelerates, the demand for adaptable, high‑current power modules is likely to grow, positioning Rohm as a key supplier in the next wave of vehicle electronics.