Infineon Technologies has launched two new XENSIV barometric air pressure (BAP) sensors: the KP464 and KP466 for automotive applications. Although the KP464 is primarily designed for engine control management, the KP466 BAP sensor is designed for seat comfort functions.
KP464 enables fuel efficiency by reducing energy consumption
The KP464 BAP sensor measures atmospheric pressure, which depends on altitude and weather conditions. The engine management system uses sensor measurement data to calculate air density and ensures the optimal mixture of air and fuel. This is the key function to improve fuel efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
With reduced emissions of CO 2 energy losses and other pollutants can be minimized. Infineon's KP464 BAP sensor combines density measurement with additional diagnostics, such as monitoring air pressure in the manifold. Lower power consumption and additional package miniaturization increase device productivity.
KP466 offers comfort and technical advantages
With the next generation of the KP466 BAP sensor, Infineon enables seat manufacturers to realize innovative pneumatic seating systems with many additional functions that are particularly comfortable and offer clear technical advantages.
For example, the multi-contour seat function allows vehicle occupants to adapt the seat contour to their individual needs. Air cells integrated into the lumbar support and seat cushion allow the seat to adapt to the body. Massage functions further improve passenger comfort on long journeys by alternately inflating and deflating the air cells.
The driving dynamics function automatically adjusts the seat's side supports to the current driving situation, ensuring optimum stability for the occupants, even when cornering.
The optimized solution consumes significantly less power and features a miniaturized five-hole housing. The system constantly monitors the pressure status and adjusts the pressure in the pads according to current requirements. This is done by using multiple absolute pressure sensors to monitor pressure throughout the system. Infineon sensors are SPI enabled, allowing the system to communicate efficiently.
The CARACTERISTICS
The KP464 and KP466 sensors are high-performance, high-precision miniaturized digital absolute pressure sensors based on the capacitive measurement principle. The sensors are qualified according to the AEC-Q103-002 standard to meet the requirements of the automotive industry.
As a result, the devices reduce effort and risk of errors during module and system qualification. They are micromachined on the surface and feature an integrated monolithic signal conditioning circuit. Both devices convert a physical pressure into a 10, 12 or 14-bit digital value and transmit the information via the SPI interface.
Furthermore, both sensors can be integrated in a so-called series chain, which minimizes the number of microcontroller connection pins communicating with any number of pressure sensors used. This is also possible in combination with other Infineon system components.
A temperature sensor is also integrated into the chips. Based on the received SPI command, 10-, 12-, or 14-bit temperature information is also transmitted via the SPI interface. Both devices have a special shutdown mode that allows the user to further reduce the power consumption of the sensors.
Furthermore, the sensors integrate a diagnostic function that can be used to test both the sensor cells and the signal path, increasing the reliability of the devices. This diagnosis can be done automatically upon initialization and activation of the sensor or triggered directly through an SPI command.
