Glow plug driver

Designed to drive fast-starting glow plugs for four- and six-cylinder diesel engines in automotive applications

STMicroelectronics L9524 is an ASSP, driving faststarting glow plugs, which need a PWM-regulated supply voltage. The circuit is driven from the engine control unit via a low frequency PWM signal. The intrinsic logic unit provides an adaptive phase shift of the PWM-driven power stages to minimize current ripple at supply rail. Furthermore, the L9524 offers various programming functions that allow the system to be operated in different modes from four- to six-cylinder applications. A smart failure monitoring and protection concept provides maximum safety and also allows the use of cost-effective PowerMOS, driving the glow plugs with low power losses. A serial read out diagnosis monitors each glow plug, detecting open load or short circuit to ground.

L9524 features

Operating supply voltage: 5 to 18V Quad channel gate driving. For six channel driving, two glow plugs operate in parallel Six channel failure monitoring Two wire interface with PWM input and serial diagnosis output PWM phase shift for current ripple minimization Glow plug power regulation via PWM to compensate variation of Vbatt Slew rate programming via resistor to minimize EMI PowerMOS drop voltage sense as alternative to sense resistors Channel selective open load detection Channel selective overload detection Programmable over current shut down Supply and battery voltage monitoring with shutdown Junction temperature monitoring with shutdown Charge pump voltage monitoring with shutdown Active load-dump clamping Negative clamping of inductive loads Optional relay drive for non-PWM standard glow plugs with go-no-go diagnosis SO-24 and PowerSSO-24 packages

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L9524 basic block diagram with peripheral components

Vs

L9524
Gate drive Logic

Vbatt

Cp Control Diagnosis

Relay drive

Mode programming

Diagnosis

Glow plugs

For many years, glow plugs for diesel engines were just driven by a common power relay, monitored by a simple diagnostic circuit. Raising demands on exhaust emission and fuel consumption during downhill drive forced the usage of a new low ohmic glow plug generation, providing a quick temperature raise. Fast-starting glow plugs need an average supply voltage of 7V after the boost period, reachable via PWM control. L9524 provides a sophisticated power regulation in combination with supply current ripple minimization allowing engine management to monitor operation status via a diagnosis interface.

Six-cylinder engine glow plug drive with sense resistors power regulation active
L9524
Vs Vs GND BAT CP G1 G2 G3 G4 SP1 SN1 SP2 DO SN2 SP3 SN3 IO MS CUR OCT SP4 SN4 SN5 SN6 STB100NF04L STP85NF55L STB100NF04L

STP85NF55L

Vbatt

Cl Control Diagnosis

Driving six glow plugs requires the paralleling of two glow plugs for two channels, because only four high-side channels are available. Despite paralleling, the open load diagnosis covers six channels.

Four-cylinder engine glow plug drive with sense resistors power regulation not active
L9524
4x STP85NF55L Vs Vs GND BAT CP G1 G2 G3 G4 SP1 SN1 SP2 DO SN2 SP3 SN3 IO MS CUR OCT SP4 SN4 SN5 SN6

Vbatt

Cl Control Diagnosis

Power regulation becomes disabled if pin IO is interconnected to pin CUR. In this case the microcontroller inside engine control unit corrects the PWM duty cycle if supply voltage deviates from 12V.

Driving standard glow plugs via relay with go-no-go diagnosis

L9524
Vs Vs GND BAT CP G1 G2 G3 G4 SP1 SN1 SP2 SN2 SP3 SN3 IO MS CUR OCT SP4 SN4 SN5 SN6

Vbatt

Control Cl Diagnosis DO

L9524 is also able to drive standard glow plugs switched by a relay. Sense resistors are mandatory to provide open load diagnosis.

Four- and six-cylinder engine glow plug drive without sense resistor power regulation active
L9524
STP85NF55L (STD95N04L DPAK) Vs Vs GND BAT CP G1 G2 G3 G4 SP1 SN1 SP2 DO SN2 SP3 SN3 IO MS CUR OCT SP4 SN4 SN5 SN6

Vbatt

Cl Control Diagnosis

L9524
STP85NF55L (STD95N04L DPAK) Vs Vs GND BAT CP G1 G2 G3 G4 SP1 SN1 SP2 DO SN2 SP3 SN3 IO MS CUR OCT SP4 SN4 SN5 SN6

Vbatt

Cl Control Diagnosis

As an alternative to a sense resistor, the Ron of the PowerMOS is also suitable for detecting open loads and short circuits.

STMicroelectronics - September 2006 - Printed in Italy - All rights reserved

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Order code: FLPLUGDR0806