'Undisputed champion' of system stability

The AS8221 FlexRay standard transceiver is designed to act as an interface between digital logic and copper cable transmission for the next generation of automotive networks. It is capable of transmission rates up to 10Mbit/s which, according to Austriamicrosystems, is 20 times the speed of unshielded twisted copper cables used in cars today. Its short asymmetric delay has been designed to aid network structure. The device can be integrated in electronic control units powered with permanent battery voltage, while the microchip is only fed by the car battery, it is said to provide wake up functionality via the network and is responsible for controlling the local voltage supply. Another safety feature of the AS8221 is its interface to optionally monitor circuits which can, in safety critical applications, uncouple the control unit from the communication network in case of a fault, ensuring communication across the remaining network. The transceiver is suitable for automotive applications with temperature ranging from -40 to 125°C and is available in an RoHS compliant SSOP20 package.