austriamicrosystems AS8221 FlexRay standard transceiver

austriamicrosystems has released the AS8221 FlexRay standard transceiver, certified to the latest FlexRay standard V2.1 Rev B.

The device acts as the interface between digital logic and copper cable transmission for the next generation of motor vehicle networks.

It is capable of transmission rates of up to 10 Mbps, 20 times the speed of unshielded twisted copper cables used in cars today.

The transceiver provides all the functions to enable its integration in electronic control units powered with permanent battery voltage. While the microchip is only fed by the car battery, it provides wake-up functionality via the network and is therefore responsible for controlling the local voltage supply.

Another safety feature is its interface to optionally monitor circuits (eg, bus guardian), which can uncouple the control unit from the communication network in case of a fault to ensure communication across the remaining network.