A brand new automotive gate driver is redefining 48V mild-hybrid effectivity with configurable channels, built-in safety, and superior diagnostics—enabling smarter, safer energy management for tomorrow’s electrified automobiles.

STMicroelectronics has launched the L98GD8, an automotive-grade 8-channel gate driver designed to optimize effectivity and adaptability in 48V mild-hybrid techniques—a rising phase bridging combustion and electrical mobility.As carmakers speed up the shift towards electrified drivetrains, 48V energy architectures have gotten the brand new normal for enhancing automobile efficiency and assembly stricter emission norms. These techniques energy crucial parts reminiscent of built-in starter-generators, e-compressors, pumps, and cooling followers, bettering vitality restoration and decreasing general automobile weight.
The important thing specs embody:
- Automotive-qualified and prepared for mass manufacturing
- Compact 10mm × 10mm TQFP64 bundle for space-efficient designs
- Helps the rising 48V energy structure pattern in automobiles
- Delivers excessive configurability, security, and reliability for hybrid techniques
- Designed to energy the following technology of environment friendly, electrified mobility
On the coronary heart of this evolution, the L98GD8 gives eight absolutely configurable outputs able to driving NMOS or PMOS FETs in high-side, low-side, or H-bridge configurations. This flexibility permits engineers to deal with various features—from DC motor driving to valve management—utilizing a single IC. Working from provides as much as 58V, the system helps each particular person and multi-switch architectures, serving to streamline design throughout totally different automobile subsystems.
To make sure system security and robustness, the corporate has inbuilt a wealthy suite of diagnostics and safety options. Every channel consists of monitoring for short-circuit, open-load, and floor faults, alongside logic BIST, {hardware} self-checking voltage supervision, and a communication watchdog timer. Superior sensing capabilities—reminiscent of drain-source voltage monitoring and shunt-based present measurement—additional reinforce reliability beneath demanding automotive situations.
Noise-sensitive designs profit from programmable gate present, enabling exact management of switching traits to satisfy stringent EMC compliance requirements. For crucial purposes, an ultrafast overcurrent shutdown mechanism with twin failsafe redundancy provides one other layer of safety.


