STM has introduced the market’s most powerful and most simple-to-use audio power amplifier for commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses and agricultural vehicles, whose electrical systems run at 24 V rather than the 12 V used in cars. It is the world’s first audio amplifier that can drive the cabin loudspeakers directly, without any external components in 24V vehicles. ST’s TDA7576B 24V audio amplifier is built in a proven high-volume semiconductor manufacturing technology called BCD5 that allows a single chip to include both the power blocks and the signal management blocks – so there is no need to use a more expensive multi-chip approach – and it can sustain a peak supply voltage of 60 V without any damage.
Audio amplifiers used in automotive systems must be designed to withstand the demanding automotive environment, including a high level of electrical noise and the need to provide comprehensive protection against potential hazards such as short circuits, load dumps, and excessive chip temperature. The TDA7576B most powerful audio power amplifier for 24V systems is available now in a compact Multiwatt15 package at a price of US$4 in quantities of 1,000 units.
