Design and Evaluation of a 2Mbps SEC Transceiver for Automotive Networks

In this paper, a Supply Embedded Communication (SEC) transceiver for automotive networks is proposed. In an SEC approach, power supply and communication take place on the same differential bus and thus the number of required cables is drastically reduced, leading to space, raw material consumption, and cost advantages. The proposed transceiver is realized in 180nm SOI CMOS technology and is capable of implementing 2Mbps high-speed networks. In addition to proving nominal transient operation, some critical aspects for an automotive application are analyzed. Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is evaluated by conducting emission tests, and finally, the robustness to external disturbances is tested by direct power injection (DPI) tests.