This section provides an overview for ipds as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 11 ipd manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked ipd companies as of November, 2024: 1.Frontgrade Technologies, 2.Infineon Technologies AG, 3.McNika.
Table of Contents
An IPD (Intelligent Power Device) is a power IC that contains a power switch, various protection circuits against overheating and overcurrent, and control circuits on a single chip.
Sometimes called an IPS (Intelligent Power Switch) or Smart Switch, an IPD is a high-performance semiconductor power switch capable of absorbing back energy due to inductive loads.
An IPD is available in two types: high-side switches, which are placed on the current side with respect to the external load, and low-side switches, which are placed on the GND side.
IPDs are used as switches to drive inductive loads such as motors, solenoids, heaters, and lamps that may generate back energy.
Uses of IPDs are particularly prevalent in the automotive field, where they are used in a variety of safety-critical automotive components such as ECUs (engine control units), ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), transmission control units, hydraulic suspension control units, power distribution modules, etc. They are also used in motor drives, solenoids, and other automotive components with strict safety requirements.
It is also used in industrial equipment with motor and solenoid drives and in home appliances such as air conditioners, ventilation fans, and ceiling fans.
IPDs consist of a power device for driving, a current sensor, an overcurrent protection circuit, a temperature sensor, and an overheat protection circuit.
When an inductive load such as a motor or solenoid is driven, a magnetic field is generated around the inductive load. When the drive current is turned off, the current supply ceases and the magnetic field collapses. The electromagnetic induction caused by the change in the magnetic field induces a current in the reverse direction, generating a back EMF. The back EMF generated at this time is proportional to the speed of the current change and can be a high voltage spike far exceeding the supply voltage.
When such a back EMF is generated, IPDs detect the overcurrent by the current sensor and turn off the MOSFET of the overcurrent protection circuit to shut off the current. When it detects that the overcurrent has dissipated, it turns on the MOSFET of the protection circuit again to restore it. The same protection system also works against overheating.
There are two types of IPDs: high-side switches and low-side switches.
High-side switches are inserted between an external load and the power supply and are suitable for circuits with multiple loads connected to a single power supply. Since the battery is fixed and the car body is grounded, high-side switches are often used in automobiles, where the on-board devices are at GND potential when the switch is in the off state.
Low-side switches are inserted between an external load and GND and are suitable for circuits with loads connected to multiple power sources.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Frontgrade Technologies, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a supplier of radiation-hardened and electronic solutions for the space and security sectors. The company's defense & aerospace electronics portfolio includes wireless, audio, video, and data communication products. Its antenna and RF transmission equipment enable the transmission of space signals, while its electronic airfare systems ensure the safety of warfighters. It also provides CT scanners that enable healthcare experts to improve health standards and civil aviation radars for use in aviation industry. The company serves the space, defense, commercial, and medical fields.
Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd., established in 2008, the company is a result of a merger between Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems and the Japanese arm of Schneider Electric S.A., the second largest manufacturer in the same field, is a manufacturer of control instruments, such as electromagnetic switches that use electromagnets to open and close the contact points of electrical circuits. The company have a global presence, offering many power-receiving and distributing devices that can be used in cross-border markets through its wide range of products that conform to major standards in the world.
Mitsubishi Electric was established in Japan in 1921 and headquartered in Tokyo. The company’s Semiconductors & Devices division is a manufacturer of products serving several industries ranging from home appliances and automotive to renewable energy and optical fiber communication. The company’s products are divided into 4 product segments: power devices, high-frequency devices, optical devices, and infrared sensors. Power devices encompass motion controls, most home appliances, and SiC applications. High-frequency devices include satellite communications systems, radios, and base transceiver stations. Optical devices include projector light sources and optical fiber communication. Infrared sensing systems include MeIDIR thermal sensors.
Renesas Electronics Corporation was established in 2002 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Renesas is a global research, design, and manufacturer of semiconductors used in industries spanning automotive, consumer electronics, the internet of things, power & energy, and industrial sectors. Renesas manufactures both analog and digital products. Analog products include amplifiers, audio & video devices, data converters, PLC, and switches & multiplexers. Digital products include microcontrollers, memory components, sensors, wireless connectivity products, and others. Renesas also offers design resources such as kits, development tools, partner programs, and design tools.
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation is a division of Toshiba focusing on providing designs for end-product developers as well as semiconductor and drive equipment for automotive, industrial equipment, green energy, and consumer and personal electronic devices. Toshiba’s storage products include cloud-scale and enterprise-level products, and PC hard drives. Semiconductor products include Si Cower devices, MOSFETs, IGBTs, IEGTs, isolators, solid state relays, power management and intelligent power ICs, diodes, bipolar transistors, microcontrollers, automotive devices, ICs for wireless communication equipment, general purpose logic ICs, radio-frequency devices, sensors, and linear image sensors.
Texas Instruments Incorporated was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Texas Instruments is a producer of high tech equipment for industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment industries. Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers in the United States and internationally. Texas Instruments operates in two segments: analog and embedded processing. The Analog segment offers power products, including battery-management solutions, DC/DC switching regulators, power switches, linear regulators, voltage references, and lighting products. The Embedded Processing segment offers microcontrollers that are used in fields such as electronic equipment and digital signal processors for mathematical computations.
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
Infineon Technologies AG (Infineon) is headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany. Infineon designs, develops, manufactures, and markets semiconductors and related system solutions worldwide. Infineon’s automotive segment produces microcontrollers, discrete power semiconductors, IGBT modules, industrial microcontrollers, power and radar sensor ICs, SiC diodes, MOSFETs voltage regulators, comfort electronics, infotainment, powertrain, and security products. Industrial Power Control segment provides bare dies, discrete IGBTs, and driver ICs among other components. Power & Sensor Systems segment offers gas and pressure sensors, MEMS microphone chips, control ICs, and GaN power switches among others.
McNika, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, is a manufacturer and supplier of electronic components, specializing in semiconductors and integrated circuits. The company offers a wide range of product portfolios including, integrated circuits such as PLDs, and ASICs, analog ICs, electronic devices, network-related software, and hardware. These cutting-edge components cater to diverse industries and applications including consumer electronics for memory and control functions, communication systems for optimizing performance and power efficiency, automotive for safety and navigation systems, and medical devices such as MRI, pacemakers, and glucose monitors.
ROHM Semiconductor was incorporated in 1940 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. ROHM manufactures and sells electronic components worldwide. ROHM operates through the segments ICs, discrete semiconductor devices, and modules. ROHM provides ICs comprising memory, amplifiers and linear, power management, clocks and timers, switches and multiplexers, logic, data converters, sensors and MEMS, display drivers, motor/actuator drivers, interfaces, communication and speech synthesis LSI, audio and video, and microcontrollers. ROHM also offers discrete semiconductor products include MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, and diodes; power devices, including power transistors and diodes, SiC power devices, IGBT, and IPM; passive devices, such as resistors, and conductive polymer and tantalum capacitors; and various modules among others.
Shenzhen LONGSON Century Technology Co. Ltd., established in 2007 and based in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen City, China, is a distributor of electronic components and related products in Asia. The company carries a wide range of products, including CPU monitors, embedded microprocessor systems, DSP signal processors, moldule converters, and radio-frequency and microwave communication circuits. It also provides semiconductors, sensors, connectors, converters, and LED display controllers, among others. The company serves the lighting, mobile, communications, industry, and consumer markets.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Frontgrade Technologies |
20.0%
|
2 | Infineon Technologies AG |
20.0%
|
3 | McNika |
20.0%
|
4 | Texas Instruments |
20.0%
|
5 | Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage |
20.0%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the ipd page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
Japan | 5 | 71.4% |
United States of America | 1 | 14.3% |
China | 1 | 14.3% |