STMicroelectronics EV-VN7003AH

Overview

EV-VN7003AH from STMicroelectronics is an evaluation board pre-assembled with the VN7003AH single-channel smart high-side driver in Octapak package, designed for automotive 12 V grounded load control. It supports 4–28 V operation, delivers 135 A current limit, features analog MultiSense current feedback (via J3 pin 8), and enables OFF-state open-load detection via S_EN (J3 pin 9) and IN0 (J3 pin 13).

For engineers reviewing the EV-VN7003AH datasheet, EV-VN7003AH pinout, EV-VN7003AH application, or EV-VN7003AH equivalent, this board provides validated thermal design (R_thj-amb = 39°C/W), plug-and-play connectivity for glow plug/heating system prototyping, and direct CMOS-compatible interface to microcontrollers without external component design.

Technical Context

The EV-VN7003AH implements ST's VIPower M0-7 technology to evaluate the VN7003AH's high-side switching behavior under real automotive conditions, including deep cold cranking down to 3 V supply. It integrates dedicated diagnostic paths for proportional current sensing, thermal shutdown, short-to-VCC detection, and loss-of-ground monitoring.

Board-level thermal management uses FR4 PCB with 2 copper layers, 35 µm thickness, 1.6 mm board height, and optimized thermal vias (0.5 mm diameter, 1.1 mm spacing) to sustain junction temperatures during 135 A transient loads. The sense resistor (TP1–TP2) is user-selectable for precise current scaling.

Key Specifications

Availability

EV-VN7003AH is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for automotive ECU development, glow plug control systems, and 12 V resistive/inductive actuator prototyping requiring stable component supply and production-ready thermal validation.

Supply support for EV-VN7003AH includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

STMicroelectronics is a global semiconductor leader headquartered in Geneva, designing and manufacturing silicon solutions for automotive, industrial, and power applications.

The EV-VN7003AH belongs to ST's VIPower evaluation platform family, engineered to accelerate qualification of smart power switches in harsh automotive environments with integrated diagnostics and robust protection.

FAQ

What is the purpose of the S_EN pin on the EV-VN7003AH board?

The S_EN pin (J3 pin 9) is an active-high enable signal compatible with 3 V/5 V CMOS logic that activates the analog MultiSense current feedback output. When low, it disables OFF-state open-load detection-reducing standby current and enabling shared sense resistor configurations across multiple channels in system-level designs.

Can the EV-VN7003AH evaluate short-to-VCC fault detection?

Yes. The board fully supports VN7003AH's built-in short-to-VCC detection function. This diagnostic triggers when the output is shorted to battery voltage while the driver is off, and is reported via the diagnostic status flag-verified through the board's dedicated test points and compatible with standard automotive diagnostic protocols.

What sense resistor options are supported for MultiSense current feedback?

The board supports both through-hole (mounted on TP1–TP2) and SMD resistors for Rsense selection. The included through-hole resistor allows quick setup; users may replace it with custom values to scale the 1:2000 proportional current output (e.g., 10 mΩ yields 5 mA per 10 A load) based on ADC input range and noise requirements.

Does the EV-VN7003AH require external components to operate with a microcontroller?

No. The board includes all recommended passive components per the VN7003AH datasheet. A microcontroller can directly drive IN0 (J3 pin 13) and S_EN (J3 pin 9), read MultiSense (J3 pin 8), and monitor diagnostics-no additional level-shifting, filtering, or protection circuitry is needed for basic functional evaluation.