STMicroelectronics EV-VND5E025AK

Overview

EV-VND5E025AK from STMicroelectronics is a pre-assembled evaluation board for the VND5E025AK-E double-channel high-side VIPower® driver in PowerSSO-24 package, designed to drive 12 V automotive grounded loads with integrated diagnostics, thermal protection, and CMOS-compatible 3 V/5 V interface. It features dedicated analog current sense per channel, load current limitation (60 A typ), on-state resistance of 25 mΩ, and operates across 4.5–28 V supply range.

For engineers reviewing the EV-VND5E025AK datasheet, EV-VND5E025AK pinout, EV-VND5E025AK application, or EV-VND5E025AK equivalent, this board enables rapid prototyping of automotive load control systems requiring real-time current sensing, short-circuit detection, open-load diagnosis, and thermal management - all with minimal external components.

Technical Context

The EV-VND5E025AK implements ST's VIPower M0-5 technology to support dual high-side switching with independent analog current sense outputs (CS1, CS2) and a shared CS_DIS enable pin. It interfaces directly with microcontrollers via logic-level INPUT1/INPUT2 and provides diagnostic feedback through voltage-scaled sense signals proportional to load current.

Thermal design includes PCB-integrated heat sinking using 2-layer FR4 with 70 µm copper, thermal vias (0.3 mm diameter, 1.2 mm spacing), and TAB-connected VCC/GND planes - achieving 29 °C/W junction-to-ambient thermal resistance for the mounted VND5E025AK-E IC.

Key Specifications

Availability

EV-VND5E025AK is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for automotive body control modules, lighting control units, HVAC actuator drivers, and industrial PLC output stages requiring stable component supply and validated thermal performance.

Supply support for EV-VND5E025AK 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, delivering silicon solutions for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications with emphasis on reliability, safety, and system integration.

The EV-VND5E025AK belongs to ST's VIPower® evaluation board family, developed specifically to accelerate adoption of their high-side drivers in automotive-grade load control designs requiring diagnostics, protection, and thermal robustness.

FAQ

What is the purpose of the CS_DIS pin on the EV-VND5E025AK board?

The CS_DIS pin disables the internal current sense circuitry of the VND5E025AK-E when pulled high, allowing external sharing of a single sense resistor across multiple identical drivers. This reduces component count and improves measurement consistency in multi-channel systems where synchronized current monitoring is required without individual sense amplifiers.

Can the EV-VND5E025AK be used with 5 V microcontrollers?

Yes - the INPUT1 and INPUT2 pins are fully compatible with 3 V and 5 V CMOS logic levels, enabling direct connection to common microcontrollers such as STM32, PIC, or AVR families without level-shifting. The board's logic interface thresholds are guaranteed across temperature and supply voltage ranges per the VND5E025AK-E datasheet.

Does the board include protection against load dump transients?

The EV-VND5E025AK itself does not integrate transient voltage suppression; however, the VND5E025AK-E IC it hosts supports up to 41 V transient supply voltage, making it inherently capable of surviving ISO 7637-2 Pulse 5a load-dump events when used with appropriate input filtering - as detailed in ST application note AN4212.

How is thermal performance achieved on this evaluation board?

Thermal performance relies on the PowerSSO-24 package's exposed thermal pad (TAB), soldered to large copper areas on both PCB layers, connected via an array of 0.3 mm thermal vias spaced at 1.2 mm intervals. This structure achieves 29 °C/W junction-to-ambient resistance, verified under natural convection per ST's thermal characterization in Doc ID 023978 Rev 2.