STMicroelectronics EV-VNQ5E160AK

Overview

EV-VNQ5E160AK from STMicroelectronics is a pre-assembled evaluation board for the VNQ5E160AK-E quad-channel high-side driver IC, designed for automotive 12 V grounded-load control. It integrates thermal heat-sinking, PowerSSO-24 mounting, and full electrical connectivity via dual 24-pin headers (J1/J2), supporting prototyping of load switching, diagnostics, and current sensing in vehicle body electronics.

For engineers reviewing the EV-VNQ5E160AK datasheet, EV-VNQ5E160AK pinout, EV-VNQ5E160AK application, or EV-VNQ5E160AK equivalent, this board enables rapid validation of VIPower M0-5 technology features-including 10 A current limiting, analog per-channel current sense, overtemperature auto-restart, and 4.5–28 V operation-without custom PCB design.

Technical Context

The EV-VNQ5E160AK implements a fixed hardware interface to the VNQ5E160AK-E IC, exposing all 24 pins through two 12-pin connectors (J1 and J2) with defined signal mapping: VCC, GND, four INPUTx, four CURRENT SENSEx, CS_DIS, and four OUTPUTx (each replicated across three pins for current handling). The board uses 2-layer FR4 (38 × 43 mm) with 70 µm Cu, thermal vias (0.3 mm Ø, 1.2 mm spacing), and R_thj-amb = 30.5 °C/W.

It provides passive thermal management only-no active cooling or external bias components-and requires external microcontroller logic, load connections, and optional shared sense resistor configuration via CS_DIS. No on-board regulation, isolation, or firmware is included.

Key Specifications

Availability

EV-VNQ5E160AK is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for automotive body control module development, vehicle lighting system prototyping, and under-hood solenoid/relay driver validation requiring stable component supply and verified thermal layout.

Supply support for EV-VNQ5E160AK 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, Switzerland, specializing in automotive, industrial, and power management solutions with broad IP and manufacturing scale.

This evaluation board belongs to ST's VIPower® evaluation platform family, purpose-built to accelerate adoption of their M0-5 high-side drivers in automotive load-control applications with integrated protection and diagnostics.

FAQ

Does EV-VNQ5E160AK include the VNQ5E160AK-E IC?

Yes. The board is pre-assembled with one VNQ5E160AK-E quad high-side driver in PowerSSO-24 package. No soldering or IC installation is required-only external load, power, and microcontroller signal connections are needed to operate.

Can EV-VNQ5E160AK be used for production-level thermal validation?

No. While it provides measured R_thj-amb = 30.5 °C/W and thermal vias, its 2-layer FR4 layout and lack of forced airflow or heatsink mounting make it suitable only for functional and preliminary thermal prototyping-not final thermal qualification per AEC-Q100.

What is the role of the CS_DIS pin on this board?

The CS_DIS pin (J1 pin 11) disables all four analog current sense outputs when pulled high. This allows sharing of a single external sense resistor among multiple VNQ5E160AK-E boards or similar VIPower devices, reducing component count in multi-channel systems.

Is external reverse-battery protection required?

Yes. Although the VNQ5E160AK-E IC includes internal reverse-battery diode protection, the EV-VNQ5E160AK board itself does not integrate that diode. Users must add an external Schottky diode (e.g., 40 V/15 A) between VCC and battery input per UM1556 guidelines.