Application specific integrated circuit package and initiator employing same

Abstract

An initiator for an inflator of an automotive airbag restraint system includes a housing and a wall dividing the housing into two parts, one for housing a firing element of the initiator, and one for receiving at least one application specific integrated circuit which performs functions of a portion of an electronic control unit. A mounting element is located in the second part of the housing, and at least one application specific integrated circuit is carried by the mounting element. The mounting element and two or more application specific integrated circuits may be provided as a package, in which at least two application specific integrated circuits are mounted in a stacked condition to form an application specific integrated circuit stack. The application specific integrated circuits are configured such that predetermined electrical circuit locations of adjacent ones of the application specific integrated circuits to be interconnected are aligned. The package includes connectors for electrically interconnecting these predetermined electrical circuit locations in adjacent ones of the application specific integrated circuits in the stack.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.