TI Spins Automotive Brushless DC Motors With Two New Motor Drivers

June 15, 2016
Texas Instruments has introduced two new automotive motor drivers that support high-performance powertrain applications.

Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced two new automotive motor drivers that support high-performance powertrain applications. The DRV8305-Q1, a highly integrated three-phase brushless DC gate driver, and the UCC27211A-Q1, a high-current half-bridge gate driver, improve system performance and provide design flexibility to meet a diverse range of automotive system requirements.

For powertrain applications such as transmission pumps or engine cooling fans, the DRV8305-Q1 features a smart gate-drive architecture with programmable slew-rate control that allows easy optimization of MOSFET electromagnetic compliance (EMC). With an operating ambient temperature range of -40 to 150°C, the DRV8305-Q1 meets the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC)-Q100 Grade 0 automotive temperature specification. Other features and benefits include the following:

  • Start-stop support: The device operates down to 4.4 V to support start-stop functionality, which enables car manufacturers to meet strict fuel efficiency and carbon-dioxide emission standards.
  • Reduced board space: The DRV8305-Q1's integrated 3.3V or 5V linear regulator, three current-sense amplifiers and smart gate-drive architecture reduces board size and eliminates up to 20 external components.
  • Fault protection: Advanced on-chip protection with detailed fault diagnostics guard against overtemperature, undervoltage lockout, MOSFET shoot-through and overcurrent events.

For automotive designers looking for design flexibility, the 100-V UCC27211A-Q1 half-bridge gate driver supports both brushed and brushless DC motor applications. Designing with individual half bridges allows placement of the gate driver close to the MOSFETs, minimizing parasitic inductances and simplifying overall board layout. Additionally, it offers the following benefits:

  • Leading performance: With the industry's fastest propagation delays at 15 ns, fast rise and fall times of 7 ns and a 4-A peak gate drive, the device packs high performance into a small 4.89-mm-by-3.9-mm package size.
  • Robust protection: The UCC27211A-Q1's negative voltage rating of -12V protects the driver from potentially damaging voltage spikes.

The DRV8305-Q1 and UCC27211A-Q1 expand TI's robust portfolio of motor drivers that offer designers integrated, flexible solutions across a broad range of voltage, current, interface, integration and control options.

Package, availability and pricing
The 9-mm-by-9-mm DRV8305-Q1 is available today from the TI store and authorized distributors in a 48-pin thermally enhanced thin-quad flat pack (HTQFP) package. It is priced at US$2.65 in 1,000-unit quantities. The DRV8305-Q1 evaluation module is available at US$99 for designers looking to easily design and configure a three-phase motor drive and control system.

The UCC27211A-Q1 is available now in an eight-pin small outline integrated circuit (SOIC) package with PowerPAD packaging and is priced at US$1.77 in 1,000-unit quantities.

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