New Industry Products

Motor Driver ICs save Space and Simplify Design

July 29, 2014 by Jeff Shepard

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) today announced two additions to its expansive family of motor controller and driver ICs. The new TC78H610FNG and TB67Z800FTG motor driver ICs save space, thereby simplifying design, for a wide range of brushed and brushless dc motor applications. Both devices incorporate over-current detection, thermal shutdown circuitry and an under-voltage lockout circuit to improve safety. Both the TC78H610FNG and TB67Z800FTG entered mass production earlier this month. Samples are available immediately.

Deepak Mithani, senior director, Mixed Signal Business Unit at TAEC, noted, "Manufacturers need robust, flexible motor driver ICs to help them optimize their end products' size and performance. Toshiba has introduced these additions to our motor driver IC portfolio to broaden the range of options available to our customers."

The TC78H610FNG is an H bridge driver for low-voltage brushed dc motors, such as those used in battery-powered equipment, camera equipment, and household electrical devices. Supplied in a SSOP16 package, it can reduce the required mounting area by 21 percent compared to products with similar functionality housed in SSOP20 packages. This, in turn, enables a reduction in both circuit board cost and equipment size.

The TC78H610FNG can control two brushed dc motors or one stepping motor. It has an operating voltage range from 2.5 to 15V and maximum output current of 1.0A. Output on-resistance is 1.2Ω (typical).

The second new IC, the TB67Z800FTG, is a three-channel half-bridge driver that incorporates six DMOS MOSFETs. It can control a three-phase brushless dc motor by turning the DMOS on and off with the input signals from an MCU. The device includes shoot-through current protection whereby its logic circuit prevents the half-bridge MOSFETs from being turned on simultaneously. This capability removes the responsibility from the microcontroller, thus reducing the load on the MCU.

The TB67Z800FTG operates at 4 to 22V and has a maximum output current of 3A. Its 5 x 5 x 0.9mm leadless VQFN package enables the IC to be mounted on a small cooling fan with its thermal radiation pad designed to further enhance cooling. The TB67Z800FTG can be used in high-performance brushless dc motor applications such as server fans, water pumps, and vacuum blowers.