Motor drivers claim to lower noise, vibration, footprint

Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. has announced four devices as the latest addition to its portfolio of motor driver ICs, ranging from precision stepper motor drivers to sensorless brushless DC motor drivers that support reduced motor noise and vibration, for home, business and industrial applications. The TB67S269FTG is a bipolar stepping motor driver with a maximum rating of 50V and 2A, and three brushless DC motor drivers: the TB67B001FTG, TB67B008FTG and TB67B008FNG have maximum rating of 25V and 3A.

The TB67S269FTG targets a range of applications that require high-speed, high-precision motor drives. These range from printers and office automation equipment, to ATMs and banknote identification machines, as well as gaming equipment and home appliances. The driver's high-resolution, 1/32-step motor driving technology lowers noise and vibration, as compared to Toshiba's standard stepping motor driver TB62214A/TB62215A, while heat generation is reduced via low ON resistance (0.8惟 or less, upper + lower) MOSFET H-bridges and featuring Toshiba's Advanced Mixed Decay (ADMD) technology that optimises the drive capability of complex motor currents. Housed in a small (7 x 7 x 0.5mm) WQFN48 package to support end-product downsizing and cost reduction, the TB67S269FTG also incorporates built-in error-detection circuits, including thermal shutdown and overcurrent protection. Mass production is slated to begin this month.

The three brushless DC motor drivers are three-phase sensorless driver ICs for small cooling fans used in network servers and eco-conscious home appliances. To operate at peak efficiency, these fans require quiet operation. The products feature a 150-degree wide-angle commutation drive, which contributes to reduced vibration and motor noise (compared to drivers using 120-degree commutation drive), and 30,000rpm motor rotation using a high-speed pulse-width modulation (PWM) drive to enhance cooling.

The driver ICs are also downsized to accommodate the fans' need for smaller motors. The TB67B001FTG features a leadless 5 x 5 x 0.9mm VQFN36 package, the TB67B008FTG offers a 4 x 4 x 0.75mm WQFN24 package, and the TB67B008FNG adopts a typical SSOP24 package (8.3 x 7.6 x 1.6mm). Mass production commenced late last month.

Samples of all the motor driver ICs are available.