STMicroelectronics’ BLDC Motor Gate Drivers Boost Efficiency in Power Tools and Industrial Instruments

The STDRIVE102P and STDRIVE102BP are STMicroelectronics’ latest additions to its STDRIVE102 series of gate-driver IC series for three-phase brushless motors. Able to operate from supply voltages from 6 to 50 V, they help ensure high energy efficiency in battery-operated equipment such as power tools and domestic appliances.

The devices, which can drive six external N-channel power MOSFETs, are programmable via an integrated SPI interface to source up to 1 A and sink up to 2 A as well as provide slew-rate regulation without external resistors. An ultra-low standby current of only 50 nA typ. helps maximize battery life in portable and battery-powered applications.

STDRIVE102 components integrate an advanced charge pump that ensures continuous operation of the high-side driver circuitry, simplifying the design of applications that require a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) duty cycle of 100%. Integrated 12- and 3.3-V linear regulators (LDOs) power the internal low-side drivers and embedded analog front end (AFE).

The STDRIVE102BP’s configurable analog front end (AFE) includes three programmable-gain amplifiers (PGAs) and three comparators for measuring the motor shunt currents. They can be enabled and disabled individually to save energy. The STDRIVE102P has a simplified AFE with one PGA and one comparator.

All STDRIVE102 devices are equipped with a comprehensive set of embedded protection features, including undervoltage lockout, and drain-source voltage (V_DS) monitoring on both the high and low side for dual-redundant overcurrent protection.

Evaluation boards for the EVLDRIVE102P and EVLDRIVE102BP , which include a three-phase inverter circuit based on ST’s STL220N6F7 power MOSFETs, are available now. Both are compatible with many of the company’s STM32 MCU-based Nucleo control boards and software ecosystem, such as the X-CUBE-MCSDK motor-control software package.

The STDRIVE102P is housed in a 5- × 5-mm, 40-pin VFQFPN, priced from $1.23. The STDRIVE102BP comes in a 6- × 6-mm, 48-pin VFQFPN, priced from $1.29. Pricing is for orders of 1,000 pieces. They’re currently in production.