Renesas Electronics, a global provider of semiconductor solutions, today announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind sensorless motor driver IC family for brushless DC (BLDC) motor applications, which utilizes Renesas’ new patent-pending technology to enable motors to achieve zero-speed, full-torque without sensors, setting an industry first. The new motor driver ICs enable Renesas customers to design sensorless BLDC motor systems with greater horsepower and speed for a given torque. In addition, power consumption is reduced and reliability is improved, while cost and board space are reduced by reducing the number of components designers need to use.
Renesas is releasing three new motor driver ICs with new technology. RAA306012, a stand-alone 65V, 3-phase intelligent driver, can be paired with Renesas or a variety of other MCUs; RAJ306101 integrates the Renesas RX13T 32-bit MCU with the RAA306012 in a single package, thereby reducing board space and cost and improving reliability; and RAJ306102 integrates the Renesas RX13T 32-bit MCU with the RAA306012 in a single package, thereby reducing board space and cost and improving reliability; the RAJ306102 integrates the Renesas RL78/G1F 16-bit MCU with the RAA306012, bringing similar integration benefits.
The ability to achieve full torque at zero speed without the need for sensors is made possible by two Renesas innovations: Enhanced Inductive Sensing (EIS), which provides stable position detection when the motor comes to a complete stop; and the Motor Rotor Position Identification (MRI) method, which is used when the motor is running at very low speeds. At higher speeds, the new motor driver ICs use conventional methods. Both the new EIS and MRI algorithms include cutting-edge, patent-pending technologies developed by Renesas.
“The new sensorless design motor driver ICs offer many advantages in terms of cost, space, power consumption, and reliability,” said Davin Lee, “Vice President of the Advanced Analog Division at Renesas. Now our customers can enjoy these advantages in systems that require zero speed and full torque. This industry first is a great example of Renesas combining its technological prowess with deep application knowledge to create a solution that meets a clear market need.”
Peter Korošec, President and CEO of Domel Inc., a global supplier of electric motors, hoover motors, blowers, and components, said, “We are very much looking forward to the adoption of sensorless technology in new products where sensors were once mandatory. This breakthrough from Renesas will allow us to build new products for our customers based on optimal size, cost, and reliability.”
Key Features of Renesas’ New Motor Driver ICs
- Highly integrated, including driver, power management, and current sensing
- Adaptive and adjustable dead time drives efficiency gains
- The charge pump maintains stable gate drive voltage at programmable settings
- Programmable gate drive voltage to drive N MOSFETs and GaN FETs
- Extensive sensing blocks for higher accuracy and wide RPM drive speeds
- 16 programmable slew rate settings to minimize electromagnetic emissions
- Supports all types of motor control algorithms including trapezoidal, sinusoidal, and FOC.
- Rich protection functions to enhance system safety
Successful Product Portfolio
Renesas has combined its new motor driver ICs with a wide range of compatible devices from its portfolio to create a wide range of Success Portfolios, including cordless hoovers and 20V cordless leaf blowers. Based on compatible devices that work seamlessly together, these “Success Portfolios” feature technology-proven system architectures that enable optimized, low-risk designs for faster time-to-market. Renesas now offers more than 400 Success Portfolios based on a wide range of products in its product portfolio, enabling customers to accelerate the design process and bring products to market faster.
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