Product category:
Motors and Variable speed drives
News Release from: Allegro MicroSystems Europe | Subject: Mosfet pre-driver ICs
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 August 2006
Automotive-grade Mosfet ICs for motor
control
A range of automotive-grade Mosfet pre-driver ICs for in-vehicle motor control applications is now available from Allegro MicroSystems Europe
A range of automotive-grade Mosfet pre-driver ICs for in-vehicle motor control applications is now available from Allegro MicroSystems Europe The new device family, which will operate over a junction temperature range from -40C to +150C, are designed for use in applications including wipers, blowers, water pumps, cooling systems, starter, electronic braking, steering, transmission and closure systems
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 2 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The range includes four devices: the A3935 3-phase power Mosfet controller; the A3940 full-bridge power Mosfet controller; the A3946 half-bridge power Mosfet controller; and the 3930/31 3-phase brushless DC controller and Mosfet driver.
The A3935 is designed specifically for automotive applications that require high-power motors.
Each device provides six high-current gate drive outputs capable of driving a wide range of n-channel power Mosfets.
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The A3935 integrates a pulse-frequency modulated boost converter to create a constant supply voltage for driving the external Mosfets.
Direct control of each gate output is possible via six TTL-compatible inputs.
A differential amplifier is integrated to allow accurate measurement of the current in the three-phase bridge.
The A3940 is also designed for applications that require high-power motors.
Each device provides four high-current gate drive outputs capable of driving n-channel power Mosfets in a full-bridge configuration.
Bootstrap capacitors are used to provide the above battery supply voltage required for n-channel FETs.
An internal charge pump for the high side allows for DC (100% duty cycle) operation of the bridge.
Protection features include supply under/overvoltage, thermal shutdown, and motor lead short-to-battery and short-to-ground fault notification, plus a programmable dead-time adjustment for cross-conduction prevention.
The A3946 is designed for applications that require high power unidirectional DC motors, three-phase brushless DC motors, or other inductive loads.
It provides two high-current gate drive outputs: a high-side gate driver which switches an N-channel Mosfet to control current to the load, and a low-side gate driver that switches an N-channel Mosfet as a synchronous rectifier.
A bootstrap capacitor provides the above-battery supply voltage required for N-channel Mosfets.
An internal charge pump for the high side allows for DC (100% duty cycle) operation of the half-bridge.
The A3930/31 is a 3-phase brushless DC motor controller for use with n-channel external power Mosfets, and incorporates much of the circuitry required to design a cost-effective 3-phase motor drive system, including integrated commutation logic based on Hall sensor inputs.
A charge pump regulator provides adequate gate drive for battery voltages down to 7V, and allows the device to operate with a reduced gate drive at battery voltages down to 5.5V.
Power dissipation in the charge pump is minimised by switching from a voltage doubling mode at low supply voltage to a dropout mode at the nominal running voltage of 14 V.
The device features extensive diagnostic features and uses internal fixed-frequency PWM current control circuitry to regulate the maximum load current.
Packages include SSOP, TSSOP, SOIC and the ultra-compact LQPF-48.
All are available in lead (Pb) free versions.
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