Motion Control Electronics - Yenra

Stepper motor controller ICs with sensorless stall detection improve reliability and reduce complexity

Motor Controller

AMI Semiconductor has expanded its family of single-chip stepper motor driver and controller ICs with two new devices that incorporate sensorless stall detection. The new ICs will improve reliability and reduce component count, board space, cost, and development time in a wide variety of automotive and industrial motion control applications.

The new AMIS-30623 and AMIS-30624 ICs are designed for remote and multiple axes positioning applications and offer LIN and serial (I2C) interface connectivity respectively. Sensorless stall detection functionality allows designers to implement silent yet accurate position calibration and semi-closed loop operation when approaching mechanical end stops. The integrated Motion Qualification Mode helps application developers to select a robust set of motion parameters such as torque and acceleration-deceleration profile. As a result, noise and vibration at end-stops can be eliminated and motion control accuracy and reliability improved without optical encoders, position sensors or software algorithms.

By offering a dedicated LIN interface, the AMIS-30623 will suit mechatronics solutions that are connected remotely to a LIN master. The dedicated serial interface provided with the AMIS-30624 makes this device ideal for applications in which the motor controller IC is a peripheral device located next to a host microcontroller on a single PCB.

Target applications for the new devices will include headlamp leveling and swiveling, automotive HVAC designs, surveillance camera control, professional lighting equipment, industrial X,Y,Z tables, and manufacturing robots.

Both the AMIS-30623 and AMIS-30624 will operate at temperatures from -40 degrees Celsius to 125 degrees Celsius and can deliver programmable peak currents of up to 800mA. The on-chip position controller is configurable for different motor types, positioning ranges and parameters such as speed, acceleration and deceleration. Each device also incorporates a hold current feature, while a power down supply current of under 100uA ensures minimum power consumption in standby mode.

"The trend for automotive and industrial motion control applications is towards reduced component counts, smaller board space requirements and lower cost," said Bart De Cock, product manager of AMI Semiconductor's motor control product line. "These new devices with integrated stall detection directly address these trends by helping engineers to eliminate additional components and design complexity."