High Power, Compact BLDC Motor Control

The smart gate driver IC is designed for 3-phase Sensorless Brushless DC (BLDC) motor applications. It integrates three half-bridge smart gate drivers capable of powering three N-channel MOSFET bridges with voltages ranging from 4.5V to 60Vmax, with 1A drive and 2A sinking current capability. This allows for control of high-current GaN MOSFETs. The IC is also equipped with a buck-boost converter to supply power to the MCU. Furthermore, it incorporates three differential amplifiers with adjustable gain for precise ground-side shunt current sensing with an S/H system, feeding data to the MCU's ADC input.

Using the MCU enhances data communication capabilities through CAN FD and I³C protocols, alongside a specialized ADC for motor control. The MCU is capable of calculation-intensive algorithms for smoother tuning of the connected motor. The GaN high voltage MOSFETs allow for high current switching without the need for bulky heatsinks.

System Benefits:

• Facilitates a minimalistic PCB design approach while keeping the specialized communications and motor control requirements.
• GaN MOSFETs enable compact heatsink designs and operation without forced cooling.
• Supports a wide range of motor specifications, from 5V to 60V, accommodating 20A motors without heatsinks (up to 1200W max) and peak startup currents reaching 46A.