STMicroelectronics EVLDRIVE101-HPD motor-drive reference board

The EVLDRIVE101-HPD (high power density) motor-drive reference design from STMicroelectronics packs a 3-phase gate driver, STM32G0 microcontroller and 750 W power stage on a circular PCB just 50 mm in diameter. The board features low power consumption in sleep mode, below 1 µA, and its tiny outline can fit directly in equipment like hairdryers, handheld vacuums, power tools and fans. It also fits into drones, robots and drives for industrial equipment such as pumps and process-automation systems.

Built with ST’s STDRIVE101 3-phase gate driver, the reference design gives users the flexibility to choose the motor-control strategy, such as trapezoidal or field-oriented control (FOC), with sensored or sensorless rotor-position detection. The STDRIVE101 IC contains three-half bridges with 600 mA source/sink capability and operates from 5.5 to 75 V to handle any low-voltage application. The chip integrates voltage regulation for the high-side and low-side gate drivers and configurable drain-source-voltage (VDS) monitoring protection. It also provides an external pin for choosing direct high-side and low-side gate inputs or PWM control.

Developers can also use the STM32G0 single-wire debug (SWD) interface to interact with the microcontroller, while support for direct firmware update allows the application of bug fixes and new features.

The power stage of the EVLDRIVE101-HPD reference design features STL220N6F7 60 V STripFET F7 MOSFETs, which preserve efficiency with their 1,2mΩ typical RDS(on), easing plug-and-play connection of the motor. Additional features include fast-acting power-on circuitry that disconnects the power source when idle to save energy and extend operation in battery-powered applications. Protection built into the driver IC facilitates system safety and efficiency, including the VDS monitoring of the power-stage MOSFETs, as well as under-voltage lockout (UVLO), over-temperature protection and cross-conduction prevention.

The EVLDRIVE101-HPD is ready to use out of the box and is available now from the eSTore.