Single-Chip Motor Controller

STMicroelectronics'a euro ~digital SPIN', or dSPIN, combines the digitalcontrol, analog measurement and power electronic circuitry for controllingstepper motors using ST's BCD fabrication process. It is the first device inST's new dSPIN family of monolithicmotor-control ICs. Implementing the motor-control calculations in hardwaresimplifies software design by requiring only acceleration, deceleration, speedand target position commands from the application microcontroller. This freesmicrocontroller resources to support other differentiating features.

Thevoltage-mode approach allows full digital control, feeding the motor phaseswith an accurate sinusoidal waveform and resulting in position resolution of128 microsteps per step. Other advantages include reduced resonances,mechanical noise and low-speed vibration, as well as reduced speed and torqueripple at low speeds.

SThas taken advantage of analog integration using its advanced BCD process toimplement rich protection features on the chip. These include over-temperatureprotection, low bus voltage protection, non-dissipative over-current protectionand motor stall detection.

Features of dSPIN