In this article we would like to introduce you the motor driver IC family from Nuvoton – focusing on the BLDC motor drivers.
Besides these, the family also includes stepper motor drivers with mix-decay function and motor drivers for cameras for simultaneous driving of the motors for iris, zoom and focus.
The BLDC motor drivers are highlighted by the integrated Auto Phase Control (APC). With this technology, in-house developed by Nuvoton, the phase shift of the motor current is automatically corrected. This is done by continuously measuring the motor current, which enables the correction to be made.
The automatic phase correction keeps the highest efficiency throughout the entire operation. In this way, reliable, safe and resource-saving motor systems can be realised.
In addition to the APC function, the drivers also include a soft-switching function that enables silent motor operation.
This BLDC motor drivers are especially interesting for fan applications in household appliances, servers or in the industry. Nuvoton also offers suitable motor drivers for high-speed motors.
The BLDC motor driver family from Nuvoton currently consists of six drivers for single-phase or three-phase motors (KA44143A). These are designed for different fan applications. All include the APC feature already introduced. The drivers for “lower” motor speeds also have integrated MOSFETs and are designed for 12V or 24V systems.
The KA44171A for very high motor speeds (≥100krpm) requires external MOSFETs, therefore only the gate drivers are already integrated. In addition to the APC feature, it also includes a so-called “rapid soft-switching” function. This allows the curve of the motor current to be influenced, thus enabling the high speeds. The configuration is done via pin configuration.
The motor drivers from Nuvoton also have various integrated protection functions:
An AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualification is already available for the KA44173A, and is being planned for the other ICs.
Depending on the IC, a PWM signal or a DC voltage can be used for control.
| PartNo | Motor Type | Phase | Features | Sensor | Control interface | Ron(Ω) | Operating Voltage(V) | Output Voltage [max](V) | Output Current [max](A) | Top | Package |
| KA44143A | BLDC | 3 | APC, PWM sinusoidal control | 1 | PWM/DC | 1.0 | 12V / 24V | 28 | 2.2 | -40 to +105°C | QFN24L 4x4mm |
| KA44168A | BLDC | 1 | APC, PWM softswitching | 1 | – | 1.6 | 12V / 24V | 35 | 1.0 | -40 to +105°C | MSOP8L 3x3mm |
| KA44169A | BLDC | 1 | APC, PWM softswitching | 1 | PWM | 1.6 | 12V / 24V | 36 | 1.4 | -40 to +105°C | TSSOP14L 4.4×5.0mm |
| KA44169AB | BLDC | 1 | APC, PWM softswitching | 1 | DC | 1.6 | 12V / 24V | 36 | 1.4 | -40 to +105°C | TSSOP14L 4.4×5.0mm |
| KA44170A | BLDC | 1 | APC, PWM softswitching | 1 | PWM | 1.25 | 12V / 24V | 36 | 1.6 | -40 to +105°C | TSSOP14L 4.4×5.0mm |
| KA44171A | BLDC | 1 | APRaS, PWM softswitching | 1 | PWM/DC | Pre-Dr | 12V / 24V / (48V) | 39 | 0.03 | -40 to +105°C | QFN20L 3x3mm |
The KA441xx motor driver IC family offers an efficient and simple way to implement motor control. We will be happy to advise you on this and other solutions from Nuvoton for such applications. Please contact us directly or send us your enquiry using the following form
