Kit has designs on MCUs for motion control

With built-in CAN and Ethernet interfaces, the RDK-BLDC integrates motion control with network-based communication, command and control.

The latest design aid for the Stellaris family of ARM Cortex-M3-based microcontrollers from Luminary Micro is the Stellaris Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor Control Reference Design Kit (RDK-BLDC) with Ethernet and CAN.

Brushless DC motors offer efficient operation, excellent torque characteristics, and durability, and are particularly suited for use in factory automation, medical instruments, robotics, electric vehicles and mobility devices, pumping and ventilation systems, and small appliances.

With built-in Controller Area Network (CAN) and Ethernet interfaces, the RDK-BLDC represents an industry benchmark in the integration of motion control with network-based communication, command and control.

The Brushless DC Motor Control Reference Design Kit (RDK-BLDC) is a four-quadrant controller for three-phase brushless DC motors rated at up to 36V, 500W and 60,000rev/min.

Key features of the RDK include complete CAN and Ethernet network interfaces, a powerful 32bit Stellaris microcontroller with 256Kbyte of single-cycle internal Flash memory, and embedded software to optimally control a wide range of motors in diverse applications.

Reference design kits (RDKs) from Luminary Micro accelerate product development by pairing ready-to-run software and hardware with an included motor, and providing comprehensive documentation with all software source code and hardware design files.

Designers without prior motor control experience can successfully implement a sophisticated motor control system using the BLDC RDK.

Integrated CAN and Ethernet ports connect the RDK-BLDC to an array of network options - from dedicated industrial networks to worldwide control and monitoring over the Internet.

"Brushless DC motors are extremely popular because of their precision, quiet operation, and energy efficiency - and the Stellaris Brushless DC Motor Control Reference Design Kit helps to streamline the complex combination of power, control, and connectivity functions for the benefit of anyone who utilises the design", says Luminary Micro Chief Marketing Officer Jean Anne Booth.

"We make it easy to adopt the Stellaris BLDC control module directly into end products for an extremely fast time to production advantage".

The RDK-BLDC contains everything required to evaluate and develop brushless DC motor control designs.

The kit includes a brushless DC motor control module featuring Luminary Micro's highly integrated Stellaris LM3S8971 microcontroller with on-chip Ethernet MAC+PHY and CAN, a three-phase brushless DC motor, a graphical control program for Windows and accompanying cables, source code and documentation.

The Stellaris LM3S8971 microcontroller handles all PWM synthesis, position, and analogue sensing as well as Ethernet and CAN networking.

Only a few additional power ICs are necessary to complete the design.

The entire circuit is built on a simple two-layer printed circuit board.

The design includes an onboard braking circuit, optional power-managed fan for forced-air cooling, analogue and digital control inputs, and screw terminals for all power and signal wiring.

Interrupt-driven embedded software provides four-quadrant operation for precise motor control using Hall effect, quadrature or sensorless operation modes.

The graphical control program allows users to experiment with varying drive parameters and observe the effect on motor performance.

Luminary Micro also provides the Stellaris BLDC control module as a stand-alone product (MDL-BLDC) available in cost-effective volume quantities, providing OEMs a production-ready solution to immediately integrate BLDC motor drive controls directly into their respective end products.

Over half of the 104 Stellaris microcontrollers available from Luminary Micro feature integrated motion-specific capabilities typically found only on costly specialised devices.

In addition to a general purpose timer module that can be configured to operate as up to eight PWM outputs, these Stellaris family members integrate a special motion control module that provides up to six additional channels of PWM with enhancements for real-time motor control.

The motion control module can generate simple PWM signals (such as those required by a simple charge pump), paired PWM signals with dead-band delays (such as those required by a half-H bridge driver), and a full six channels of gate controls (such as those required by a three-phase inverter bridge).

In addition, the motion module provides fault-condition handling to quickly shut down a motor in a low-latency situation.

The motion module is complemented by up to two quadrature encoder inputs (QEI), providing precise position sensing for closed-feedback motion control.

The Stellaris Reference Design Kit for Brushless DC Motors (RDK-BLDC) is available now at US $219 for one-off, or US $99 in 1000-unit quantities.

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