TRINAMIC introduces low-voltage drives

     TRINAMIC Motion Control Ltd. announced the launch of the TMC7300, a low-voltage driver for one DC motor with peak current up to 2A, or two DC motors with peak current up to 2.4A. Powered by single or dual lithium-ion batteries or at least 2 AA batteries, the TMC7300 is ideal for use in battery-powered devices such as IoT and handheld devices, printers, POS applications, toys, cameras and mobile medical devices.

     Thanks to the integrated direct bridge, the chip can also be used to control solenoids, relays and other actuators. Despite its compact size - just 3x3 mm in a QFN20 package - the TMC7300 uses integrated power MOSFETs and fully integrated DC motor control logic for high power density. It can therefore control speed and limit torque, or be used for torque control operations.

     Michael Randt, founder and CEO of the Hamburg, Germany-based company, explains: "By launching a new family of driver ics for battery-powered applications, we hope to inspire innovation. We want to spark the imagination of engineers around the world by giving them the tools they need to develop new applications and translate proven concepts into portable devices that are easy for consumers and professionals to use."

     For ease of use, the TMC7300 comes with a single-wire UART interface. It can control the direction, speed and torque of up to two DC motors. Combined with Trinamic's development environment, which includes open source hardware and software, the new chip enables rapid prototyping with lower overhead costs.

     Protection and diagnostics support stable and reliable operation, including PWM control for smooth acceleration and deceleration, internal current limiter for protection of DC motors and power supplies, and mechanical load sensing. By using a detection resistor to reach the required maximum current, the chip can disable the power amplifier stage and report errors via interface or DIAG output.