New Addition of H-bridge Driver ICs for Brushed DC and Stepper Motors

Phil Black - PII Editor 20/05/2016

259 1 minute read

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Device can control two brushed DC motors or one stepper motor

Toshiba Electronics Europe has announced a new addition to its range of H-bridge [1] driver ICs for brushed DC and stepper motors. The TC78H620FNG is ideally suited to battery-powered mobile devices – such as fans and small printers – and home appliances.

The new IC adopts a four-port interface control technique using the PHASE and ENABLE signals. Control is secured using just three ports, unlike previous devices that required all four ports for full step control of a stepper motor. This addresses challenges in applications where the lack of MCU control ports is an issue.

The TC78H620FNG is compatible with low-voltage drives (for motor drive: 2.5V and above, for logic control: 2.7V and above) making it suitable for mobile devices with a 3.7V lithium-ion battery drive. Either two DC brushed motors or a single stepping motor can be controlled. A maximum current consumption of 1uA in standby mode contributes to reduced power consumption.

Toshiba’s new driver is supplied in a compact SSOP16 package that permits a smaller mounting area and helps reduce the size and cost of boards. Built-in motor protection and safety features include overcurrent detection, thermal shutdown and under-voltage lockout functionality. In addition, shoot-through current protection supports motor control without needing to consider deadtimes when switching output ON and OFF.

Note:
[1] H bridge: a circuit formed by aligning transistors in an H form. Used to drive DC brushed motors and stepping motors with forward and reverse control.