AT32 MCU-Based High-Performance Motor Control Solutions

HSINCHU, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the development of industrial automation and growing awareness of energy conservation and carbon reduction, BLDC motors have been widely applied to improve the energy efficiency. Focusing on high-speed and real-time control, AT32 MCU-based motor control solutions improve motor vector control accuracy with the help of AT32 MCU high-performance computing and real-time sampling efficiency. Motor current is a critical physical quantity feedback in the field-oriented control (FOC) algorithm of three-phase AC motors. To simplify circuit layout and lower system cost, the 1-shunt current sensing technology has been developed and applied to realize overcurrent protection with only one current sensing resistor and an amplifier circuit, without additional correction. AT32 MCUs are embedded with high-performance and high-speed ADCs that can be used with dedicated circuit to perform 1-shunt current sensing so as to improve sampling accuracy and performance. Therefore, AT32 MCU-based motor control solutions are applicable to devices such as electric two-wheelers, electric scooters, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, ceiling fans and HVAC blowers/compressors, to realize accurate motor control.

ARTERY has developed a complete and efficient motor control ecosystem and released some series applicable for motor control, such as AT32F413 and AT32F421. The AT32F413 series is based on ARM® Cortex®-M4F 32-bit core operating at a frequency of up to 200 MHz. Embedded with 64~256KB Flash and 16~64KB SRAM, and featured with 1x USB interface, 2x CANs, 1x SDIO, 5x UARTs, and 2x ADCs, AT32F413 series is suitable for fast current/speed/position control loop computation at a high frequency sampling rate; meanwhile, it supports other programs and features such as communication to meet the requirements of high-speed data acquisition, mixed signal processing, industrial control and motor applications.

To reduce the time required for 1-shunt current sensing, high-performance hardware circuit and analog/digital converter are needed to achieve similar performance to that of multiple current sensors. The value-line AT32F421 and AT32F4212 series are based on ARM® Cortex®-M4 32-bit core operating at a frequency of up to 120 MHz, feature 16~64 KB Flash and 8~16 KB SRAM, and include 1x high-speed rail to rail input/output voltage comparator and 1x 12-bit 2 Msps ADC supporting up to 28 MHz conversion frequency and minimum sampling time of 54 ns (total conversion time is only 0.5 ms), which makes them suitable for 1-shunt current sensing driver and accurate sampling within a short time window. In addition, AT32F4212 series is designed with 2x OPAs on the basis of AT32F421, and simplifies circuit layout and lowers the material costs. To simplify 1-shunt current sensing, the internal PWM shift is adjusted to shorten the current feedback signal stabilization time and ADC sampling conversion time.

ARTERY also provides motor control library that includes encoder and sensored/sensorless FOC related functions (for 3-shunt/2-shunt/1-shunt sensing) and sensored/sensorless six-step BLDC functions, and develops free motor monitor program for users to view the real-time motor operating parameters, status and dynamic response waveforms on user-friendly UI interface for further online debugging when necessary. With such powerful hardware development kit and easy-to-use motor control algorithms and programs, engineers can realize efficient motor control including square-wave drive, sine-wave drive, feedback of Hall sensor and sensorless control.

Focusing on promoting innovative development of 32-bit MCUs, ARTERY has launched AT32 MCU product series based on ARM® Cortex®-M4 (high performance) or M0+ (low power) core, and has developed M4-based MCUs operating at a frequency of up to 288 MHz, with excellent quality and high performance, reliability and stability. All AT32 MCU series can operate in the temperature range of -40°C to 105°C, and have been widely used in diversified end products, such as high-speed dryer, sweeping robot, frequency converter, industrial sewing machine, servo-drive, gaming, circuit breakers, ADAS, T-BOX, digital power and electric tool, penetrating into motor control, industrial control, consumer electronics, IoT and 5G, etc.

SOURCE Artery Technology