Advanced automotive motor drivers from Melexis bring LIN-ready single chip solution to BLDC motors & actuators

The IC family is 45 V load dump protected and will be qualified according AEC-Q100 grade 0 for high temperature automotive application support. As with the MLX81200, the drivers utilize Melexis’ patented TruSense sensor-less driving algorithms in hardware and software for starting and driving BLDC motors using different construction schemes in a reliable way under unknown load conditions. Different current wave form profiles (block, trapezoidal and sinusoidal) can be applied for optimal and energy efficient motor performance. This family also employs an innovative solution for slope control on power transistor switching, allowing customers to optimize in software the EMC behavior, as well as thermal dissipation of the power transistors during the switching process.

Thomas Freitag, Product Line Manager of Melexis, states “The slope control function addresses several problems of electronic and mechatronic designers who only have a very limited PCB space available to solve heat and EMC problems.”

The new IC family targets permanent running BLDC motors typically found in various automotive applications. Examples include fuel pumps, water pumps, oil pumps, engine cooling fans, HVAC blowers and battery cooling fans where high energy efficiency and low system cost are in focus. The IC family concept allows platform designs, so that a high reuse in software and discrete hardware is achievable.

Availability
The first family member, the MLX81215 in a QFN48 7x7 package with software development setups, is available for alpha customers. Next family members and a general availability for developments at customers are planned to be ready in the next months.