SoC supports digital & analogue position sensors

This solution improves system performance by completing the decode tasks on-chip and reducing the communication latency, enabling faster control loop performance. In addition, it allows developers to decrease system cost by reducing the board area required in FPGA or ASIC-based solutions. Position Manager gives developers access to the base functionality needed to interface to EnDat2.2, BiSS-C, Resolver and SIN/COS sensors, saving time in development, support and testing. Based on the real-time control architecture of TI’s C2000 MCUs, the DesignDRIVE platform is suited for the development of industrial inverter and servo drives used in robotics, CNC machinery, elevators, materials conveyance, transportation and other industrial manufacturing applications.

Eliminate a complex stage of the industrial drives development cycle

DesignDRIVE is a single hardware and software platform that makes it easy for engineers to develop and evaluate solutions for a variety of industrial drive and servo topologies. Position Manager, a new technology within DesignDRIVE, allows developers to interface easily with digital and analogue position sensors. The TMS320F28379D and TMS320F28379S MCUs are the first MCUs within the C2000 portfolio to support the Position Manager technology on-chip. As a key part of DesignDRIVE solutions, Position Manager allows industrial drives system designers to eliminate the engineering effort needed to develop, support and maintain the FGPAs or ASICs required to connect to these sensors today.

Solving position sensor interface compatibility challenges

TI’s Position Manager technology is compatible with both digital and analogue position sensors, which allows a single C2000 Delfino MCU the flexibility to support multiple sensor types. This includes EnDat 2.2, BiSS-C, Resolver, SIN/COS and incremental encoders including ClockWise/CounterClockWise protocols (CW/CCW). Texas Instruments is the only semiconductor vendor that supports both digital and analogue position sensors for industrial applications. TI worked with HEIDENHAIN, a leading developer of position sensors, to test this on-chip solution to ensure compatibility.

Herbert Reiter, Senior Product Manager, HEIDENHAIN, commented: "We approve of Texas Instruments’ successful implementation and testing of Position Manager to our EnDat specifications and we look forward to working with TI as they enable new EnDat capabilities for our customers.”

Get started quickly with integrated support:

• The C2000 DesignDRIVE development kit offers an easy path to begin exploring a wide variety of motor drive topologies, as well as easy expansion to develop with real-time Ethernet communications and functional safety topologies, enabling more comprehensive, integrated system solutions;
• DesignDRIVE is supported by TI’s C2000 controlSUITE package and includes specific examples of vector control of motors, incorporating current, speed and position loops, to help developers jumpstart their evaluation and development;
• In addition, users can download TI’s Code Composer Studio IDE, providing code generation and debugging capabilities;
• For model-based simulation and software development, TI’s C2000 F28379D and F28379S MCUs are fully compatible with F28377D and F28377S, which are now supported by Mathworks’ Simulink and Embedded Coder; and
• Users can download reference interface and power supply designs for motor drives to either use immediately or modify to their specific needs.

In addition to using C2000 MCUs and DesignDRIVE technology, developers can integrate TI’s ISO5852S family of reinforced isolated gate drivers when developing industrial drive power stages. This family delivers the industry’s highest working voltages of up to 1.5kVrms, the industry’s highest minimum Common mode transient immunity of 100kV/μs and precision timing to efficiently drive high-voltage and fast switching IGBT and SiC power switches. Pricing for the family starts at $2.15 in 1,000 unit quantities.

The TMS320F28379D and TMS320F28379S MCUs are available for immediate sampling starting at $17.20 in 1,000 unit quantities. Begin evaluating a diverse range of industrial drive designs today with TI’s DesignDRIVE Kit (TMDXIDDK379D), which includes both the hardware and software for $999 and are available via the TI Store and authorised distributors. To further ease development, customers can download the Position Manager technology here.