Motor-drive reference designs from STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics has released two reference designs that simplify building complete industrial or home-appliance motor drives for compressors with the STSPIN32 motor-control system-in-package (SiP). Each integrates the motor controller with a three-phase inverter to power the motor, and an offline converter and auxiliary circuitry. A production-ready PCB design and motor-control firmware are also included.

The STEVAL-CTM011V1 targets general industrial compressors up to 250W, while the STEVAL-CTM012V1 meets the stringent eco-design regulations for use in home appliances. The plug-and-play reference designs combine easily with a host system to start driving a motor and allow customers to fine-tune settings for optimal performance. Both ensure average efficiency greater than 96.5%.

At the heart of each design, ST’s STSPIN32F0601Q motor-control SiP contains an STM32F031 Arm Cortex-M0 microcontroller to customize the motor control to specific end application needs   and a very rugged 600V three-phase gate driver for the inverter. The firmware provided includes high-efficiency sensorless field-oriented control (FOC). The SiP is a compact and thermally efficient quad flat no-lead (QFN) device that meets high creepage requirements for safety and reliability.

The offline AC/DC converter is a VIPER122 analog converter that integrates control logic with an 800V avalanche-rugged power section. Frequency jittering prevents interference with other equipment, while inherently low power consumption and support for burst-mode operation at light load help comply with energy-saving regulations.

The inverter stage of the 250W STEVAL-CTM011V1 reference design for industrial and general-purpose applications comprises six rugged STGD5H60DF insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). They are engineered to maximize efficiency at high switching frequencies, allowing smaller capacitive and magnetic components. In addition, their low package thermal resistance enhances reliability and tight parameter distribution assists safe paralleling in high-power applications.

The STEVAL-CTM012V1 home-appliance reference design contains six STPOWER STD8N60DM2 600V N-channel MDmesh DM2 power MOSFETs. These are ideal for high-efficiency converters, including zero-voltage switching (ZVS) phase-shift converters, and combine high-speed, low-loss switching performance and low on-state losses.

The production-ready circuit-board design saves significant development time, avoiding complex layout and signal-routing challenges. The compact 11.2cm x 7.5cm board outline helps meet industrial and consumer-appliance form factors.

Both reference designs are available on the ST eSTore, priced from $47.78 for the STEVAL-CTM011V1 and $51.45 for the STEVAL-CTM012V1. The STSPIN32, VIPER122, IGBTs, and MOSFETs are in production now. Please contact your local ST sales office for pricing options and sample requests.