BridgeSwitch solution simplifies motor driver design

The fully-featured stand-alone solution can be powered directly from the mains AC. It requires no additional external components besides the BLDC motor, enabling engineers to quickly develop a highly cost-efficient and reliable design. 

The BridgeSwitch device offers a rich set of features that simplify the development and production of high-voltage inverter-driven BLDC or IM applications.

It supports inverter output power up to 400W with no heat sink and can achieve up to 99.2% efficiency while providing current, voltage and temperature protection circuitry.

The EBV BridgeSwitch demonstrator PCB's modular design has a break-away format, which enables each submodule to be physically separated and protected from the high-voltage components and the motor.

An isolated programming/debugging interface reduces the risk of equipment damage and electric shock during development - even while the demonstrator is plugged directly into the mains, and where an isolating transformer is not available.

The high voltage module includes an input rectifier that can accept DC or up to 220AC voltage and a switched output with two BRD1160C BridgeSwitch devices.

This module also has an NTC header for remote thermal sensing and optional external current sensing circuitry. 

"The EBV BridgeSwitch MB gives the engineer a fresh new start in developing their motor driver design," said Milan Ivkovic, Director Segment Analogue/Power & Technical Support Center Manager at EBV Elektronik. "It overcomes the challenges engineers face when developing specialised driver circuits, allowing them to focus more on application software as safety is handled by hardware.”

Comments Cristian Ionescu-Catrina, senior product marketing manager at Power Integrations:  “BridgeSwitch half-bridge motor driver ICs eliminate heatsinks, feature best-in-class EMI performance, and reduce BOM count, typically by 50%. This is achieved by integrating functions such as junction temperature monitoring, motor current feedback and high voltage protection. Hardware-based motor fault protection circuitry reduces certification time to IEC-60335 and IEC-60730 by two to three months.”