New high-performance microcontrollers for low-cost motor control

Mouser is now stocking the MC9S08SU 8-bit microcontroller from NXP Semiconductors. This single-chip device for 4.5V-18V motor control applications delivers high performance with tight integration to help lower BOM costs and reduce footprint by up to 50% for space-constrained applications. The microcontroller provides up to 16kbytes of flash memory and 768bytes of internal RAM to enhance in-application reprogrammability and reduce development time. The device’s core includes a three-phase MOSFET pre-drivers unit that supports three high-side p-channel and three low-side n-channel MOSFETs, as well as amplifiers for current measurement and over-current and over-voltage protection. The microcontroller offers a rich set of features, including a six-channel PWM module, two 16-bit pulse width timers, a two-channel flex timer, and a 16-bit module timer. It also has two 5-channel, 12-bit ADCs and a three-phase analog comparator for sensorless control, plus an SCI module and an I2C module that supports the SMBus interface. For development, the company also stocks the S08SU16-EVK evaluation board. The board demonstrates a simple control approach to a low-power, three-phase, brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive application using back electromotive force (BEMF) sensing for position recognition. The microcontroller is available in a 4mm × 4mm, 24-pin QFN package and operates over a temperature range of minus 40C to 105C. The microcontroller is ideal for a variety of motor control applications, including BLDC motors, DC fans, healthcare devices, power tools, and ESC for drones and robotics.