Programmable smart gate driver for BLDC motor applications reduces BOM

Renesas Electronics Corporation has released the RAA227063 Smart Gate Driver for BLDC motor applications. The new device is programmable through an SPI interface, supporting motors with rotor position sensors and sensorless applications. It also offers programmable gate drive voltage, providing support for N-channel MOSFETs commonly employed in motor inverter designs, as well as GaN FETs used where high-power density is needed. The device is scalable to support multiple MCUs, including a wide range of the company's offerings.

In addition to its unique flexibility, the device three-phase FET driver is highly integrated. It includes a 500mA buck-boost converter powering low-voltage logic directly from the battery pack with greater power efficiency (90%) compared to conventional LDOs (40%). It also incorporates a 200mA LDO regulator that powers an MCU and further analog peripherals. Three integrated current sense amplifiers with programmable gain allow easy programming for multiple shunt configurations. This high level of integration simplifies design, cuts overall BOM cost, and decreases board space needs by 30% or more.

“Motor control customers around the world have asked us for flexible solutions that enable fast design cycles and high integration to reduce cost and space,” said Davin Lee, vice president of the Industrial Analog Division in Renesas’ IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit. “The RAA227063 delivers all of these features and complements our industry-leading MCU portfolio.”