Gate driver ICs for consumer and industrial three-phase BLDC motors

Toshiba Electronics Europe GmbH has introduced a new gate driver IC series for three-phase BLDC motors in consumer and industrial applications. The TB67Z83xxFTG (with 3.3V regulator output) and TB67Z85xxFTG (with 5V regulator output) series, both comprising four devices, can be combined with a motor control microcontroller and MOSFETs to create a complete system for a wide range of applications including pumps, fans, blowers, cordless power tools, gardening tools, and cleaners.

The new products feature a built-in circuit that can drive three phases of high-side and low-side N-channel MOSFETs. The MOSFET drive current can be set from 10mA to 1A (peak) for source current and from 20mA to 2A (peak) for sink current – though operating conditions, such as ambient temperature and power supply voltage, may limit the actual useful drive current. All devices support a supply voltage (VM) operating range from 8V to 75V. Different voltage and current combinations cover a wide range of applications.

The series is available with either an SPI or hardware control interface. In the TB67Z83xHFTG and TB67Z85xHFTG devices, internal functions are controlled directly by dedicated hardware pins, while in the TB67Z83xSFTG and TB67Z85xSFTG devices, an SPI interface is integrated to communicate with the devices and to control internal functions.

The devices' standby current is as low as 1µA (max), minimising power consumption when not in use and maximising standby time for battery-driven applications. Built-in protection circuitries protect the devices themselves, such as undervoltage lockout and thermal shutdown. Furthermore, gate drive abnormality detection and overcurrent protection functions protect the external MOSFETs, improving overall system reliability.

Housed in QFN40 packages measuring 6mm x 6mm, the TB67Z833SFTG, TB67Z833HFTG, TB67Z853SFTG, and TB67Z853HFTG devices integrate three channels of current sense amplifiers, which decreases the external component count of the system design. For applications that do not need current sense amplifiers, the TB67Z830SFTG, TB67Z830HFTG, TB67Z850SFTG, and TB67Z850HFTG devices come in even more compact QFN32 packages with a 5mm x 5mm footprint. All devices can operate reliably in temperatures ranging from -40C to +125C, making them suitable for use in industrial environments.