The new TMC7300 drives one or two DC motors from 2.0 to 11 Vdc and employs UART-based control for torque and velocity.

TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG now sells a TMC7300 low-voltage driver for one DC motor (up to 2-A peak) or two DC motors (to 2.4A peak) on a single or dual Li-Ion cell … or at least two AA batteries. The TMC7300 is suitable for battery-operated equipment such as IoT and handheld devices, printers and POS applications, toys, cameras, and mobile medical devices. Thanks to an integrated direct bridge, the chip can also control solenoids, relays, and other actuators.

Available in a small form factor, 20-pin QFN (3×3 mm) package, the TMC7300 offers high power density using integrated power MOSFETs and complete integrated DC motor control logic. As a result, the TMC7300 can control velocity and limit torque, or be used in torque-controlled operation.

 “By offering the new family of driver ICs for battery-powered applications, we want to fuel the imagination of engineers around the world by giving them the tools needed to develop new applications and turn proven concepts into easy-to-use portable devices for both consumers and professionals,” TRINAMIC founder and CEO Michael Randt explains.

For ease of use, the TMC7300 includes a single-wire UART interface to control the direction, velocity, and torque of up to two DC motors. Together with Trinamic’s development environment, including open-source hardware and software, the new chip enables rapid prototyping with reduced overhead cost.

Protection and diagnostic features support robust and reliable operation, including PWM control for smooth acceleration and deceleration; an internal current limiter to protect both the DC motor and power source; and mechanical load sensing. By adapting the sense resistor to the target maximum current, the chip can disable the power stage and report the error via the interface or the DIAG output.

The TMC7300 is the second IC Trinamic has designed specifically for low-voltage applications. Trinamic previously announced the TMC2300, a motor controller designed to improve the user’s experience for IoT and portable devices. The TMC2300 offers virtually silent operation and low power consumption. It can control two-phase stepper motors up to 1.2A RMS over a voltage range of 1.8V to 11V DC.

The TMC7300-LA motor driver, along with the TMC7300-BOB breakout board and the TMC7300-EVAL evaluation board, will be available at the end of January 2020 through Trinamic’s distribution channels. Features of the smart driver IC include:

• Voltage range of 1.8V to 11Vdc; driver for 1 DC motor up to 2A, or 2 DC motors up to 2.4 A
• Battery operation with 1 or 2 Li-Ion cells, or at least 2 AA batteries
• Single-wire UART with velocity control, torque control, and direction
• Standby current draw of less than 50 nA typical
• Low RDSon with LS 170 mΩ & HS 170 mΩ (typical)
• Full protection and diagnostics, including motor load feedback
• PWM control of LEDs; suited for solenoids; QFN20 package (3×3 mm)

For more information, visit the TMC7300 product page at www.trinamic.com/products/integrated-circuits/details/tmc7300-la.