Microchip Unveils 3-Phase BLDC Fan Motor Driver With Resistor-Programmable, Sensorless Sinusoidal Architecture

Microchip Technology Inc. expanded its sinusoidal, sensorless, 3-phase BLDC fan motor driver portfolio with the MTD6505 – said by the company to be the industry’s first and only standalone, resistor-programmable driver that enables the selection of multiple back-EMF coefficient ranges. This unique feature allows engineers to design for a wide variety of 3-phase BLDC fan characteristics with a single device, thus saving time and money by standardizing multiple product lines on one driver and very few external components. Additionally, the low-cost driver comes in a 3 x 3mm UDFN package with a 0.5 mm thickness for space-constrained applications, such as thin laptops and tiny BLDC fans.

To enable high energy efficiency and quiet operation with low acoustic noise and mechanical vibration, the MTD6505 includes a 180-degree sinusoidal drive. Being a sensorless driver means that the MTD6505 eliminates the need for an external Hall-Effect sensor, reducing both cost and board space. Additionally, the driver provides a number of on-chip protection features to preserve the motor’s life and avoid harmful operating conditions, including thermal shutdown, over-current limiting and lock-up protection.

"Microchip’s customers have been asking for a small, thin, single-chip device that can drive a broad range of 3-phase BLDC fan motor applications," said Bryan J. Liddiard, marketing vice president of Microchip’s Analog and Interface Products Division. "The MTD6505 is the most cost-effective, complete and flexible single-chip device on the market."

Microchip also announced the MTD6505 3-Phase BLDC Sensorless Fan Controller Demonstration Board, which is expected to be available in January for $59.99 at http://www.microchip.com/get/T560. This demo board comes with a 3-phase BLDC fan and three MTD6505 plug-in modules. Additionally, a free GUI is available for download that simplifies fan monitoring and control with the onboard PIC® microcontroller.

The MTD6505 motor driver is available for samples in a 10-pin UDFN package. 5,000-unit pricing is $0.57 each. Volume production is expected to be available on December 21.