TI Extends InstaSPIN-FOC Sensorless Motor Control for Low-Cost Applications

Highly-efficient, three-phase motor control expertise, once only obtainable to a niche market of motor designers, is now available to a wider audience of developers. Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) brings its InstaSPIN-FOCâ„¢ (field-oriented-control) sensorless motor control technology to its most affordable, real-time-control C2000â„¢ Piccoloâ„¢ F2802x microcontrollers (MCUs) series, offering a smaller package size and much lower cost. Engineers can use TI InstaSPIN-FOC technology, embedded in the read-only-memory (ROM) on the C2000 Piccolo F2802x MCU to accelerate motor control development while improving efficiency for cost-sensitive BLDC (brushless dc), PMSM (permanent magnet), and ac Induction motor based applications.

With the ability to identify, tune and control any type of three-phase, synchronous or asynchronous motor in just minutes, TI’s low-cost Piccolo F2802x MCUs with InstaSPIN-FOC are ideal for a variety of applications, such as washing machines, compressors, pumps, fans, electric bicycles, tools, treadmills, compact drives, sewing and textile machines, lifts and hobby motors. Prior to the initial Feb. 2013 launch of TI’s InstaSPIN-FOC technology, sensorless field-oriented-control was out of reach for most developers because existing sensorless algorithms were not robust enough over real application conditions and were challenging to implement into a complex control system, adding months of development time. InstaSPIN-FOC technology addresses those concerns by reducing system complexity for designers of all levels while improving motor efficiency, reliability and performance at an affordable price point – which just got even lower.

Features and benefits of Piccolo F2802x MCUs with InstaSPIN-FOCâ„¢ technology: Available to a broad range of motor designers with the 48-pin package, 32 or 64 KB of Flash and around $2 USD for high volume applications. Save months of design time with nearly fully automated motor parameter identification, software observer tuning, and torque control tuning.

These systems deliver near encoder performance with embedded on-chip FASTâ„¢ observer algorithm, which through only analysis of currents and voltages, calculates a reliable and robust estimation of rotor flux, angle, speed and torque across use conditions. Accurate, sensorless estimator performance eliminates the need for a physical sensor in nearly all torque and velocity applications. They accommodate all three-phase motors, synchronous (BLDC, SPM and IPM) and asynchronous (ACI) with the same solution.

They can identify and tune with off-line motor commissioning that identifies the required parameters of the motor, tunes the FAST algorithm, and initializes the current controllers for stable operation. An optional online resistance re-estimation mode tracks changes for robust observer performance under the most demanding low speed loads. Eliminate start-up challenges of other sensorless techniques with built-in start-up modes and observer angle lock in less than one electrical cycle.Slow speed performance is supported with angle integrity preserved at steady state below 1 Hz (typical) with full torque, zero speed stability, reversals through zero speed and smooth stall recovery.

Piccolo F28026F and F28027F MCUs with InstaSPIN-FOC are now available in mass quantities and start at $4.03 USD in 10 K unit orders. The InstaSPIN-FOC online simulation tool is available for free today. Developers can evaluate the solution using the $69 modular controlCARD (TMDSCNCD28027F), now included in the $699 TMDSHVMTRINSPIN high voltage (50-350V 10A) motor kit, which can be paired with an external emulator for use with the previously released low voltage inverter evaluation modules (DRV8312/DRV8301 RevD). InstaSPIN-FOC and InstaSPIN-MOTION are also featured on the previously announced Piccolo F2806x microcontrollers.