Integrated Half Bridge Motor Controller IC

July 20, 2011- Ieper, Belgium. Melexis launches the MLX80151 Half Bridge Motor Controller IC including extensive application specific firmware libraries. The MLX80151 is a new member in Melexis’ portfolio of DC and BLDC automotive motor controller solutions, which enables DC motor suppliers to introduce on-demand control, required by emissions legislation, with minimum development effort.

The MLX80151 OTP Half Bridge Motor Controller is an automotive qualified solution for high current DC motor applications like Engine Cooling Fans, HVAC blowers and Fuel Pumps. Extensive motor control peripherals combined with an auto-sequence ADC allows real time control and diagnostics functions while minimizing the interrupt load on the 16bit embedded MCU.

For low cost implementations the MLX80151 can be configured with a low side or high side freewheeling diode. Thermally constrained applications can be addressed with synchronous rectification of high side and low side NFETs. Thus offering the flexibility to populate the pcb for different power ranges with the most cost effective NFETs. Finally, compared to smart P/N half bridge solutions of competitors, the MLX80151 allows designers to get the maximum current from the PCB for a given cooling capacity. It extends the nominal current range achievable on the pcb using accurate current control combined with the 3X lower sheet resistance of NFETs. The pre-driver, with double charge pump. allows high side and low side operation of standard NFETs from 5V up to 28V battery voltage. Reverse polarity protection using an NFET can be applied to high side or low side. Shunt based current sensing is also supported on either high or low side. Its PWM communication interface is wake-up capable and can be configured for single wire as well as 2-wire applications. Finally a state of the art RC oscillator saves the cost of a ceramic resonator thanks to its +/- 1.5% tolerance over the full temperature range.

The extensive diagnostics capabilities combined with the high integration level is ideal for achieving very low system level FIT rates, and makes it ideal for applications requiring highest reliability, even meeting ISO26262 SIL3 standards. For development a pin compatible Flash variant (MLX80152) is available. The user friendly development kit includes evaluation boards and a PWM master with USB interface. The parameterized firmware can be configured and operated using a PC-GUI for fast system prototyping. Open source libraries (C-code) are available to jump start custom firmware development.

Dirk Leman, Product Line Manager for motor control products at Melexis says:” Although the long term trend for automotive pump and fan applications is headed towards Brushless (BLDC), Brushed DC control still has a significant market share today and will remain the most cost effective solution in many cases for the next years. The MLX80151 together with the forthcoming MLX80251 (bldc) completes our offering of motor control solutions with PWM communication, as a complement to our existing LIN based motor controller ICs: MLX81150 (dc) and MLX81200 (bldc). “ The MLX80151 will be qualified in TSSOP24 exposed pad package for operation up to Tj=150C. Start of production of the OTP version is planned for mid 2012. Development samples and tools are currently available for qualified customers and applications. Contact our sales organization for a consultation on these motor control solutions.