What’s new
Texas Instruments (TI) introduced its most affordable C2000 real-time microcontrollers (MCU), enabling engineers to design products with industry-leading performance at a lower cost. The F28E120SC and F28E120SB MCUs deliver 30% faster computing power compared to previous C2000 MCUs for single motor and power factor correction systems, helping transform the performance of home appliances, from washing machines and dishwashers to vacuum cleaners and power tools.
Powered by TI’s proprietary InstaSPIN™ field-oriented control (FOC) software and advanced algorithms, these new MCUs enable smoother, quieter and more efficient motor performance. Their advanced capabilities – including high-speed sensorless FOC, high-torque zero-speed startup and sophisticated vibration compensation – deliver highly precise, responsive motor control for everyday applications.
Why it matters
Today’s consumers demand appliances and power tools that operate as efficiently, smoothly and quietly as possible. Yet, historically, system designers have had to compromise by using MCUs with less computing performance and analog integration to meet cost targets.
The F28E12x series of MCUs helps solve this challenge by delivering the performance needed to enable premium motor-control features at a lower price than competing devices. These MCUs eliminate additional components by integrating TI’s C28x digital signal processor core and industry-leading analog peripherals, including a high-speed analog-to-digital converter and programmable gain amplifier, helping simplify designs and lowering costs.
“Since their introduction in the 1990s, TI C2000 MCUs have allowed designers to control both simple and complex motors with low latency and high reliability,” said Vivek Singhal, vice president and general manager, Application-Specific Microcontrollers at TI. “Adding fully featured, ultra-low-cost MCUs to the C2000 portfolio enables new markets to access the industry-leading real-time performance that TI is known for. Using this technology, appliance and power-tool manufacturers can deliver seamless, quiet motor operation, previously considered a luxury, at an affordable price point.”
Moreover, TI’s F28E12x series facilitates fast execution of the sensorless FOC algorithm, enabling motor speeds over 120,000rpm, or 2kHz electrical frequency. The ability to run a motor at high speeds reduces gear transition noise and improves reliability, enabling engineers to design products with smooth, quiet operation. The MCUs can also run a vibration compensation algorithm to achieve up to 60% speed ripple reduction, counteracting the acoustic noise and vibrations caused by an imbalanced load in applications such as washing machines.
For more information, read the technical article, “Achieving smoother, quieter motor performance with highly integrated real-time control MCUs.”
More details
TI will display the new series of C2000 real-time MCUs at electronica India, Sept. 17-19, in Bangalore, India. The device will be featured at TI’s exhibit in Hall 3, booth D11, in two demonstrations:
- Noise reduction in appliance fans: This demo showcases how the F28E120SC MCU can control a high-voltage three-phase motor and run a total harmonic distortion reduction algorithm, enabling engineers to reduce noise and improve efficiency in a fan for a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
- High-speed sensorless motor control in vacuum cleaners: This demo illustrates how the F28E120SC MCU can use sensorless FOC software to control a low-voltage vacuum motor, enabling high efficiency, smooth and stable startup, and reduced peak currents. Booth visitors will be able to quickly and easily spin the motor up to 150,000rpm.
Availability
Preproduction quantities of the F28E12x MCUs are available now on TI.com with package and memory variants starting at US$0.49 in 1,000-unit quantities. Additionally, engineers can easily and quickly design motor-control systems with resources in TI’s development ecosystem, which includes:
- An evaluation module available for US$19.00.
- Motor- and power-control reference designs.
- A full motor-control software development kit featuring code examples, application-specific algorithms and a graphical device configuration tool.
