Microchip's 3-Phase BLDC Fan Motor Driver is Industry's First With Resistor-Programmable, Sensorless Sinusoidal Architecture

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today expanded its sinusoidal, sensorless, 3-phase BLDC fan motor driver portfolio with the MTD6505—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 3x3 mm 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." Development Support Microchip also announced the MTD6505 3-Phase BLDC Sensorless Fan Controller Demonstration Board (part # ADM00345), 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. Pricing & Availability The MTD6505 motor driver (http://www.microchip.com/get/2B02) is available today 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, via microchipDIRECT or Microchip's authorized distribution partners. For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at www.microchip.com/get/G0JS.