Renesas' Low-cost R8C/25-based Motor Control Reference Platform Accelerates the Design of Brushless DC Motor Applications

Renesas Technology America, Inc. today announced the R8C/25-based BLDC (brushless DC) Motor Control Reference Platform (MCRP). The new platform allows engineers to quickly bring the latest motor control technology to appliances, power-tools, fans, pumps, and many other products, while at the same time providing the performance, reliability and power efficiency needed in these systems. At the heart of the reference platform is an R8C/Tiny microcontroller (MCU) that can handle different BLDC motor control algorithms to meet the three primary requirements for motor control applications: cost, performance and flexibility. Ritesh Tyagi, director of the system LSI business unit at Renesas Technology America, Inc., said, "Design engineers today are required to complete engineering projects in a limited amount of time. They need to learn about the MCU’s architecture and its development tools, gain experience in motor control technology, develop a hardware platform and then write the software for a new product. Our R8C25 MCRP makes it easier for engineers to quickly turn their ideas into action, while minimizing the risk in the development cycle. This platform provides a complete solution for implementing and developing BLDC motor control by offering both proven hardware and control-algorithm software.” Adaptability, risk reduction, and simplicity A key feature of the BLDC hardware reference platform is adaptability. The R8C/25 based BLDC platform supports the following four BLDC motor control algorithms: 120-degree trapezoidal Hall-sensor based BLDC motor control 180-degree sinusoidal Hall-sensor based BLDC motor control 120-degree sensorless (back-EMF) based BLDC motor control using external comparators, and 120-degree sensorless (back-EMF) based BLDC motor control using the MCU’s on-chip A/D converters. Another feature of the platform is that it helps reduce development risk. The complete hardware and software package is a proven solution. It can be applied with confidence to decrease engineering cost, cut development time, and shorten the time to market for new product introductions. A third feature of the MCRP is design simplicity. This is accomplished by the implementation of a 2-layer PCB board. Features of platform The hardware platform has many features that allow users to experiment during development and debugging. Various configurations are user selectable via jumpers, and LEDs provide a visual indication of the switching pattern of the PWM (pulse-width modulation) signals driving the motor. Integrated debug and communication interfaces that utilize an isolated E8a debug port and an isolated serial port interface provide communication with the host PC. A graphical user interface (GUI) makes it easy to perform control operations. Also, to ensure safety, the hardware incorporates over-current protection and an emergency shut-off function. Price and availability Product Name   MCU   Package   Unit Price / Availability R8C/25-based BLDC Motor Control Reference PlatformYMCRPR8C25 R8C/25(20MHz, 16-bit) Circuit board with MCU, 24V BLDC Motor, E8a debugger, control algorithms and documentation $499/Q2 2008 About the R8C/Tiny MCU: The R8C/25 MCU in the motor control reference platform is based on the 16-bit R8C CPU core and has a maximum operating frequency of 20MHz. This popular device is a member of the R8C/Tiny series — compact, low-cost devices offered in packages with 20, 28, 32, 48, 52, 64, or 80 pins. Key Features of the R8C/25: 8-bit Multifunction Timer with 8-bit prescaler (Timer RA and RB): 2 channels Input Capture/Output Compare Timer (Timer RD): 16-bit x 2 channels Real-Time Clock Timer with compare match function (Timer RE): 1 channel UART/Clock Synchronous Serial Interface: 2 channels I2C-bus Interface (IIC)/Chip-select Clock Synchronous Serial Interface: 1 channel LIN Module: 1 channel (Timer RA, UART0) 10-bit A/D Converter: 12 channels Watchdog Timer Clock Generation Circuits: XIN Clock Generation Circuit, On-chip Oscillator (High/Low Speed), XCIN Clock Generation Circuit Oscillation Stop Detection Function Voltage Detection Circuit Power-On Reset Circuit I/O Ports: 41 (incl. LED drive ports) External Interrupt Pins: 8 Programmable Flash ROM: 16KB to 64KB Data Flash: 2KB About Renesas Technology Corp. Renesas Technology Corp. is one of the world's leading semiconductor system solutions providers for mobile, automotive and PC/AV (Audio Visual) markets and the world's No.1 supplier of microcontrollers. It is also a leading provider of LCD Driver ICs, Smart Card microcontrollers, RF-ICs, High Power Amplifiers, Mixed Signal ICs, System-on-Chip (SoC), System-in-Package (SiP) and more. Established in 2003 as a joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd. (TOKYO:6501) (NYSE:HIT) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503), Renesas Technology achieved consolidated revenue of 953 billion JPY in FY2006 (end of March 2007). Renesas Technology is based in Tokyo, Japan and has a global network of manufacturing, design and sales operations in around 20 countries with about 26,500 employees worldwide. For further information, please visit http://www.renesas.com