STMicroelectronics STDRIVE102 gate-driver ICs

STMicroelectronics has introduced new STDRIVE102 gate-driver ICs for three-phase brushless motors, adding the STDRIVE102P and STDRIVE102BP that feature an SPI interface to simplify configuring the gate current and other settings.

Designed for supply voltages from 6–50 V, the STDRIVE102 series provides high energy efficiency in battery-operated equipment such as power tools and domestic appliances. Able to drive six external N-channel power MOSFETs, the drivers can be programmed to source up to 1 A and sink up to 2 A and provide slew-rate regulation without external resistors. An ultra-low standby current of only 50 nA typ. helps maximise battery life in portable and battery-powered applications.

The STDRIVE102 components integrate an advanced charge pump that enables continuous operation of the high-side driver circuitry, simplifying the design of applications that require a PWM duty cycle of 100%. Integrated 12 and 3.3 V linear regulators (LDOs) power the internal low-side drivers and embedded analog front-end (AFE), and can also be used to supply external components. The STDRIVE102BP includes a configurable AFE with three programmable-gain amplifiers (PGAs) and three comparators for measuring the motor shunt currents.

All STDRIVE102 devices are equipped with a comprehensive set of embedded protection features, including undervoltage lockout (UVLO) to enable gate drivers to operate safely. Drain-source voltage (VDS) monitoring on both the high and low side provides dual-redundant overcurrent protection. The STDRIVE102BP also features a dedicated fault-indicator pin for the main supply voltage.

The EVLDRIVE102P and EVLDRIVE102BP evaluation boards are available now to help explore the performance of the drivers in a three-phase inverter built with ST’s STL220N6F7 Power MOSFETs. Both are compatible with a range of Nucleo control boards for developing projects with different STM32 microcontrollers and the STM32 ecosystem, including the X-CUBE-MCSDK motor-control software package.