A new motor driver IC designed for pulse-width-modulated (PWM) control of DC motors is now available from Allegro Microsystems, LLC. The A5950 is capable of peak output currents up to ±3 A and operating voltages up to 40 V.
The device is intended for the automotive market with applications for heads-up-display, shift drive, door closure and engine thermal management. Commercial market uses include driving brush DC motors for ATM cash dispensers, robotic vacuums, printers, copiers and ticketing and vending applications.
Input terminals are provided for use in controlling the speed, direction and torque of a DC motor with externally applied PWM control signals. Internal synchronous rectification control circuitry lowers power dissipation during PWM operation, and low current standby mode is included to improve efficiency. Internal circuit protection includes overcurrent protection, motor lead short to ground or supply, thermal shutdown with hysteresis, undervoltage monitoring of VBB and crossover-current protection. Diagnostic features include an analog output that can be used to monitor the current through the external sense resistor and an open drain FAULTn output.
The low-profile 4 mm × 4 mm, 16-contact QFN (suffix “EU”) package is offered with wettable flank option (suffix “-J”), or a 16-lead eTSSOP (suffix “LP”), both with exposed power tab for enhanced thermal performance.