Brushed DC Motor Drivers for Functionally-Safe Vehicle Electrification

NXP Semiconductors introduced the HB2000 and HB2001 advanced brushed dc motor drivers. These motor drivers target automotive applications that require functionally safe vehicle electrification like throttle control, cruise control, turbo flaps, and fuel flaps. The drivers feature SPI interface for control versatility, enhanced thermal features for reliable continuous operation, and Processor Expert analog software driver enablement for streamlined embedded system design. Additionally, the fully-integrated drivers use NXP's 45V SmartMOS process that reduces board space by combining digital control, precision analog circuitry and power MOSFETs in a small, thermally efficient, 8 x 8mm PQFNpackage.

“With growing demands for functional safety as the automotive industry moves toward self-driving vehicles, NXP has been in the forefront in developing solutions that meet international standards such as ISO26262,” said Jens Hinrichsen, senior vice president and general manager of the advanced automotive analog business line at NXP. “The HB2000 and HB2001 are the first motor drivers designed using ISO26262 processes in support of ASIL level C and D system qualification. NXP continues to assert itself as a leading expert in functional safety for enabling secure, connected, energy-efficient self-driving cars.”

In addition to functional safety, NXP’s analog software driver enablement technology leverages processor expert source code generation to revolutionize mixed signal embedded system design. With this enablement support, the new motor drivers appear as any other integrated peripheral within the MCU software development tools for MCU-savvy embedded system designers to quickly implement them in their software projects. Analog software driver enablement for the HB2000 and HB2001 will be compatible with legacy processor expert tools as well as the new integrated development environments (IDE) for Kinetis microcontrollers such as Kinetis Design Studio.

As part of vehicle electrification, automotive makers are addressing emissions and ADAS challenges by replacing belt-driven loads and hydraulic controls with small, reliable electric motors. As the number of motors and motor drivers in the car continues to grow, space considerations become increasingly important. The HB2000 and HB2001 delivers 5A rms, >10 A peak output current capability in a package that is 42 percent smaller than the equivalent market offerings available today. Also to maintain cool operation, the device provides 50 percent lower package thermal resistance and 50% lower RDS(ON) at <65 mΏ, patented thermal protected current limiting and high-side current recirculation.

The automotive industry is actively cautious about functional safety. ISO26262 certification and ASIL level C/D qualification are now frequently considered a standard necessity. They require complete safety manuals and supporting documentation that outline system behavior for preventing malfunction. System safety integration is made much easier using solutions like the HB2000 and HB2001 that are designed using ISO26262 certified methodologies and include advanced diagnostic reporting and safety features.

The device senses load currents within ±5 percent tolerance across the entire operating range, without compromising output performance. This allows advanced system-level diagnostics and closed loop motor control. Customers have design flexibility with a choice of PQFN or SOIC-EP package and two RDS(ON) options. Design configurability is available, through SPI control for different loads and EMI conditions, with four current limit and eight slew rate settings. Several different applications can be addressed with a single software platform saving development time and investment.

The full family of products will be available for purchase through direct sales and our distribution network in Q2, 2016. Samples in the 10 x 11 mm SOIC-EP package are available now, the 8 x 8 mm PQFN option will be available in May.