Microchip Expands Support for Motor Control with New Tools and Libraries

The board contains a three-phase inverter bridge circuit, which can drive a BLDC or PMSM motor using different control techniques, without requiring any additional hardware. The dsPICDEM MCLV board is capable of controlling motors rated up to 48V and 15Amps, and supports multiple communication channels, such as USB, CAN, LIN and RS-232. It employs a processor-differentiated Plug-In Module (PIM) strategy to support a variety of dsPIC33F motor-control DSCs with different memory and pin configurations. The dsPICDEM MCLV Development Board also includes a dsPIC33FJ32MC204 PIM (32kB Flash 44pins).

Additionally, Microchip announced two new motor-control software solutions; one shows how Power Factor Correction (PFC) algorithms can be combined with sensorless motor-control algorithms on a single chip. Application Note AN1208 describes the process. The second software solution demonstrates how to run an AC Induction Motor (ACIM) faster than its rated speed for a class of applications, to lower cost, save space or reduce weight. The strategy is described in Microchip’s Application Note AN1206.

The MPLAB IDE’s graphical Data Monitor and Control Interface (DMCI) has been further enhanced, to include a Real-Time Data Monitor (RTDM) function. This provides a graphical method to input and adjust motor parameters in real time and see the effect immediately, without halting the application.