The BDLC motor driver is for 48V high-power motor control systems, such as traction inverters and starter generators in MHEVs. It is claimed to offer the industry’s highest gate drive current and can be used to help designers shrink motor system size by up to 30%. It was designed to  TI’s TÜV SÜD-certified functional safety development process to help enable MHEV systems comply to safety levels, up to ASIL D. It supplies up to 30kW to improve the response time of a 48V motor drive system in heavy vehicles, adds the company.

A 48V system can reduce a vehicle’s emissions and add power for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and manage the power loads for its heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Claimed to be the industry’s first three-phase, 48V BLDC motor driver to integrate high- and low-side active short-circuit logic, the DRV3255-Q1 eliminates external transistors and control logic. By integrating the active short-circuit logic and dynamic fault response, designs can be simplified, and the board space and bill of materials in 48V motor drive systems can be reduced, says TI.

The active short-circuit logic feature allows designers flexibility to arrange MOSFET connections based on system needs, and helps prevent catastrophic system failures due to over-voltage. The dynamic fault response automatically switches the motor driver to active short-circuit mode in over-voltage conditions, which protects the vehicle’s motor and electrical components from over-voltage stress while optimising system performance.

The motor driver is also claimed to supply the industry’s highest output power levels to improve 48V motor drive system response times, allowing heavy vehicles to accelerate more quickly after stopping. For motors requiring currents up to 600A, the DRV3255-Q1 provides the industry’s highest gate-drive current, says TI, which can directly drive up to 1,000-nC gate-charge MOSFETs.

The motor driver is qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 0 to protects powertrain systems from switching transients as high as 95V and load-dump conditions over the -40°C to 150°C temperature range with no need for protection circuitry. In addition, the digital I/O pins withstand up to 75V absolute maximum ratings to protect the motor driver against an external 12V power supply over-voltage.

The DRV3255-Q1 is available now in a 64-pin quad flat package.