TI introduces the industry’s smallest gate driver and power MOSFET solution for motor control

The DRV832x BLDC gate drivers feature a smart gate-drive architecture that eliminates up to 24 components traditionally used to set the gate drive current while enabling designers to easily adjust field-effect transistor (FET) switching to optimize power loss and electromagnetic compliance. The CSD88584Q5DC and CSD88599Q5DC power blocks leverage two FETs in a unique stacked-die configuration, which doubles power density and minimizes the FET resistance and parasitic inductances typically found in side-by-side FET configurations.

An 18-volt compact BLDC motor reference design demonstrates how the DRV8323 gate driver and CSD88584Q5DC power block can drive 11 W/cm³ power and enable engineers to jump-start their designs for smaller, lighter-weight power tools, integrated motor modules, drones and more. For more information, visit www.ti.com/smallmotordesign-pr.

Benefits of using a CSD88584/99 and DRV832x device together

• Maximum power density: The combined solution delivers 700 W of motor power without a heat sink, providing 50 percent higher current than conventional solutions without increasing the footprint.
• High peak current: As demonstrated by the 18-volt BLDC reference design, the smart gate driver and power block are capable of driving a peak current of up to 160 A for more than 1 second.
• Optimal system protection: The combination enables shorter trace lengths and actively prevents unintended FET turn-on, while also providing undervoltage, overcurrent and thermal protection.
• Superior thermal performance: The CSD88584Q5DC and CSD88599Q5DC power blocks come in TI’s DualCool™ thermally enhanced package, which enables designers to apply a heat sink to the top of the device to decrease thermal impedance and increase the amount of power dissipated to maintain safe operating temperatures for the board and end application.
• Clean switching: The power blocks’ switch-node clip helps eliminate parasitic inductance between high- and low-side FETs. Additionally, the DRV832x gate driver’s passive component integration minimizes board traces.

Tools and support to jump-start design

In addition to the 18-volt BLDC motor reference design, engineers can search for other motor reference designs that use the power blocks and gate drivers to help solve their system design challenges. The three-phase smart gate-driver evaluation module (EVM) allows designers to drive a 15-A, three-phase BLDC motor using the DRV8323R gate driver, CSD88599Q5DC power block and MSP430F5529 microcontroller LaunchPad™ development kit. The EVM is available from the TI store for US$99.00.

Package, availability and pricing

The new DRV832x BLDC smart gate drivers offer peripheral and interface options for engineers to select the best device for their design: with or without an integrated buck regulator or three integrated current-shunt amplifiers. Each device option is available in a hardware or serial interface and comes in quad flat no-lead (QFN) packaging. The CSD88584/99 power blocks come in DualCool small outline no-lead (SON) packaging, with 40- or 60-V breakdown voltage (BV_DSS) choices. All devices are available now, priced and packaged as listed in the table below.

Explore TI products and resources for designing motor drives

• Read a blog post about how to reduce your PCB footprint when driving motors.
• Explore TI’s brushless DC gate driver portfolio.
• Find the right power MOSFET or power block for your design needs.
• Learn more about smart gate-drive architecture.
• Search for answers and get help with your design in the TI E2E™ Community Motor Drivers forum.