New fully integrated embedded motor controller with extended memory for automotive applications

TDK Corporation (TSE 6762) expands its Micronas embedded motor controller portfolio with the HVC 4420F, featuring extended flash memory for the drive of small brush-type, stepper, or brushless motors. It is designed to satisfy the latest needs of the automotive industry to provide diagnostics capability newly introduced in the field of smart actuators. Samples will be available in March 2019. Start of production is planned for 2020.

With an extension of the flash memory to 64 KB and SRAM to 4 KB, the HVC 4420F is the answer for the OEMs’ increased functional and diagnostic demands. Currently, OEMs use own ideas and approaches on diagnostics. This includes sensor data fusion strategy, actuator status and resulting activities. To ensure the required data analysis, software routines have to be implemented, which activate the underlying hardware diagnostic features, while respecting the OEMs’ framework to ensure proper integration. Due to its larger memory and the built-in diagnostic feature set, the HVC 4420F offers the storage capacity and processing capability to execute these actions which are unique in the environment of smart actuators.

The new HVC 4420F is part of the Micronas high-voltage controller family (HVC) for smart actuators. The HVC family combines an ARM^® standard microcontroller core with a wide range of additional functions in order to enable particularly compact and cost-efficient system designs for use in automotive applications and beyond. Powered by a 32-bit CPU core (ARM^® Cortex^®-M3) with 64 kB flash memory, the HVC 4420F contains, amongst others, timers/counters, interrupt controllers, multichannel ADC, SPI, and enhanced PWMs with diagnosis functions, important for utilization in safety relevant applications. An advanced LIN UART with a LIN 2.x transceiver as well as voltage regulators to connect the device directly to the automotive board net (5.4 V – 18 V) do round up the all-in-one approach. Several power management modes help reducing the current consumption. Various integrated digital and analog circuit units, such as comparators with virtual star point reference, current scaling and an embedded programmable gain amplifier allow users to minimize the number of external components.

Due to its high processing power, the HVC 4420F allows complex motor control algorithms such as Space Vector Modulation (SVM) for permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM), six-step commutation with sensor feedback or sensorless control, as well as various stepper configurations.

The HVC 4420F optionally comes with production-ready and highly flexible, parameterizable firmware with sophisticated communication, monitoring and power management functions (ASIL A ready) as well as a configuration tool. Customers can develop application software, based on the firmware, that is both efficient and effective and thus optimally design the combination of motor and control by gaining significant reduction in their time to market.

HVC 4420F will be presented for the first time at Embedded World exhibition from February 26 to 28, 2019, in Nuremberg at the TDK booth 438 in hall 3A.