Electronics Industry Awards – Finalist Supplement
Your faster route to better motor control
Toshiba has introduced a state-of-the-art development and design platform comprising software and hardware that allows engineers to simplify and accelerate motor control projects
H
aving high-performance, energy-efficient motor control is an important aspect of all manner of modern electronic
systems yet achieving this can be a very complex process that takes up a lot of time and resources. Therefore, engineers need access to solutions that will assist them in completing their motor control projects in shorter timeframes with minimal effort.
Introduced in the autumn of 2022, Toshiba’s MCU Motor Studio has such objectives. It is already proving invaluable to those conceptualising and constructing motor control infrastructure. This multifaceted platform is helping them to attain all their design goals,
while also easing the engineering exertion involved in tuning and configuration, as well as providing a source of data for in-depth valuable analysis so issues can be fixed quicker and time-to-market is accelerated. It provides clear differentiation from competing development solutions offered by other vendors. It encompasses a highly intuitive PC-based software tool, evaluation hardware and microcontroller firmware.
Via MCU Motor Studio, different parameters may be set by the user, and these can then be loaded onto the hardware. Real-time data on the values of all these parameters is subsequently monitored (speed, torque, current, temperature, DC-link voltage, etc.), being graphically displayed on the accompanying user interface. This data can also be logged for later use. By leveraging the data, the motor control system’s capabilities can be assessed, and tuning undertaken so that optimal performance may be derived. The platform also allows the identification of error states and system debugging to be carried out.
30 September 2023 Powerful hardware
The hardware element of MCU Motor Studio has been developed in collaboration with MikroElektronika (MIKROE) - featuring the company’s CLICKER 4 for TMPM4K MCU board and the 6V-48V CLICKER 4 Inverter shield. This hardware benefits from Toshiba’s TXZ+™4A microcontroller technology, which derives its processing power from the 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M4 core and incorporates a multitude of dedicated motor-control functions too (hardware vector engine, high-resolution advanced encoder for servo motors, etc.). The microcontroller unit is equipped with dedicated hardware accelerators that are well interconnected and matched, so that after initial configuration they can perform the motor control task with minimal CPU load. The built-in Vector Engine (VE) can handle complex vector control calculations, and also feeds the Programmable Motor Drive (PMD) block so that the required PWM waveforms may be generated. It also performs other key functions such as dead-time control. Up to three BLDC/ PMSM motors can be independently configured and simultaneously controlled with a single microcontroller.
Components in Electronics
The Toshiba MCU Motor Studio allows for both senor-based and senor-less drive control utilizing/through configurable 1-shunt or 3-shunt current sensing arrangements. Various modern energy-efficient motor control methodologies are supported, such as sine wave commutation and field-oriented control (FOC). PWM frequencies of up to 156kHz can be delivered. The user can configure the revolutions per minute (RPM), the time it takes for starting/stopping the motor, and the duty cycle of the motor system.
Thanks to the sophisticated firmware employed, it is straightforward to configure zero-current-point detection, initial motor position detection and suchlike. This firmware is applicable to various different motor types, including brushless DC (BLDC) and permanent- magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). Highly effective over-current, over-voltage, under-voltage and over- temperature protection mechanisms have been included, as well as essential diagnostic functions (such as field stall detection and motor disconnect detection).
Should there be extra load on the motor, then the speed can be automatically reduced in order to prevent stalling. If a stall does occur, the optional recovery function can be engaged in attempts to restore the motor operation.
The digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) significantly augments the monitoring capabilities of the MCU Motor Studio platform. It allows debug work to be conducted without requiring the motor to be turned off so that actual operational problems can be fully addressed.
Ultimately, Toshiba’s MCU Motor Studio allows engineers to make the most of an advanced software and hardware ecosystem to optimise the development of motor control infrastructure. The multifaceted platform supports design, tuning, configuration and analysis – accelerating time to market for motor-control applications. In short, it allows engineers to work faster and smarter to achieve their goals.
www.toshiba.semicon-storage.com
www.cieonline.co.uk.uk
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