Want appliances and tools that run quiet, fast, and smooth without extra cost? Find out if new microcontrollers can help engineers build them.
Engineers designing home appliances and power tools face a common challenge: how to deliver motor performance while keeping system cost low. Consumers expect devices like washing machines, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, and power tools to run quietly and efficiently, but traditional microcontrollers often lacked the computing power or integrated features needed to achieve this without adding extra components.
Texas Instruments (TI) addresses this problem with its new C2000 real-time microcontrollers, the F28E120SC and F28E120SB. These are the company’s most affordable C2000 MCUs, offering 30% faster computing power than previous models. They are aimed at motor-control applications such as single motor drives and power factor correction systems.
By integrating TI’s InstaSPIN field-oriented control (FOC) software and algorithms, the F28E12x series enables precise motor control. Features like sensorless FOC, zero-speed startup, and vibration compensation help engineers design appliances that run efficiently without additional components. The integrated C28x digital signal processor core, analog-to-digital converter, and programmable gain amplifier simplify the design and reduce system costs.
These MCUs also support high motor speeds, up to 120,000 rpm, helping reduce mechanical noise from gear transitions and improve system reliability. In addition, a vibration compensation algorithm cuts speed ripple by up to 60%, minimizing noise and vibration from imbalanced loads.
“Since their introduction in the 1990s, TI C2000 MCUs have allowed designers to control both simple and complex motors with low latency and high reliability,” said Vivek Singhal, vice president and general manager, Application-Specific Microcontrollers at TI. “Adding fully featured, ultra-low-cost MCUs to the C2000 portfolio enables new markets to access the industry-leading real-time performance that TI is known for. Using this technology, appliance and power-tool manufacturers can deliver seamless, quiet motor operation, previously considered a luxury, at an affordable price point.”
