SA306
SA306U 11
P r o d u c t I n n o v a t i o n F r o m
out condition is in progress. The SA306 has two
VS connections: one for phase A, and another for
phases B & C. The supply voltages on these pins
need not be the same, but the UVLO will engage
if either is below the threshold. Hysteresis on the
UVLO circuit prevents oscillations with typical
power supply variations.
2.4 CURRENT SENSE
External power shunt resistors are not required
with the SA306. Forward current in each top, P-
channel output FET is measured and mirrored to
the respective current sense output pin, Ia, Ib and
Ic. By connecting a resistor between each cur-
rent sense pin and a reference, such as ground,
a voltage develops across the resistor that is pro-
portional to the output current for that phase. An
ADC can monitor the voltages on these resistors
for protection or for closed loop torque control
sense pins source current from the VDD supply.
Headroom required for the current sense circuit
is approximately 0.5V. The nominal scale factor for each proportional output current is shown in the typical perfor-
2.5 CYCLE-BY-CYCLE CURRENT LIMIT
In applications where the current in the motor is not directly controlled, both the average current rating of the motor
up.
Because the output current of each upper output FET is measured, the SA306 is able to provide a very robust cur-
rent limit scheme. This enables the SA306 to safely and easily drive virtually any brushless motor through a start-
shows starting current and back EMF with and without current limit enabled.
If the voltage of any of the three current sense pins exceeds the current limit threshold voltage (Vth), all outputs are
disabled. After all current sense pins fall below the Vth threshold voltage AND the offending phase’s top side input
goes low, the output stage will return to an active state on the rising edge of ANY top side input command signal (At,
cycle. This scheme regulates the
peak current in each phase during each cycle as illustrated in the timing diagram below. The ratio of average
to peak current depends on the inductance of the motor winding, the back EMF developed in the motor, and the
width of the pulse.
LIM/DIS1 goes high when
any current sense pin exceeds Vth. Notice that the moment at which the current sense signal exceeds the Vth
motor winding L/R time constant will often result in an audible beat frequency sometimes called a sub-cycle oscilla-
tion. This oscillation can be seen on the ILIM
Input signals commanding 0% or 100% duty cycle may be incompatible with the current limit feature due to the
absence of rising edges of At, Bt, and Ct except when commutating phases. At high RPM, this may result in poor
performance. At low RPM, the motor may stall if the current limit trips and the motor current reaches zero without a
commutation edge which will typically reset the current limit latch.
TIME
NON-LIMITED BACK EMF
LIMITED BACK EMF
LIMITED MOTOR CURRENT
NON-LIMITED MOTOR CURRENT
CURRENT