It is estimated that electric motors operated by traditional on/off drives consume as much as 50% of the world's electricity. Intelligent drives enable improved energy ratings, but present complex design challenges and historically have required expensive processors such as digital signal controllers.
To overcome these challenges STMicroelectronics has launched a new motor-control firmware library release for its STM32 microcontroller family. The STM32 FOC PMSM SDK v3.0 adds support for the STM32 Value Line series (STM32F100x), enabling designers to realize intelligent drives at lower price points for cost-sensitive applications. It also targets the STM32 Performance Line High-Density series (STM32F103xx), exploiting the large program Flash memory combined with the advanced peripheral offering, to implement a dual-motor drive in a single controller, saving cost, size and development time.
This is the first ST library to support dual motor controls and will benefit designers of equipment such as air conditioning units, industrial automation and robotics systems.
By using the STM32 firmware library, designers can configure controllers for 3-phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) using the Field Oriented Control (FOC) algorithm. The library provides a comprehensive set of functionalities, including both torque control and speed control with on-the-fly switching capability, and features such as ST's patented algorithm for single-shunt resistor-based current reading, MTPA for IPMSM, flux weakening, feed forward and brake strategy. The C-code provided conforms to MISRA-C 2004 rules and ISO/ANSI standards.
By using the STM32 firmware library, designers can configure controllers for 3-phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) using the Field Oriented Control (FOC) algorithm. The library provides a comprehensive set of functionalities, including both torque control and speed control with on-the-fly switching capability, and features such as ST's patented algorithm for single-shunt resistor-based current reading, MTPA for IPMSM, flux weakening, feed forward and brake strategy. The C-code provided conforms to MISRA-C 2004 rules and ISO/ANSI standards.
The library contains IP blocks supporting speed and position detection using sensors such as Hall-effect or encoder devices, or sensorless algorithms. By supporting several configurations, the library gives designers flexibility to choose the approach that best suits their application. This latest version of the software library also provides designers with extra control to customize aspects such as, for instance, microcontroller pin assignments and an application example based on the FreeRTOS operating system.
Also offered as part of ST's motor-drive solution is the MC Workbench v1.0.2, which is a graphical PC tool for the configuration of the firmware library. This simplifies the task of assembling the blocks and customizing the drive to perform as required