EasySPIN™, dSPIN & cSPIN Motor Drivers with Easy Digital Configuration

EasySPIN: Fully integrated microstepping motor driver

ST's EasySPIN devices integrate a dual low RDS(on) DMOS full bridge with all power switches equipped with an accurate current-sensing circuitry suitable for non-dissipative current control and overcurrent protection. A new current control achieves a 1/16 step resolution using an adaptive decay mode which outperforms traditional implementations, reducing the current ripple. easySPIN devices integrate a full set of protection features that guarantee the high robustness required by the most demanding industrial applications.

Key benefits of EasySPIN:

• Fully configurable through SPI interface: the daisy-chain makes it possible to use a single 4-wire SPI to control multiple devices
• Advanced current control to provide robust and flexible driving of the motor phases, dynamically adapting to minimize the current ripple
• Integrated in a single chip, avoiding more expensive and space consuming discrete solutions
• A full set of protection functions for the most demanding motor control applications that helps to further reduce the number of external components, the cost and complexity

dSPIN: Fully integrated microstepping motor driver with motion engine and SPI

ST's dSPIN motor drivers combine fully-digital motion control with a low RDS(on) power stage with high current capability (3 A for each H-bridge). There is no need for a dedicated MCU to perform speed profile and positioning calculations. The digital-control core communicates with the host MCU through a fast SPI interface, with daisy-chain capability, facilitating the implementation of cost-effective solutions in multi-motor applications. The innovative voltage-mode driving implemented by the L6470 results in a position resolution of up to 128 microsteps and smoother motion. Reduced noise and vibration at low speed make the overall application much simpler and lighter. The advanced current control of the L6472 motor driver provides a cost-effective solution, offers a resolution of up to 16 microsteps and reduces the current ripple through auto-adaptive decay. No shunt resistors are required to sense the phase currents; current control is implemented using an integrated non-dissipative current sensing. dSPIN devices integrate a full set of protection features that guarantee high robustness as required by the most demanding industrial applications.

Key benefits of dSPIN:

• Fully-digital motion control to allow the user to set a variety of features: target speed, acceleration/ deceleration, absolute and relative position; with the integrated motion engine and SPI interface, no need for an external microcontroller or DSP
• The innovative voltage-mode control (available on the L6470) featuring 128 microsteps per step, the best motion resolution ever reached in monolithic stepper motor drivers, providing smoothness of motion like never before

cSPIN: Fully integrated microstepping motor controller with motion engine and SPI

ST's cSPIN motor drivers feature a unique solution for microstepper motor driving. They integrate in a single chip a digital motion engine, a dual full bridge gate driver for external MOSFETs, an SPI interface and diagnostics, and several protection features, such as non-dissipative overcurrent protection. cSPIN's high level of integration simplifies motor control design, reduces system BOM and cost, with no compromise on quality. cSPIN features excellent motion smoothness right up to a resolution of 128 microsteps. The MOSFET gate drivers operate from 8 V to 85 V, which allows applications to scale smoothly over a wide power range up to 500 W. By generating acceleration, deceleration and positioning sequences autonomously, the motion engine executes high-level commands received from the host controller via SPI, thus reducing the MCU workload, system cost and development time. The cSPIN family today includes the L6480 and L6482. The L6480 features a novel voltage technique able to reach a resolution of 128 microsteps, while the L6482 is controlled using a predictive current technique.

Key benefits of cSPIN:

• Fully-digital motion control to allow the user to set a variety of features: target speed, acceleration, deceleration, absolute and relative position; with the integrated motion engine and SPI interface, no need for an external microcontroller or DSP
• Possibility to drive 8 external N-channel MOSFETs making ST's solutions scalable for different application ratings up to 85 V buses
• Innovative voltage-mode control (available on the L6480) to provide a resolution of 128 microsteps per step
• Advanced current control (available on the L6482) to provide robust and flexible driving of the motor phases that dynamically adapts to minimize the current ripple
• Integrated in a single chip, avoiding more expensive and space consuming discrete solutions
• A full set of protection functions for the most demanding motor control applications that further reduces the number of external components, the cost and complexity

dSPIN: Fully integrated microstepping motor driver with motion engine and SPI

New state-of-the-art platform for stepper motor drives, a quantum leap in microstepping. Substitutes expensive DSP, analog and power components with a single IC. Its fully-digital motion engine with SPI interface controls the stepper motor with up to 128 microsteps, and the innovative voltage-mode technique allows for unprecedented motion smoothness.

Features: L6470

dSPIN: Fully integrated microstepping motor driver with motion engine and SPI

New state-of-the-art platform for stepper motor drives, a quantum leap in microstepping. Substitutes expensive DSP, analog and power components with a single IC. Its fully-digital motion engine with SPI interface controls the stepper motor with up to 128 microsteps, and the innovative voltage-mode technique allows for unprecedented motion smoothness.

Features: L6472

EasySPIN: Fully integrated microstepping motor driver

Best trade-off between performance and cost for microstepping applications. No external shunts required due to an innovative current-mode scheme.

Features: L6474

cSPIN: Fully integrated microstepping motor controller with motion engine and SPI

SPI advanced controller for stepper applications, providing fully digital control of the motion through speed profile generation and positioning calculations. It integrates a dual full bridge gate driver for external MOSFET with embedded non-dissipative overcurrent protection.

Features: L6480