Motor control algorithm is free to download

Free source code algorithm provides sensorless field oriented control of permanent magnet synchronous motors.

Microchip now offers free source code for sensorless field oriented control (FOC) of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs).

The software is suitable for any of the company's motor control dsPIC digital signal controllers (DSCs), including the newly introduced dsPIC33FJ12MC family.

The low-cost high-performance (40MIPS) dsPIC33FJ12MC family, available in 20- and 28-pin packages, is reckoned to be an ideal platform for advanced, space-constrained motor control, power conversion and LED lighting applications.

With electric motors consuming a significant percentage of the energy generated worldwide, and increasingly stringent energy regulations being introduced, the demand for advanced, efficient control of variable-speed motors is increasing.

Microchip's motor control dsPIC families offer dedicated hardware, alongside a range of free software algorithms, allowing many applications to take advantage of these advanced control methods.

Specific motor control features of the new dsPIC33FJ12MC family include a motor control PWM module with two independent clock sources (enabling, for example, motor control and power factor correction algorithms in a single device), an optimised analogue-digital convertor, and an on-chip quadrature encoder interface.

The new field oriented control (FOC) algorithm provides advanced, sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs).

Key features and requirements of the algorithm include: modular source code design; key software functions optimised for speed motor startup subroutine included; phase advance capability included; and internal variable buffering for debugging.

The algorithm uses only 7Kbyte of Flash memory, 400byte of data RAM and 11MIPS, and requires inputs from two shunt-resistor current sensors.

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