Understanding the effect of PWM when controlling a brushless DC motor
Author : Matthieu Bouat, Portescap
04 January 2022
Brushless DC motors are increasingly popular options for a host of critical applications, where size, performance and reliability are important considerations. But designers of motion systems can face challenges when selecting or developing PWM electronics to drive these motors.
Matthieu Bouat, Application Engineer at Portescap, discusses the parameters that designers should consider when developing the electronic control aspect of the motion system, particularly where factors such as battery life and package’s overall size and weight are key concerns.
In any brushless DC motor-driven system, the role of the control electronics, the amplifier, is to vary the supply voltage or the current – or both – to achieve the desired motion output of the motor. There are several options for the amplifier. A linear amplifier adapts the power delivered to the motor, by linearly changing the voltage or current. It dissipates the power, which is not delivered to the motor, resulting in the need for a large heat sink. This increases the amplifier size and makes it more difficult to integrate it into the application...
Read the full article in DPA's January issue
Contact Details and Archive...