AN3998 Sensorless BLDC MC AVR MCU Fam DS00003998

AN3998
Sensorless BLDC Motor Control for AVR® Microcontrollers
Introduction
Authors: Alexandru Zîrnea, Leona Pop, Microchip Technology Inc.
This application note describes a sensorless Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motor control method using a Plug-In
Module (PIM) based on the AVR128DA48 or AVR128DB48 microcontrollers from the AVR® DA and AVR DB families.
The first part of the document focuses on the motor control theory from which the software implementation is
derived. It describes the sensored and sensorless control methods, details about trapezoidal commutation, and other
important information about how to drive the motor.
The second part is dedicated to the software and hardware implementation of the system.
The example application uses the AVR128DA48 or the AVR128DB48-based PIM connected to a dsPICDEM™
MCLV-2 Development Board (Motor Control Low-Voltage) (MCLV-2). The MCLV-2 board offers a potentiometer for
adjusting the speed of rotation, while the input protection and Back Electromotive Force (BEMF) circuitry are found
on the PIM.
The system is capable of regenerative braking, which is inherent to the driving method used.
The driving waveforms for the motor are generated independently from the core, using the hardware capabilities of
the microcontroller’s peripherals.
Additionally, the application employs several protection mechanisms such as stall detection, false input detection, and
overcurrent protection in both directions.
The system can drive a wide range of BLDC motors with an adequate tuning of the firmware. Guidelines for tuning
the parameters needed for different types of motors are outlined at the end of the document.
BLDC motors are used in a wide range of applications such as cordless power tools, computers, hard drives,
multimedia equipment, cooling fans in small electronic equipment, electric vehicles and are a growing market for the
electric future. The presented solution creates a cost-effective motor driver by using an 8-bit microcontroller when
traditionally, only 16-bit microcontrollers or more were used in creating this device.
View the Motor Control PIM Code on GitHub

Click to browse repository
© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 1

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Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1
1. Overview................................................................................................................................................. 3
2. Relevant Devices.................................................................................................................................... 4
3. Motor Control Theory.............................................................................................................................. 5
4. Firmware Implementation......................................................................................................................14
5. Plug-In Module (PIM) Board Description...............................................................................................24
6. Tuning................................................................................................................................................... 34
7. Conclusion............................................................................................................................................ 37
8. References............................................................................................................................................38
9. Revision History.................................................................................................................................... 39
The Microchip Website.................................................................................................................................40
Product Change Notification Service............................................................................................................40
Customer Support........................................................................................................................................ 40
Microchip Devices Code Protection Feature................................................................................................ 40
Legal Notice................................................................................................................................................. 41
Trademarks.................................................................................................................................................. 41
Quality Management System....................................................................................................................... 42
Worldwide Sales and Service.......................................................................................................................43

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Overview
1. Overview
This application note presents the motor control theory needed to drive a BLDC motor and contains a comparison
between the sensored and sensorless motor control, a typical implementation of a power stage, modulation
techniques as well as a detailed description of the custom PIM.
Moreover, the document covers a detailed presentation of bipolar switching, which is the focus of this example.
To obtain the position of the rotor, the zero-cross point detection method is covered, using a comparator with a
variable voltage reference consisting of a virtual neutral of the motor.
The motor starts at an initial position after an alignment routine. This is done so that at start-up the motor follows the
generated open-loop waveform.
At compile-time, the user can select the mode the motor must run in, open- or closed-loop.
A potentiometer on the MCLV-2 board provides a value read by the ADC that is used to compute a duty reference
for the waveform timer, and this reading, along with the current, is done asynchronously from the motor logic drive of
the software. This part runs in the main loop, while the motor control runs on interrupts to get the best response time
possible.
At the end of this document, the user can find a brief introduction to tuning the parameters of the firmware to obtain
the desired results.
This application example uses the following peripherals:
• Analog Comparator (AC)
• Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
• I/O Pin Controller (PORT)
• Timer/Counter Type A (TCA)
• Timer/Counter Type B (TCB)
• Timer/Counter Type D (TCD)
• Custom Configurable Logic (CCL)
• Voltage Reference (VREF)
• Universal Synchronous Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (USART)
Prerequisites:
1. Software:
– Microchip Studio 7 Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with AVR DX Device Family Pack (DFP
1.7.85 or newer)
2. Hardware:
– AVR128DA48 Motor Control PIM or AVR128DB48 Motor Control PIM with internal op amp configuration
board
– dsPICDEM™ MCLV-2 Development Board (Motor Control Low-Voltage)
– AC300020 - 24V 3-Phase Brushless DC Motor
– AC002013 - 24V Power Supply
– MPLAB® PICkit™ 4 In-Circuit Debugger
The MCLV-2 Development Board is targeted to control either a brushless motor or a permanent magnet synchronous
motor in sensored or sensorless operation. In this demo, it will be used in conjunction with the AVR128DA48 or
AVR128DB48 Motor Control PIMs to drive a brushless motor in sensorless operation. The board offers a driver for
the three phases, a way to measure feedback signals, and an on-board op amp. An additional configuration board is
used with the AVR128DB48 PIM because the internal operational amplifier signals are routed differently.
This demo will use some other features of the MCLV-2 board like the programming interface and the serial interface
to receive information about the working parameters of the motor. Additionally, there are LEDs, buttons and a
potentiometer on the board that provide a user interface to show which PWM outputs are active, to set the direction
of the motor and to start and stop it, and to change the speed of the motor.

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Relevant Devices
2. Relevant Devices
This section lists the relevant devices for this document. The following figures show the different family devices,
laying out pin count variants and memory sizes:
• Vertical migration upwards is possible without code modification, as these devices are pin-compatible and
provide the same or more features
• Horizontal migration to the left reduces the pin count and, therefore, the available features
• Devices with different Flash memory sizes typically also have different SRAM and EEPROM
Figure 2-1. AVR® DA Family Overview
Flash
128 KB AVR128DA28 AVR128DA32 AVR128DA48 AVR128DA64
64 KB AVR64DA28 AVR64DA32 AVR64DA48 AVR64DA64
32 KB AVR32DA28 AVR32DA32 AVR32DA48
Pins
28 32 48 64
Figure 2-2. AVR® DB Family Overview
Flash
128 KB AVR128DB28 AVR128DB32 AVR128DB48 AVR128DB64
64 KB AVR64DB28 AVR64DB32 AVR64DB48 AVR64DB64
32 KB AVR32DB28 AVR32DB32 AVR32DB48
Pins
28 32 48 64

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Motor Control Theory
3. Motor Control Theory

This section explains the motor control concepts and how they apply in software and hardware implementations.
3.1 Sensored vs. Sensorless Control

BLDC motors are synchronous and compact, provide high efficiency and eliminate the need for any maintenance.
They have a big advantage over DC brushed motors, being suitable for consumer and industrial applications that
require very stringent standards.
DC brushed motors are mechanically commutated. They have brushes and a commutator that applies voltage to the
coils according to the specific rotor position.
Unlike DC brushed motors, the commutation in BLDC motors is done depending on the position of the rotor, which
has to be known.
To determine the position of the rotor, either sensor or sensorless algorithms can be used.
3.1.1 Sensored Control

One method is to use sensors on the outside of the stator which will react to the magnets on the rotor accordingly
and give a signal that can be used to determine the position. Typically, three Hall-effect sensors will give a 60
degrees difference between two transitions.
The advantage of using sensors is that by knowing the state of each hall-effect sensor, the position of the rotor is
known even at zero speed, on system power-up.
The main downside of using sensors is that they add cost and complexity to the motor, while also needing auxiliary
power.
3.1.2 Sensorless Control

Another method is to use sensorless control, which only requires a few passive components on the control board.
This method works by sensing the voltage on a floating phase induced by the movement of the magnets in the rotor,
called Back Electromotive Force (BEMF). BEMF gives the microcontroller data about the current position of the rotor.
As the voltage induced in one coil is proportional to the speed of the rotor, at very low speeds, the amplitude of the
BEMF is very small, noisy and difficult to filter. As such, there is an open-loop starting procedure in which the rotor
follows the magnetic field generated by the microcontroller asynchronously. The speed grows continuously until the
BEMF has a detectable amplitude.
The upside of sensorless control is that any sensored motor can be driven in Sensorless mode and can be used as
a fail-safe control method, where it is possible. It is also more reliable as the system does not depend on external
inputs, other than the inherent BEMF of the motor.
Unlike sensored control, where the hall effect sensors provide a logical signal, without any noise, sensorless control
needs signal filtering and conditioning due to motor construction, power supply noise and other factors.
Because of the BEMF filtering, abrupt changes in motor speed cannot be detected precisely and may get the system
out of lock. The sensored control does not suffer from this problem, as the Hall sensors provide the signal regardless
of the motor operating conditions.
3.2 Six-Step (Trapezoidal) Commutation

The trapezoidal control consists of three phases (A, B, and C in this case), from which two phases are driven, and the
third is left floating, thus, giving the ability to detect the zero-cross of the BEMF generated by the moving rotor.
Each step or sector represents 60 degrees from a total of 360 degrees or one full electrical revolution.

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Figure 3-1. Ideal Trapezoidal Waveform
Step commutation is done as follows:
Step 1: Step 4
• Red winding is driven positive • Green winding is driven positive
• Green winding is driven negative • Red winding is driven negative
• Blue winding is not driven • Blue winding is not driven
Step 2: Step 5:
• Red winding is driven positive • Blue winding is driven positive
• Blue winding is driven negative • Red winding is driven negative
• Green winding is not driven • Green winding is not driven
Step 3: Step 6:
• Green winding is driven positive • Blue winding is driven positive
• Blue winding is driven negative • Green winding is driven negative
• Red winding is not driven • Red winding is not driven
At constant speed, or for small speed variations, the period between two commutations is equal. This is the
estimation for controlling the motor in Closed Loop.
This implementation uses trapezoidal commutation due to its simplicity and ability to be very easily implemented in
8-bit microcontrollers, as it needs little memory resources and processing power.
3.3 Power Stage

The power stage is comprised of an inverter, which consists of three half-bridges that can either tie each phase to the
supply voltage or ground. The switching element is typically a MOSFET, for low-voltage applications, or an IGBT, for
high-voltage applications.

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Figure 3-2. Typical Power Stage Schematic

VBUS
AH BH CH
A
B C
AL BL CL
GND
The AH, BH and CH represent the high-side command signals from the microcontroller, while AL, BL and CL
represent the low-side signals.
In addition to the power transistors, MOSFET/IGBT drivers are used to ensure good rise and fall times and provide
the gate voltage needed for the high-side and low-side transistors.
A combinational logic circuit is used to avoid shoot-through by adding dead time between the high-side and low-side
command signals.
This dead time ensures the MOSFETs or IGBTs on the same branch are completely turned off and do not conduct
current at the same time.
3.4 Modulation Techniques

To control the speed of a BLDC motor, the voltage level applied to the motor’s phases needs to be adjusted. This can
be easily done in the same manner as in DC brushed motors, and that is to modulate the voltage with the help of
Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM). Thus, the motor speed is directly proportional to the duty cycle of the PWM signal.
The following sections present two switching methods along with their advantages and disadvantages.
3.4.1 Unipolar Switching

Unipolar switching requires two transistors to be energized during one trapezoidal step.
The low-side transistor is conducting all the time, while the upper one is receiving a PWM signal. In most
applications, the high-side transistor command is handled by a MOSFET driver. The MOSFET driver has a bootstrap
capacitor that charges when the low side is conducting. If the method used applies the PWM on the low side, the
bootstrap capacitor will be charged depending on the duty cycle, resulting in a low charge at a low percentage of the
duty cycle, which will result in an increase of the RDS (on) of the transistors and will decrease the overall efficiency, or
under-voltage lock-out of the driver IC chip.
In sensorless control, this method poses a few challenges:
• During the time in which the BEMF is exposed, the waveform will be chopped due to magnetic coupling between
all of the coils, as the PWM is induced in the floating phase.
Thus, a synchronizing method is needed to ‘sample’ the BEMF at specific times. This sampling time is ideally at
the middle of a high pulse, where the BEMF stabilizes and does not vary.
• Any noise that overlays the waveform will be hard to filter and will trigger the zero-cross at the wrong time, which
will decrease the efficiency and increase both acoustic and electrical noise.
In this method, the traditional RC filter method will prove inefficient at low speeds as it will require high values
and introduce a high amount of delay at high speeds.
A typical waveform using unipolar switching can be seen in Figure 3-3.

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Figure 3-3. Unipolar Switching Phase Voltage (50% Duty Cycle)

Phase Voltage
VBUS
Zero cross Zero cross
VBUS /2
Electrical degrees
30 60 120 180 210 240 300 360
This is a classic scenario used in most simple designs.
3.4.2 Bipolar Switching

Unlike unipolar switching, bipolar switching requires four transistors to be energized during one trapezoidal step.
In contrast to the unipolar switching, in this case, the other two transistors to be energized are complementary to
those characteristic to each step.
This behavior is expressed in the following situation:
The characteristic state is AH-BL, which means that phase A is tied HIGH and phase B is tied LOW. This is done by
energizing the high-side transistor of the phase A half-bridge, and the low-side transistor of phase B.
Figure 3-4. Current Flow During AH-BL State
VBUS
AH BH CH
A
B C
AL BL CL
GND
The complementary state of AH-BL will be AL-BH and the current will flow in this way. See Figure 3-5 below.
Figure 3-5. Current Flow During AL-BH State
VBUS
AH BH CH
A
B C
AL BL CL
GND

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Considering zero speed at 0% duty cycle for unipolar drive, in this case, the zero speed is at 50% duty cycle, where
the complementary state time is equal to the characteristic state.
This method has the advantage of a very clean BEMF because all the voltage induced in the floating phase is
canceled by the complementary state, thus, obtaining a waveform that will contain only high-frequency spikes, which
can be filtered using an RC filter with a very small time constant.
The main disadvantage of this method is that the motor emits more electromagnetic and acoustic noise and
increases the overall system loss due to another transistor pair needed to switch.
The voltage on one phase can be seen in Figure 3-6.
Figure 3-6. Bipolar Switching Phase Voltage (75% Duty Cycle)
Phase Voltage High-frequency commutation noise
VBUS Zero cross Zero cross
VBUS /2
30 60 120 180 210 240 300 360

Electrical degrees
The high-frequency spikes appear at the transition between the characteristic state and the complementary
state. These can be observed in low-inductance motors where the amplitude of the spikes gets higher near the
commutation zones.
Figure 3-7. BEMF Noise on Low-Inductance Motor
In Figure 3-7, the first three waveforms represent the PWM signals for the three phases of the motor while the fourth
waveform represents the sensed current through the transistors.
To avoid shoot-through, dead time will be added between the command signals of the drivers.

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Figure 3-8. Dead-Time Insertion
Dead time
HIGH
Characteristic
LOW
HIGH
Complementary
LOW
Period
A dead time of approximately 42 ns was added (one clock cycle of the PWM timer), and the result can be seen in
Figure 3-9. However, it is recommended to have a higher dead time if the power MOSFETs/IGBTs have high gate
capacitance.
Figure 3-9. Motor Waveform Close-Up
In Figure 3-9, the first three waveforms represent the PWM signal for the three phases while the fourth waveform is
the sensed current through the transistors. The small spikes in the current waveform correspond to the transistors
switching and represent a small amount of shoot-through. If no dead time was added, then the current would rise
considerably and the transistors will warm up and burn up.
Switching Noise
Similar to unipolar switching, bipolar switching suffers from a specific problem: During commutation, when the motor
has a certain amount of load applied to it, there will be a demagnetization sequence that will influence the detection
of the zero-cross and potentially give a false input, which, in turn, will get the motor out of sync.

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This can be particularly challenging as the demagnetization sequence can almost get to 30 electrical degrees, which
will, in turn, limit the area in which the zero cross point can be detected, and potentially suppress it.
The solution to this behavior is to add a blanking time, during which the zero cross is ignored completely. This
parameter will be dynamically set in the control algorithm and self-adapt during the entire range of RPM.
Regenerative Braking
A brushless motor can run in four different regions. These regions are called ‘quadrants’ and are described in Figure
3-10.
Figure 3-10. Four Quadrant Operation
Speed
VBUS < BEMF VBUS > BEMF
II I
Forward Braking Forward Motoring
0 Torque
VBUS > BEMF VBUS < BEMF
III IV
Reverse Motoring Reverse Braking
For this application note, only quadrant numbers one and two are of interest and the motor can run in either one,
without the specific intervention of the control algorithm.
In quadrant one, the motor draws current from the bus and is free-running or has a load applied to it. The measured
speed of the rotor is equal to or less than the set speed.
On the other side, in quadrant number two, the set speed of the motor is lower than the measured speed due to
system inertia or other external forces.
The two-quadrant operation is directly related to the duty cycle, which will impose a specific RPM, given in the
equation below.
RPM = Kv × U, where Kv is a parameter of the motor and U is the voltage applied to the coils.
The following concepts: RPMSET and RPMMEASURED provide information about the current RPM of the motor and the
set RPM at any given time.
It is, thus, necessary to express the difference in the RPM with the formula:
ΔRPM = RPMSET − RPMMEASURED
If ΔRPM is greater than zero, then the motor is in quadrant one and draws current from the power supply.
Otherwise, if ΔRPM is less than zero, the motor is in quadrant two and pushes current to the power supply.
This is a rough approximation of how the motor behaves and does not account for variables such as friction losses or
load.
In quadrant two, the system behaves like a boost converter and the maximum current that can be generated depends
on the parameters of the motor, as well as the ΔRPM mentioned earlier and the ESR of the battery.
An equivalent circuit can be obtained for the motor:

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Figure 3-11. Equivalent Circuit of a Motor
The coil resistance and inductance are static throughout the RPM range but the BEMF is directly proportional to the
RPM: BEMF = RPM/Kv. The BEMF amplitude is equal to the supply voltage multiplied by the PWM duty factor (for
bipolar operation, 50% duty means 0V). If the motor does not have any load, the BEMF amplitude will approach the
supply voltage at the full duty cycle.
To protect the system and the power supply from an Overvoltage condition, additional circuitry is needed to monitor
the voltage on the bus.
Figure 3-12. Phase Voltages and Command Signals of Bipolar Switching
VBUS
PHASE A VBUS/2
0
V
Deg
VBUS
PHASE B VBUS/2
0
V
Deg
VBUS
PHASE C VBUS/2
0 Deg
HIGH
AH
LOW Deg
HIGH
AL
LOW Deg
HIGH
BH
LOW Deg
HIGH
BL
LOW Deg
HIGH
CH
LOW Deg
HIGH
CL
LOW Deg
3.5 Zero-Cross Point Detection

In this implementation, the method employed to measure the zero-cross point is by using a comparator with a
variable reference consisting of the sum of all the phase voltages.

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Figure 3-13. Zero-Cross Point Detection Using Comparator
The neutral voltage can be expressed as Vn = BEMF A + BEMF B + BEMF C , where Vn is the virtual neutral voltage,
3
BEMF A is the BEMF voltage in phase A, BEMF B is the BEMF in phase B, and BEMF C is the voltage in phase C.
Due to the asymmetry in the coil impedance, the virtual neutral signal will not be constant, but one that will vary
based on the driving cycle. To avoid any phase shifts in the commutation point, the virtual neutral point must not be
heavily filtered. Only high-frequency noise must be suppressed with a low RC time constant low-pass filters.
The irregularity of the virtual ground can be seen in Figure 3-14, where the first three waveforms represent the PWM
signal for each of the three phases and the fourth waveform is the virtual ground.
Figure 3-14. Virtual Ground Waveform

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Firmware Implementation
4. Firmware Implementation
This section presents the use of the internal AVR peripherals to achieve a specific task and describes how the
firmware works as a motor control system.
4.1 System Overview
The System State Machine

The firmware is based on a state machine that controls how the system behaves. It provides Fault handling, Reset
information, and enables debugging by utilizing error messages transmitted via UART.
Figure 4-1. System Control State Machine
Watchdog Reset
Power-On Reset Driver Init

Watchdog Reset App Init
BOD Reset Motor Init
UPDI Reset
Potentiometer value
< Minimum Value
Potentiometer value
< Minimum Value
Stop Fault Mode
Potentiometer value
> Minimum Value
Potentiometer value
< Minimum Value
Potentiometer value
< Minimum Value Overcurrent
Overvoltage
Undervoltage
Control Mode
= Open Loop
Ramp-Up Open Loop
Ramp-Up finished
Overcurrent
Overvoltage
Undervoltage
Zero-cross delta over limit
Zero-cross time-out
Control Mode
= Closed Loop
Ramp-Up finished Closed Loop
On system power-up, the System Control state is set to Driver Init, App Init state. This is the default state that
the system has after any Reset. To identify the Reset cause, a message is printed to notify the user about the
specific event. The potentiometer value is checked beforehand to make sure that the system does not start right
up (for example, if the system had an external Reset while the motor was at full speed, it would not have started

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right up protecting the motor and power stage). If the condition is not met, the watchdog will trigger and reset the
microcontroller.
After this, the motor enters the Stop state. If the potentiometer value increases above a set threshold, then the rotor
will be aligned, and the system state will be set to Ramp-Up. Here, the motor is accelerated to the defined speed in
software, without knowing the position of the rotor.
Upon finishing the ramp-up sequence, the system goes in the Defined Control state, which can be either Open Loop
or Closed Loop.
When in Open Loop, the motor runs and the microcontroller does not have any information about its rotor position.
The speed of the motor can be adjusted through the potentiometer. If its value is smaller than a set threshold, the
motor stops and the system goes into the Stop state. If an overcurrent is detected, the system goes into the Error
Handling state.
When in Closed Loop, the running of the motor is based on the feedback received by the microcontroller about the
rotor position. The speed of the motor is constant and only the duty cycle can be adjusted through the potentiometer.
If its value is smaller than a set threshold, the motor stops and the system goes into the Stop state.
Besides overcurrent, zero-cross delta over limit, zero-cross time-out, undervoltage and overvoltage cause the system
to enter the Error Handling state.
If the system gets into Error state, then the only way to reset it is to get the potentiometer under a set threshold. Then
the system gets back to the initial Stop state.
Overview of the Utilized Device Modules and Signals

Figure 4-2 depicts the relationship between the hardware, microcontroller and software modules. The term ‘control’ is
used to signal any modifications on the peripheral’s registers.
Figure 4-2. Overview of the System Modules
CCL Control
Custom
Configurable LUT0 OUT AH
Logic
Phase A (CCL)
AC1 Interrupt Phase A
Half Bridge
Phase A Voltage Half Bridge
CCL Control Driver
dividers Phase B Analog Custom
Low-pass Comparator Configurable LUT1 OUT AL
Phase B filters (AC) Logic
Voltage Phase C AC1 Control (CCL)
summer
Phase C
Virtual
Ground
CCL Control
Custom
AC0 Interrupt Configurable LUT4 OUT
Analog BH
Logic
I/O Pin Comparator
(CCL)
Controller (AC) Control Algorithm Half Bridge Phase B Motor
(PORT) AC0 Control Half Bridge
Current AC2 OUT CCL Control Driver
sensing circuit Custom BL
Analog Configurable LUT3 OUT
Comparator Logic
(AC) (CCL) I/O Pin
Controller
(PORT)
Analog-to- ADC Result TCD0 WOB
Digital TCD0 WOA
Converter
Potentiometer (ADC) ADC Control
TCD0 WOC CH
TCD0 Control 12-Bit
Timer/Counter Half Bridge Phase C
Half Bridge
Voltage Type D Driver
Reference (TCD) CL
(Vref) TCD0 WOD
TCB0 Control
TCA1 Control
16-bit 16-bit TCA1 CMP0 Interrupt USART TX
USART Control
Timer/Counter Timer/Counter USART
TCA1 CMP1 Interrupt
Type B Type A
(TCB) (TCA) TCA1 CMP2 Interrupt
TCB0 CMP Interrupt
TCA0 CMP0 Interrupt

16-bit
Timer/Counter Motor Control AVR®
Type A TCA0 Control External Hardware
Software Component Module
(TCA)
This implementation makes use of the bipolar switching presented above, and the zero-cross is detected by using an
internal comparator.
4.2 PWM Generation

The Timer/Counter Type D (TCD) peripheral is used to generate the PWM signals that control half-bridge driver
inputs.
The timer is configured in One Ramp mode, and its functionality is presented in Figure 4-3.

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Figure 4-3. TCD One Ramp Mode Waveform
TCD cycle
Dead time A On time A Dead time B On time B
Counter
Compare
value
values
CMPBCLR
CMPBSET
CMPACLR
CMPASET
WOA
WOB
CMPBCLR + 1
In One Ramp mode, the TCD cycle period is: TTCD_cycle =
fCLK_TCD_CNT
For example, using an input clock of 24 MHz, a prescaler of 1:1, and a CMPBCLR value of 512, will give a period of
21.375 µs, or a frequency of approximately 46.783 kHz.
The dead time is set in software during external changes on the timer’s duty cycle.
For this application, the operation region is above 50% duty cycle to operate in quadrant one and two.
PWM Signal Routing

For six steps trapezoidal control, three half-bridge drivers must be controlled by a microcontroller. The TCD has only
four waveform outputs that allow direct control of only two half-bridge drivers. The other two phases are created with
the help of Custom Configurable Logic (CCL).
The WOC and WOD outputs of the TCD peripheral are available to the physical pins on the microcontroller and they
are used to drive phase C.
The WOA and WOB outputs of the TCD peripheral are used to control the other two phases. With the help of CCL
logic, the WOA and WOB signals are available on two different pairs of pins.

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The equivalent logic for one phase, based on the behavior of the system, is configured through the TRUTH registers:
Figure 4-4. Equivalent Logic Routing Schematic
WOA
MUX
AND PHASE HIGH
MUX
WOB AND PHASE LOW
Six Step State Machine
The CCL logic implements smart routing of PWM signals to the half-bridge drivers, allowing control of two motor
phases using only one complimentary PWM pair (WOA and WOB), as described in the use cases below.
If the characteristic state of the phase is LOW, WOA is routed to the low-side transistor, while the WOB will be routed
to the high-side transistor.
If the characteristic state of the phase is HIGH, the WOA is routed to the high-side transistor and the WOB to the
low-side transistor.

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4.3 Zero-Cross Detection

The zero-cross point must be detected with high precision to ensure an accurate switching point. The amplitude of
the voltage present on each phase is reduced using a voltage divider and is then filtered with a low-pass RC filter.
One internal comparator (AC1) is used to compare the filtered voltages with the virtual neutral of the motor, which is
provided as a sum of all the phase voltages.
The AC1 comparator used here has multiple inverting and non-inverting inputs selectable with the help of a built-in
multiplexer. This feature is used to switch the AC1 inputs function by a state machine, allowing the use of one AC
for all three phases and thus, reducing the number of peripherals required. Figure 4-5 describes the equivalent circuit
used to detect the zero-cross point.
Figure 4-5. Zero-Cross Detection Equivalent Circuit
PHASE A Voltage 0
divider+LPF
Voltage 1 MUX
PHASE B
divider+LPF
+
OUT
-
Voltage
PHASE C 2
divider+LPF
1:0
Six Step State Machine
SUM
4.4 Zero-Cross Filtering

In some cases, the zero-cross point might be detected earlier or later than the ideal case due to noise or other factors
such as motor particularities.
A filtering method will be used to avoid an unwanted behavior that can get the motor out of lock.
The basic constraints of this filter need to follow a few simple rules:
• The value of the filter must not be too aggressive in a way that would affect the reaction time of the motor in the
case of a moderately fast speed change and not too soft, as it defeats its intended purpose
• The filter must not be computationally intensive, as it may take a long time to obtain the desired result and delay
the commutation point
• A minimum pass-through delay is required to obtain the best results
Based on the above requirements, a first-order IIR filter is chosen under the form of a moving average low-pass filter
y n−1 × a−1 x n
using the formula y n = + a , where y is the output of the filter, x is the input, and a is the filter
a
coefficient.
timerValue = (uint32_t)(((uint32_t)previous_zero_cross_time * (MOTOR_DIVISION_FACTOR - 1) +

(uint32_t)current_zero_cross_time)) / MOTOR_DIVISION_FACTOR;
Ideally, for faster computation, the filter coefficient (MOTOR_DIVISION_FACTOR) must be a power of two, as it can be
implemented using bit shifting with specific core instructions.
The input and output values are unsigned 16-bit values, thus, to prevent an overflow during the multiplication of
y(n-1), as well as the total sum, the operations are done using casting to 32-bit unsigned values.
For the scope of this application, a value of 4 for the filter coefficient was considered the best fit.

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4.5 Thirty-Degree Timing

The thirty degree wait time is defined as the time between the commutation point and the next zero-cross point. In
trapezoidal control, when the zero cross is found, the system must wait for a thirty-degree electrical angle for the
commutation to occur.
Any alteration of this time is called advance or retard, when the commutation is done earlier or later than it is
supposed to.
Advance is done to achieve a greater torque during acceleration and, similarly, the braking force is increased during
the retard.
A fixed advance value is implemented by subtracting the value from the newly computed thirty-degree time to
compensate for any pass-through delay and add an advance time to the commutation point.
This is done using the following line of code: tempValue = timerValue - MOTOR_ADVANCE_TIME;
4.6 BEMF Commutation Noise Blanking

In trapezoidal control, when the system moves to the next step, the BEMF of the floating phase specific to the new
step is affected by the commutation noise. It is then necessary to avoid capturing that sequence, as it can trigger a
false zero-cross point.
This is called blanking time and it must be set based on the speed of the motor. For example, if a blanking time is
good for low speeds in a high-speed scenario, the blanking time might be more than enough and the zero cross is not
captured. It is calculated by using half of the previous value utilized in the thirty-degree timing.
4.7 Handling Time-Related Events

The driving of the motor is highly time-dependent. Two instances of the TCA peripheral and one instance of the TCB
peripheral are used in this system to handle the time-related events.
The first instance of the TCA peripheral (TCA0) controls the speed of the motor when the system is in Ramp-Up/
Open Loop mode. It triggers a periodical interrupt at an interval determined by the value from the CMP0 compare
register.
By decreasing the value from the CMP0 register, the interrupt period decreases, and the motor is accelerated. If the
decreasing of the register stops, the motor is commutated with a fixed period, and the Control mode is switched to
Open Loop mode.
Upon reaching the interrupt, the algorithm moves to the next trapezoidal step and, after that, it triggers it.
This is done using the following lines of code:
tmr_ramp_up_compare_value -= MOTOR_TIMER_RAMP_UP_DECREMENT;
TCA0_setCMP0Value(tmr_ramp_up_compare_value);
#define MOTOR_TIMER_RAMP_UP_DECREMENT 800
The second instance of the TCA peripheral (TCA1) is used for driving/handling time-related motor events during each
step.
During one trapezoidal step, the counter serves four purposes:
• It handles the blanking time
• It counts the time from the commutation point to the zero-cross point
• It counts the new calculated time from the zero-cross point to the new commutation point
• It handles the stall detection (zero-cross time-out)
The counter has three compare channels, each of them configured to trigger a specific interrupt.
The method of operation is described below:
After a new commutation, the CNT register value is cleared, and the CMP0 interrupt is enabled.

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Upon reaching the CMP0 interrupt, the AC1 interrupt is enabled, and the CMP0 interrupt is disabled.
If the zero cross is found within the CMP2 time interval, then the timer is stopped, the CNT register value is
processed with the zero-cross filter and set to the CMP1 register. The counter register is cleared once again and the
CMP1 interrupt is enabled.
When the timer reaches the CMP1 value, it triggers an interrupt, commutates to the next step, disables the CMP1
interrupt, and the cycle is repeated. A detailed, time-domain representation of the functionality of this block can be
seen in Figure 4-6.
Figure 4-6. TCA1 Time-Domain Representation
Active Interrupts
AC1
TCA1 CMP0
TCA1 CMP1
TCA1 CMP2
Reset Timer Reset Timer Reset Timer

Compute commutation time
ZC Blanking
TCA1 Count zero-cross time Commutation timing
Commutation
Zero Cross
Phase
Voltage
Commutation
Interrupts
The TCB0 timer/counter acts like a very basic scheduler to run tasks that are non-time critical. It uses a fixed value
for a compare register which triggers an interrupt and sets the SCHEDULER_mainLoopFlag checked in the main
loop.
4.8 Overcurrent Protection

To protect the motor, the power stage, and the power supply, an overcurrent protection method is needed. This is
accomplished with the help of a current shunt which gives out an analog signal with a DC offset of VDD/2, so that the
voltage can swing in both directions. Thus, at a value of VDD/2 the system draws zero amps.
For faster response time, two internal Analog Comparators in Window mode are used to detect the overcurrent.
The upper and lower limits of the window are generated using two DACs, one for each comparator. An interrupt
generated by this current window will force the system into a Fault state.
4.9 Stall Detection

This implementation employs three methods of stall detection:
• Zero-cross time-out using the TCA1 CMP2 interrupt
• Using a zero-cross delta limit. This means that if the motor has any abrupt changes on the time in which the
zero cross is detected, based on the previous one, then the motor is considered stalled.
• Most likely, during a stall, the current through the windings will rise considerably and get over the overcurrent
limit
The most sensitive part of stall detection is at start-up. When the motor is accelerated in Open Loop mode and
switching to Closed Loop, the system might get a false response that the zero cross is valid, even though the BEMF

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is a result of the magnetic coupling between the driven and the undriven coils, and not the voltage induced in the
coils by the moving magnet.
4.10 RPM Measurement

RPM measurement is done using the filtered time of the zero-cross. This means that the RPM is calculated using
only half of a trapezoidal step (the point in time when the motor commutates to the point where the zero cross is
found). As such, the precision of the motor RPM detection decreases.
The RPM is then computed using the zero-cross timer value, multiplying it with two to get the duration of a
trapezoidal step, multiply it with six to obtain the electrical period. After this, it is just a matter of plugging the value
into the formula RPM = 120/ Te × P , where Te is the electrical frequency, and P is the number of the pole pairs
specific to the motor.
To compensate for this effect, the TCA1 timer/counter prescaler was adjusted in such a way that at low speeds, it
does not overflow, while also obtaining the highest value possible.
The process of establishing the best prescaler was done by printing the zero-cross timer value and changing the
prescaler to get the maximum value possible at the minimum RPM (that is, the maximum time interval between
commutation and zero-cross signal).
4.11 Debugging
The MPLAB® Data Visualizer is used to view live data and for debugging purposes.
Figure 4-7. MPLAB® Data Visualizer Example
It can display the following variables:

• Motor speed in Revolutions per Minute (RPM)
• Motor current in mA
• System voltage in mV
Moreover, debug messages, which display any faults or state changes, can be enabled and viewed in the MPLAB
Data Visualizer terminal section. The following lines of code are contained in the application area of the project, in the
app.c file. It is strongly recommended that only a single functionality is enabled at once, either the debug messages

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or the Data Visualizer. Debug messages are disabled by default. To enable them, comment lines 31 and 33 and
uncomment line 30. Any changes to the code require recompiling and reuploading the project.
Figure 4-8. Debug Options
Configuration
1. Connect the MCLV-2 board to the PC using a Mini-USB cable.
2. Make sure the MPLAB Data Visualizer plug-in is installed.
2.1. Go to Tools → Plug-ins → Available plug-ins and search for MPLAB Data Visualizer.
3. Launch the MPLAB Data Visualizer and click on Load Workspace from the top bar. Select the .json file in
the root of the repository.
Figure 4-9. Loading the Workspace
4. On the left Connections tab, select the COM port and set the Baud Rate to 115200. Leave the rest of the
configuration like in Figure 4-10:

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Figure 4-10. COM Port Configuration
5. Press the Start streaming button for the selected COM port. To view the traces on the Time Plot, the Show
Live Data mode needs to be activated.
– If debug messages are enabled (see the app.c source file macros), they can be viewed in the Terminal
tab, with the Display As mode set to 8-bit ASCII
Figure 4-11. Debug Messages for Various States and Faults

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Plug-In Module (PIM) Board Description
5. Plug-In Module (PIM) Board Description

The AVR DX PIM comes in two variants:
• Internal Operational Amplifier variant: Based on the AVR128DB48 microcontroller which includes an internal op
amp
• External Operational Amplifier variant: Based on the AVR128DA48, it represents the plain version and uses the
external MCLV-2 op amp
Figure 5-1. AVR® DB PIM with Internal Op Amp
Figure 5-2. AVR® DA PIM with External Op Amp
The usage of the internal op amps relies mainly on microcontrollers that contain the op amp module such as
the AVR DB family, eliminating the need for an external op amp. The amplified current is then fed through a
comparator window with software-adjustable limits leaving the user the possibility to select between internal or
external references by changing a single selection jumper on the PIM.
A special configuration board is needed to gain access to both signals from the current shunts and the back-EMF of
the motor. It comes in the same package as the PIM. This is only needed when using the internal op amp current
reference. However, if the PIM is configured to run with an external op amp, it can also work with the provided
MCLV-2 EXTERNAL OP_AMP configuration board.
5.1 Pin Mapping

Table 5-1 provides the mapping between the 100-pin PIM and the 48-pin device.
Table 5-1. Pin Mapping Table (Sorted by PIM Pin Number)
PIM Pin # Signal Name Pinout Description AVR® DX PIN

1 DBG_LED2 Debug LED 2 PA5
2 VDD Digital supply VDD
3 PWM1H3 PWM output - 3H PA6

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...........continued
13 MCLR Device Master Clear PF6
15 VSS Digital supply GND
18 FAULT DC BUS current fault (active-low logic) PC2
19 TX UART Transmit N/A
20 PIM_V_M3 Voltage feedback signal PD4
23 PIM_IMOTOR_SUM DC bus current signal PD2
24 PIM_IMOTOR2 Phase current signal PE0
25 PIM_IMOTOR1 Phase current signal PF2
26 PGC Device programming clock line N/A
27 PGD Device programming data line UPDI
28 VREF Reference voltage (half of AVDD voltage) PD7
29 PIM_REC_NEUTR Reconstructed motor neutral line voltage PD5
30 AVDD Analog supply AVDD
31 AVSS Analog supply GND
32 PIM_POT Potentiometer signal PD0
34 PIM_GEN2 General I/O PA4
35 PIM_VBUS DC bus voltage (downscaled) PD1
41 PIM_MONITOR_1 Hall sensor/Current sense/Voltage feedback signal N/A
47 HALLB Hall sensor/QEI input PB5
48 HALLC Hall sensor/QEI input PB4
49 RX UART Receive PA0
50 TX UART Transmit PA1
51 USB_TX UART Transmit (connected directly to U7) PB1
52 USB_RX UART Receive (connected directly to U7) PB0
58 PIM_FLT_OUT2 General I/O PC6

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60 DBG_LED1 Debug LED 1 PC0
61 HOME Home signal for QEI PC7
63 OSC1/CLKO Crystal oscillator in N/A
64 OSC2/CLKI Crystal oscillator out N/A
66 PIM_IBUS+ BUS current shunt signal N/A
67 PIM_IBUS- BUS current shunt signal N/A
68 LIN_CS LIN Chip Select signal PA2
69 LIN_FAULT LIN Fault signal PC1
70 RX UART Receive N/A
72 USB_RX UART Receive (connected directly to U7) N/A
73 PIM_IB+ IMOTOR1 shunt signal N/A
74 PIM_IA+ IMOTOR2 shunt signal N/A
76 USB_TX UART Transmit (connected directly to U7) N/A
77 CAN_TX CAN Transmit N/A
78 CAN_RX CAN Receive N/A
80 HALLA Hall sensor/QEI input PB2
82 PIM_GEN1 General I/O N/A
83 BTN_1 Push-button S2 input PF5
93 PWM1L1 PWM output - 1L PC3
98 PWM1L2 PWM output - 2L PF3
99 PWM1H2 PWM output - 2H PB3
100 PWM1L3 PWM output - 3L PA7
Notes:
1. Digital Power (VDD) pins are connected to the PIM.
2. Digital Ground (VSS) and Analog Ground (AVSS) pins are connected to the PIM.
Table 5-2 provides the mapping between the 48-pin device and the 100-pin PIM.

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Table 5-2. Pinout Table (Sorted by AVR® DX Pin Name)
PIM Pin # Pin Name Pinout Description AVR® DX PIN

30 AVDD Analog supply AVDD
31 AVSS Analog supply GND
15 VSS N/A GND
36 VSS N/A GND
45 VSS N/A GND
65 VSS N/A GND
75 VSS N/A GND
19 TX UART Transmit N/A
26 PGC Device programming clock line N/A
63 OSC1/CLKO Crystal oscillator in N/A
64 OSC2/CLKI Crystal oscillator out N/A
66 PIM_IBUS+ BUS current shunt signal N/A
67 PIM_IBUS- BUS current shunt signal N/A
70 RX UART Receive N/A
72 USB_RX UART Receive (connected directly to U7) N/A
73 PIM_IB+ IMOTOR1 shunt signal N/A
74 PIM_IA+ IMOTOR2 shunt signal N/A
76 USB_TX UART Transmit (connected directly to U7) N/A
82 PIM_GEN1 General I/O N/A
49 RX UART Receive PA0
50 TX UART Transmit PA1
68 LIN_CS LIN Chip Select signal PA2
34 PIM_GEN2 General I/O PA4
1 DBG_LED2 Debug LED 2 PA5
100 PWM1L3 PWM output - 3L PA7
52 USB_RX UART Receive (connected directly to U7) PB0

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PIM Pin # Pin Name Pinout Description AVR® DX PIN
51 USB_TX UART Transmit (connected directly to U7) PB1
80 HALLA Hall sensor/QEI input PB2
99 PWM1H2 PWM output - 2H PB3
48 HALLC Hall sensor/QEI input PB4
47 HALLB Hall sensor/QEI input PB5
60 DBG_LED1 Debug LED 1 PC0
69 LIN_FAULT LIN Fault signal PC1
18 FAULT DC BUS current fault (active-low logic) PC2
93 PWM1L1 PWM output - 1L PC3
61 HOME Home signal for QEI PC7
32 PIM_POT Potentiometer signal PD0
35 PIM_VBUS DC bus voltage (downscaled) PD1
23 PIM_IMOTOR_SUM DC bus current signal PD2
29 PIM_REC_NEUTR Reconstructed motor neutral line voltage PD5
28 VREF Reference voltage (half of AVDD voltage) PD7
24 PIM_IMOTOR2 Phase current signal PE0
25 PIM_IMOTOR1 Phase current signal PF2
98 PWM1L2 PWM output - 2L PF3
13 MCLR Device Master Clear PF6
27 PGD Device programming data line UPDI
2 VDD N/A VDD
16 VDD N/A VDD
37 VDD N/A VDD
46 VDD N/A VDD
62 VDD N/A VDD
86 VDD N/A VDD

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Notes:
1. Digital Power (VDD) pins are connected to the PIM.
2. Digital Ground (VSS) and Analog Ground (AVSS) pins are connected to the PIM.
5.2 PIM Schematic

Figure 5-3. PIM Schematic
1 2 3 4 5 6
REV ECO# DESCRIPTION DATE
AVR® DX External/Internal Op Amp Motor Control PIM

A A
PIN 42 PIN 14
GND DVDD PIM1
PIM:49 PIM:27 1 100
PIM:01 1 100 PIM:100
DVDD
DVDD
PIM:50 MCLR_SAFE 2 99
DVDD 2 99 PIM:99
PIM:68 PIM:83 3 98
PIM:03 3 98 PIM:98
PIM:94 PIM:84 4 97
PIM:04 4 97 PIM:97
PIM:34 PIM:98 5 96
PIM:05 5 96 PIM:96
6 95
PIM:06 6 95 PIM:95
7 94
PIM:07 7 94 PIM:94
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
8 93
U1 PIM:08 8 93 PIM:93
C1 C3 C2 C6 9 92
AVR128DB48-I/PT PIM:09 9 92 PIM:92
PF3
PF5
GND
VDD
PF6
PF4
UPDI
PA3
PA4
PA2
XTALHF2/PA1
XTALHF1/PA0
0.1uF 1uF 0.1uF 1uF 10 91

PIM:10 10 91 PIM:91
11 90
1 36 PIM:11 11 90 PIM:90
PIM:01 PA5 PF2 PIM:25 12 89
2 35 PIM:12 12 89 PIM:89
PIM:03 PA6 XTAL32K2/PF1 XTAL2 13 88
3 34 MCLR 13 88 PIM:88
PIM:100 PA7 XTAL32K1/PF0 XTAL1 14 87
4 33 PIM:14 14 87 PIM:87
GND
GND
PIM:52 PB0 PE3 OP2:INN 15 86
5 32 GND 15 86 DVDD
PIM:51 PB1 PE2 OP2:OUT 16 85
6 31 DVDD 16 85 PIM:85
PIM:80 PB2 PE1 OP2:INP 17 84
7 30 PIM:17 17 84 PIM:84
PIM:99 PB3 PE0 PIM:24 18 83
8 29 PIM:18 18 83 PIM:83
PIM:48 PB4 GND GND PIN 28 19 82
9 28 PIM:19 19 82 PIM:82
PIM:47 PB5 AVDD AVDD 20 81
B 10 27 PIM:20 20 81 PIM:81 B
PIM:60 PC0 PD7 PIM:28 21 80
AVDD
11 26 PIM:21 21 80 PIM:80
PIM:69 PC1 PD6 PIM:21 22 79
12 25 PIM:22 22 79 PIM:79
VDDIO2
PIM:18 PC2 PD5 PIM:29 23 78

PIM:23 23 78 PIM:78
24 77
GND
PIM:24 24 77 PIM:77
PD0
PD1
PD2
PD3
PD4
PC3
PC4
PC5
PC6
PC7
25 76
GND
PIM:25 25 76 PIM:76
26 75
21
13
23
15
18
14
16
17
19
20
22
24
PIM:26 26 75 GND
27 74
C4 C11 TP1 TP2 PIM:27 27 74 PIM:74
28 73
0.1uF 1uF PIM:28 28 73 PIM:73
PIM:93 PIM:20 29 72
PIM:29 29 72 PIM:72
DVDD PIM:22 30 71
AVDD 30 71 PIM:71
GND ISUM 31 70
GND 31 70 PIM:70
PIM:35 GND 32 69
PIM:32 32 69 PIM:69
PIM:59 PIM:32 33 68
GND PIM:33 33 68 PIM:68
PIM:58 PIM:61 34 67
PIM:34 34 67 PIM:67
35 66
PIM:35 35 66 PIM:66
36 65
GND 36 65 GND
37 64
DVDD 37 64 PIM:64
R1 38 63
GND PIM:38 38 63 PIM:63
C12 39 62
C13 PIM:39 39 62 DVDD
GND 30k 40 61
56pF PIM:20 PIM:40 40 61 PIM:61
41 60
R2 R3 OP2_O PIM:41 41 60 PIM:60
XTAL1
XTAL2
10nF 42 59
PIM:67 PIM:42 42 59 PIM:59
C 43 58 C
1k 1k GND PIM:43 43 58 PIM:58
44 57
OP2:INN - R4 OP2 PIM:44 44 57 PIM:57
C14 45 56
OP2 OP2:OUT GND 45 56 PIM:56
56pF 46 55
OP2:INP + 1k C15 DVDD
47
46 55
54
PIM:55
R5 R6 Y1 PIM:47 47 54 PIM:54
PIM:21 48 53
PIM:66 PIM:48 48 53 PIM:53
10nF 49 52
1k 1k VREF PIM:49 49 52 PIM:52
C16 32.7680kHz 50 51
PIM:50 50 51 PIM:51
R7 1000pF GND
C17
PIM:28 C8 C9 PIM 4x25 Female
56pF
30k 12pF 12pF
C18 C19
10nF
PIM:22
GND GND 10nF
GND GND
GND GND
J2
OP2:OUT J4
0R MCLR_SAFE MCLR
ISUM 0R
J3
PIM:23
0R
DNP UPDI
D PIM:27 D
VDD
DVDD
LABEL1
RST/MCLR
MCLR
1 2 3 4 5 6
Notes:
1. Jumpers J2 and J3 are used to switch between external and internal op amp.
2. Jumper J4 can be replaced with a resistor to protect the microcontroller against an accidental HV
programming mode.

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5.3 Configuration Board Schematic

Figure 5-4. PIM Schematic
1 2 3 4 5 6
A A
J1
B SHUNT_HIGH_SUM PIM_IBUS+ SHUNT_HIGH_SUM PIM_IBUS+ B
49 47 45 43 41 39 37 35 33 31 29 27 25 23 21 19 17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 1
50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2
SHUNT_LOW_SUM PIM_IBUS- SHUNT_LOW_SUM PIM_IBUS-
SHUNT_HIGH_1 PIM_IA+ SHUNT_HIGH_1 PIM_IA+
SHUNT_HIGH_2 PIM_IB- SHUNT_HIGH_2 PIM_IB-
REC_NEUTR PIM_REC_NEUTR REC_NEUTR PIM_REC_NEUTR

MONITOR_1 PIM_MONITOR_1 MONITOR_1 PIM_MONITOR_1
VBUS PIM_VBUS VBUS PIM_VBUS
IMOTOR_SUM PIM_IMOTOR_SUM IMOTOR_SUM PIM_IMOTOR_SUM
IMOTOR1 PIM_IMOTOR1 IMOTOR1 PIM_IMOTOR1
IMOTOR2 PIM_IMOTOR2 IMOTOR2 PIM_IMOTOR2
POT PIM_POT POT PIM_POT
PIM_FLT_OUT1
PIM_FLT_OUT2
J1:37 J1:38 J1:37 J1:38
J1:39 J1:40 J1:39 J1:40
PIM_GEN1
PIM_GEN2
V_M1 PIM_V_M1 V_M1 PIM_V_M1
C V_M2 PIM_V_M2 V_M2 PIM_V_M2 C
V_M3 PIM_V_M3 V_M3 PIM_V_M3
FTE-125-02-G-DV-A
D D
1 2 3 4 5 6
5.4 Analog Functionality

Table 5-3. Internal Op Amp Parameters
Op Amp # Analog Function Passive Components Design Equations

2 Low-pass filter R2, R3, R5, R6, C13, C14, R2 = R3 = R5 = R6 = R
C17
C13 = C17 = C
Reference voltage bias R1, R7 R1 = R7
Differential amplifier R2, R3, R5, R6
input Common − mode f−3 dB ≅ 1
2πRC
Differential amplifier R1 1
Differential − mode f−3 dB ≅ C
feedback 2π 2R 2 + C14
Differential amplifier gain ≅ R7

2R

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Figure 5-5. Internal Op Amp Configuration

C D
VREF
AVR128DB48
B E 31
IBUS+ +
Filter, Feedback 32
Op Amp 2
A and Bias Circuit F 33 _
IBUS-
C D
30k 30k
56 pF
B E
1k 1k
56 pF
A F
1k 1k
56 pF
Filter, Feedback and Bias Circuit
Differential amplifier gain = 30kΩ = 15

2 * 1kΩ
1
Differential mode f−3 dB ≅ ≅ 948 KHz
56 pF
2π 2 * 1kΩ 2 + 56 pF
1
Common − mode f−3 dB ≅ ≅ 2.8 MHz
2π 1kΩ 56 pF

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Figure 5-6. Voltage Divider and Low-Pass Filter for Phase Back-EMF
MCLV-2 PIM
M1 PIM_V_M1 PIM:22
30k 300
2k 10 nF
M2 PIM_V_M2 PIM:21
30k 300
2k 10 nF
M3 PIM_V_M3 PIM:20
30k 300
2k 10 nF
1
Cutoff frequency−3 dB = ≅ 7321 Hz
2π 30k ∥ 2k + 300 10 nF
tan 30
30 degree phase shift frequency = = 4226 Hz
2π 30k ∥ 2k + 300 10 nF
Thus, the theoretical maximum speed of the motor will be:
4226 Hz * 60 ≅ 253560 eRPM
Mecℎanical RPM = eRPM/Pole pairs

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5.5 User Interface

Table 5-4 describes the user interface with the MCLV-2 board using the AVR DX PIM.
Table 5-4. User Interface Description
Interface Type Function Description

S1 Input Reset Pressing this button will reset the microcontroller and bring the system to the
Driver Init, App Init state
S2 Input Start/Stop Starts or stops the motor. If in Error Handling state, a press on this button
will bring the system to the Stop state (braking PWM LEDs D10, D12, and
D14 ON).
S3 Input Change direction Changes the direction of the motor. This only works when the system is in
Stop state. A change of the direction also changes the direction LEDs.
POT1 Input Set duty cycle Directly sets the duty cycle of the PWM signal
D2, D17 Output Motor direction Indicates the direction of the motor (CW or CCW, depending on the motor
indication wiring)
D10-D15 Output PWM outputs Visual indication if the PWM outputs are active. No LED turned ON means
that the system is either turned OFF or is in Error Handling state.

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Tuning
6. Tuning
6.1 First Start-Up

The motor will start without issues if a 24V supply voltage is provided and the default values are used.
However, the number of the pole pairs of the used motor may be different from the one used in the default
configuration. If this is the case, normal behavior is exhibited, but the RPM seen in the MPLAB Data Visualizer will
have an incorrect value.
To fix this issue, two fields in the AVR_Dx_tuning_params.xslm excel file need to be modified:
• Motor pole pairs: Change according to the used motor
• Target RPM: Change according to the formula:
– NewRPM = NewPolePairs * OldRPM/OldPolePairs
– Round the number to the nearest integer
If the results are in order and the motor response is correct, then tuning is not necessary.
6.2 Excel File Parameters Tuning

It may be that the motor fails to start, or it does not exhibit good performance.
Figure 6-1. Excel File Editable Parameters
The following paragraphs will focus on the tuning parameters and their impact on the system behavior:
1. Start-up PWM Duty [%] – It represents the start-up duty cycle in percentage. A value that is too low may
be insufficient for the ramp-up sequence as the current through the windings is too low and the generated
magnetic field is not strong enough for the rotor to follow.
A value that is too high will result in a trigger of the overcurrent protection or excessive heating of the windings.
The start-up duty cycle is also strongly dependent on the motor load at start-up. Higher loads demand higher
duty cycles.
This parameter applies to the ramp-up sequence only.
2. Rotor align time [ms] – The rotor align time in milliseconds. The duty cycle is gradually increased using a
linear ramp from 0% to the Start-up PWM Duty value so there is no mechanical shock. This alignment is done
for the motor to start from a known position.
3. Target RPM [RPM] – This will be the final RPM after the ramp-up sequence. If it is set too high, then there will
be a need for a higher duty cycle so that the motor can follow the magnetic field at high RPMs.
This parameter applies to the ramp-up sequence only, but the closed-loop control also depends on it.

AN3998
Tuning
4. Initial start-up period [ms] – Start-up point of the ramp. There is generally no need to tune this parameter.
5. Ramp duration [ms] – Sets how much the ramp will last. For faster start-up times, lower this value. Beware
that strong accelerations also demand higher duty cycles.
6. Ramp sustain duration [ms] – After the ramp-up sequence, where the motor is accelerated, there is a
sustained period where the motor is spun with the Target RPM speed. Unless there is a PI controller used,
where it can benefit in the training of the controller, it is recommended for this parameter to be kept to a
minimum.
7. Hold-off steps – Immediately after the ramp-up sequence, the PWM is disabled and the comparator is
enabled. This is done to detect the exact position of the rotor in absence of any phase noise. This parameter
needs to be kept to a minimum of one unless there is a very slow variation of the phase voltage of the motor.
8. Motor pole pairs – The number of pole pairs of the motor.
9. Minimum PWM duty [%] – The minimum PWM duty cycle. Use this parameter to limit the minimum speed of
the motor.
This parameter applies to the closed and open-loop control.
10. Maximum PWM duty [%] – The maximum PWM duty cycle. Use this parameter to limit the maximum speed
of the motor.
This parameter applies to the closed and open-loop control.
11. Braking PWM duty [%] – The duty cycle for the motor in Stop mode. The system is protected from
overcurrents caused by braking at high speeds. In this case, the firmware will get to the Fault state and
protect the transistors.
This parameter applies to the Stop state only.
12. Motoring current limit [mA] – The maximum current value that can be drawn from the bus over which the
Fault condition is triggered. The maximum value is limited by MCLV-2 to 4420 mA.
This parameter applies to all system states except for the Error Handling state.
13. Braking current limit [mA] – The maximum current value that can be pushed to the bus over which the Fault
condition is triggered. The maximum value is limited by MCLV-2 to -4420 mA.
14. Undervoltage protection [mV] – The minimum voltage on the bus for the MCLV-2. Do not set under 11V.
15. Overvoltage protection [mV] – The maximum voltage for the system. Do not set over 24V if using a single
supply, or over 48V if using dual supplies (see the MCLV-2 user guide).
16. Moving average filter division factor – The division factor for the moving average filter of the zero-cross time
needs to be set as a power of two because it can be optimized by the compiler with right shifts. Higher values
are recommended because the system has higher immunity to any glitches but limits the maximum variation
between 2 zero-cross events, thus limiting the maximum acceleration of the motor. This parameter applies to
the closed-loop control only.
17. Advance angle [Deg] – The advance angle of the motor. Increasing this value will advance the generation of
the waveforms with that specific degrees, concerning the motor back-EMF zero-cross point. Also, it will have
an impact on the torque generated by the motor.
This parameter applies to the closed-loop control only.
18. Pass-through delay compensation [us] – Fixed advance time for the next sector timing. This value is
directly subtracted from the next sector timing to compensate for any software or hardware delays.
19. Delta division factor – This parameter controls an additional stall and glitch detection mechanism. In the case
of very early or very late detection of the zero-cross point, if the absolute difference between the previous
zero-cross time and the currently measured time is more than the previous zero-cross time/Delta division
factor, then a Fault condition is triggered. The Delta division factor is ideal to be chosen as a power of two for
code efficiency. A value too high will make the system very unstable and will limit the maximum acceleration
by triggering the Fault condition. A value too low may not detect a glitch very well but will not encounter any
troubles at start-up.
This parameter applies to closed-loop control only.

AN3998
Tuning
20. Minimum RPM tolerance [%] – This parameter controls the time-out and the minimum RPM for the timer.
After the start-up, it may be that the system will detect the zero-cross point a bit later than it needs to, and if
the tolerance is very low, it will be considered as a time-out event. To avoid that, a given tolerance is needed
under the shape of a percentage of the minimum RPM. The minimum RPM thus becomes Target RPM -
Target RPM * Minimum RPM tolerance.
After modifying the parameters, press the Patch File button, then recompile and program the AVR DX with the
firmware.
6.3 Changing the Control Mode

After the ramp-up, the system will either run in Closed Loop or Open Loop mode. The user is free to choose between
each one by configuring a single line of code.
Figure 6-2. Control Mode Code Line
The valid options are: MOTOR_CLOSED_LOOP_MODE or MOTOR_OPEN_LOOP_MODE.

The behavior of these two modes is described below:
1. Closed Loop mode: In the Default Control mode, the commutations happen according to the zero-cross events
received from the internal comparator. The active protections are the following:
– Overcurrent protection
– Overvoltage/undervoltage protection
– Zero-cross delta over limit
– Zero-cross time-out
2. Open Loop mode: In the Alternate control mode, the commutations happen with the help of the timer
responsible for the ramp-up sequence. The motor is spun at the RPM set in the Excel file. It can be
particularly useful when testing if the ramp-up sequence works correctly and the rotor does not stop following
the magnetic field near the end of the ramp. In this mode, the potentiometer is used to set the duty cycle, but
the speed of the motor will remain constant. The following protections are active in this mode:
– Overcurrent protection
– Overvoltage/undervoltage protection

AN3998
Conclusion
7. Conclusion
This application note describes a method of driving a BLDC motor using bipolar switching, starting from generating
the waveforms and routing them to the required pins.
There is no need for external comparators or other logic circuits, the only exception being a few passive components
to condition the input signal going to the microcontroller.
The AVR core running at 24 MHz, providing up to 24 MIPS, is a very powerful choice in designing a system that
integrates multiple requirements alongside the Core Independent Peripherals (AC, ADC, TCA, TCB, CCL, USART)
used to drive the motor as a complete control system.
Bipolar drive ensures clean BEMF which helps an accurate detection of the zero-cross point, without the need for
synchronization with the PWM output signal.
For better performance, the built-in moving average filter adds an extra measure of protection in case of an external
disturbance and ensures a smooth run throughout the RPM range of the motor.

AN3998
References
8. References
1. AN857, Brushless DC Motor Control Made Easy (DS00857)
2. AN1160, Sensorless BLDC Control with Back-EMF Filtering Using a Majority Function (DS01160)
3. AVR444: Sensorless control of 3-phase brushless DC motors
4. AN2522, Core Independent Brushless DC Fan Control Using CCL AVR® microcontrollers (DS00002522)

AN3998
Revision History
9. Revision History
Doc. Rev. Date Comments
B 6/2021 Updated Introduction section with GitHub link.
A 5/2021 Initial document release.

AN3998
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AN3998
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ISBN: 978-1-5224-8307-6

AN3998
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AN3998

Sensorless BLDC Motor Control for AVR® Microcontrollers

View the Motor Control PIM Code on GitHub

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 1

3. Motor Control Theory.............................................................................................................................. 5

5. Plug-In Module (PIM) Board Description...............................................................................................24

The Microchip Website.................................................................................................................................40

Product Change Notification Service............................................................................................................40

Microchip Devices Code Protection Feature................................................................................................ 40

Quality Management System....................................................................................................................... 42

Worldwide Sales and Service.......................................................................................................................43

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 2

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 3

128 KB AVR128DA28 AVR128DA32 AVR128DA48 AVR128DA64

64 KB AVR64DA28 AVR64DA32 AVR64DA48 AVR64DA64

32 KB AVR32DA28 AVR32DA32 AVR32DA48

Figure 2-2. AVR® DB Family Overview

128 KB AVR128DB28 AVR128DB32 AVR128DB48 AVR128DB64

64 KB AVR64DB28 AVR64DB32 AVR64DB48 AVR64DB64

32 KB AVR32DB28 AVR32DB32 AVR32DB48

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 4

3. Motor Control Theory

3.1 Sensored vs. Sensorless Control

3.1.1 Sensored Control

3.1.2 Sensorless Control

3.2 Six-Step (Trapezoidal) Commutation

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 5

Figure 3-1. Ideal Trapezoidal Waveform

Step commutation is done as follows:

3.3 Power Stage

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 6

Figure 3-2. Typical Power Stage Schematic

3.4 Modulation Techniques

3.4.1 Unipolar Switching

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 7

Figure 3-3. Unipolar Switching Phase Voltage (50% Duty Cycle)

30 60 120 180 210 240 300 360

This is a classic scenario used in most simple designs.

3.4.2 Bipolar Switching

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 8

Phase Voltage High-frequency commutation noise

VBUS Zero cross Zero cross

30 60 120 180 210 240 300 360

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 9

Figure 3-8. Dead-Time Insertion

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 10

VBUS < BEMF VBUS > BEMF

Forward Braking Forward Motoring

Reverse Motoring Reverse Braking

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 11

Figure 3-11. Equivalent Circuit of a Motor

3.5 Zero-Cross Point Detection

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 12

Figure 3-13. Zero-Cross Point Detection Using Comparator

© 2021 Microchip Technology Inc. Application Note DS00003998B-page 13

4.1 System Overview

The System State Machine

Power-On Reset Driver Init

Ramp-Up finished Closed Loop