Top Stories New Microchip Small and Cost-Effective PIC® Microcontroller Solutions for Intelligent Motor Control PIC18F1330 Family Provides Control of Up to 3-Phase Motors in 18 and 20 pins Microchip have just released the PIC18F1330 and PIC18F1230 8-bit microcontrollers for basic, open-loop and low-end closed-loop motor control that is not algorithmically intensive. Additionally, these new microcontrollers address motor control applications where cost and space are primary design concerns, via the combination of a specialized PWM peripheral with up to six channels and 10 MIPS performance at 40 MHz in packages as small as 18 pins. Motor control is fast becoming a primary method for design engineers to reduce energy consumption and audible noise, while increasing the reliability and life of motors. The PIC18F1330 family of microcontrollers provides engineers with a complete, cost-effective system solution for simple motor control designs that have limited available space and strict budgetary requirements. At the same time, these new microcontrollers provide an upward migration path from the general-purpose PIC16F microcontroller families and migration to the PIC18F4431 family for more sophisticated motor control applications. “There is a growing trend toward electronic motor control because of regulatory requirements for energy efficiency and demands for better reliability,” said Mitch Obolsky vice president of Microchip’s Advanced Microcontroller Architecture Division. “The PIC18F1330 family of motor control microcontrollers provides engineers with a complete, cost-effective and reliable system solution for simple motor control designs.” The PIC18F1330 family provides electronic motor control of 3-phase ACIM VF motors, Brushed DC motors, 3-phase BLDC motors and stepper motors. Specific motor control application examples include: Appliance (washers, dryers, refrigerators, vacuums); Commercial (low-end UPS, switch-mode power supplies, arena lighting, fiber-optic routing, power-bridge drivers, fuel pumps, DC-DC converters, smart fan controllers); Automotive (door and window lifts, mirrors, sunroofs, anti-pinch windows, garage-door openers, throttle control, smart fan controllers, windshield wipers, power seats). Additional key features of the PIC18F1330 motor control family include: Up to 8 Kbytes of Flash 128 bytes EEPROM 256 bytes RAM 2x 16-bit timers 3x 10-bit ADCs 3 comparators EUSART (LIN Interface) 14-bit, 3-phase PWM module with:   o Up to 3 channels of complimentary outputs   o Edge or center-aligned operation   o Override logic for special commutation functions   o Programmable dead-band delay   o Fault inputs for hardware shutdown   o Output override functions The company's Web site address is http://www.microchip.com/. [Reprinted with kind permission from Microchip Corporation]

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