The role of the motor driver IC
2025.01.28
First, to explain what a motor driver is, I would like to discuss two things:
- – The role of the motor driver IC
- – The relationship between the motor driver IC and the motor device
The role of the motor driver IC
The integrated circuit (IC) used to drive motors is called a motor driver IC or simply motor driver. Today, there are various types of motor driver ICs, but why do we need a motor driver IC to drive a motor in the first place?
Let me briefly explain the reasons. First of all, a motor rotates due to the forces of attraction and repulsion created by the electromagnets or permanent magnets that make up the motor. To keep the motor rotating, the polarity of the magnets must be switched and the amount of the magnetic force must be adjusted. A motor driver IC is needed to control the electromagnets, i.e., the order in which current is applied to the coil windings in a motor and the amount of the current.
Of course, there are cases where motor driver ICs are not used. Some motors use mechanical switches to control current. However, a motor driver IC can provide more complex control in adjusting the current. Also, a microcontroller can do the same thing as a motor driver IC. All you have to do is create a program to control the switches that deliver current to the winding coils. However, the cost may not be worth it, and there is also the hassle of developing the program. Therefore, motor driver ICs, which are relatively inexpensive and work as well as or better than microcontrollers, are now widely used.
Motor driver ICs are mounted on a circuit board together with peripheral electronic components. In some cases, the circuit board is integrated into the motor and hidden from view, in others it is attached to the side of the motor, and in still others it is mounted together with the circuit board of a device other than the motor. Motors are then mounted in products such as air conditioners, computers, and automobiles, to rotate fans, drums, discs, tires, etc.
In recent years, equipment mounted with a motor is required to be energy efficient and quiet, and motors are designed to satisfy these requirements. And the performance of those devices also depends on the degree of coil current adjustment. Accordingly, the motor driver IC that controls them is an important component to rotate a motor with high efficiency and low vibration.
Key points of this article
・Motor driver ICs are necessary to control the order in which current is applied to the motor coils and the amount of the current.
・Although there are driving methods that do not use motor driver ICs, motor driver ICs are relatively inexpensive and can work as well as or better than microcontrollers and are widely used today.
Teacher Sugiken’s Motor Library
Teacher Sugiken’s Motor Driver Dojo
- [Episode 1] I Can See Them! Motor Fairies
- [Episode 2] Sugiken appears! The first step to becoming a super engineer
- [Episode 3] All of Sudden, a Rival Appears for Ichinose Manabu!?
- [Episode 4] A Sudden Closeness?! New Things the Two Have in Common
- [Episode 5] Passion! Which Thoughts Did Ichinose Sense from Ninomiya?
- [Episode 6] Test showdown! A serious battle between Ichinose and Ninomiya!
- [Episode 7] This Is Just the Beginning! Ichinose and Friends’ Motor Driver Dojo
- [Episode 8] The First Meeting! Lessons Learned in a Real Setting
- [Episode 9] A Shortcut to Becoming a Super Engineer!? Learning from the User’s Perspective
- [Episode 10] Beyond the Questions! What Engineer Ichinose Learns
- [Episode 11] Learning And Growing: It’s Not Just About Turning the Motor!
- [Episode 12] To the Next Stage! The Door To Becoming a Super Engineer Opens
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