Motor Control 
We offer a wide range of products for motor-control applications. Our product set ranges from complete low power motor drivers to sensors and sensor feedback circuits to line drivers.
Applications
Drive Controllers
A motor drive controller, aka “motor drive,” is an automation device that controls the speed of a motor using electronic commutation. These drives are typically used with industrial synchronous AC and brushless DC (BLDC) motors. Although some are designed for specific motor types or families, a typical motor drive can usually control a range of motors.
The primary function within the motor drive is commutation, applying current through the motor windings at exactly the right time. Commutation is controlled through algorithms embedded in firmware residing on a microcontroller or digital signal processor (DSP). The motor control algorithms are usually very sophisticated as they must make the proper commutation decisions under many different motor load conditions. Some algorithms are matched to particular motors while others are more general purpose and can control a range of motors.
In order for the algorithms to run properly, they must have real-time input from the motor components. This information includes position of the armature, speed of rotation, current through the windings, and temperature. Input sensors provide this information and require specialized high precision analog circuitry.
RS-485/RS-422 Transceivers
Analog Input Functional Solutions
Brushed DC Motor Driver
The speed of a brushed DC motor is often controlled by pulse-width-modulated (PWM) input signals. The motor drive controller is connected directly to the motor power supply and the DC motor windings. It commutates the power input based on the input pulse width. There is typically no speed sensor feedback used in these relatively simple systems.
Featured Products
Ultra-Low Power Octal, Digital Input Translator/Serializer
MAX31910Translates, conditions, and serializes digital output of industrial sensors and switches.
Octal, High-Speed, Industrial, High-Side Switch
MAX14900EFast 24V driver, low propagation delay, and 100kHz load-switching speed for high-speed PLCs.
4.5 to 60V, 5A, High-Efficiency Step-Down Converter
MAX17506Includes integrated high-side MOSFET with output from 0.9V up to 0.9 x VIN in a 5mm x 5mm TQFN
12-Bit, 2Msps, Dual Simultaneous Sampling SAR ADC with Internal Reference
MAX11192High-Precision and High Speed for More Accurate Measurements
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Compact 4.5V to 36V Full-Bridge DC Motor Driver
MAX14870/MAX14872Very low driver on-resistance reduces power dissipation in 3mm x 3mm TDFN-EP
Incremental Encoder Interface for RS-422/HTL/TTL with Digital Inputs
MAX14890EFour differential and two single-ended receivers with ±40V fault protection
Development platform for MAX14871
MAXREFDES89This mbed®-compatible, Arduino® form factor shield allows rapid development of brushed DC motor applications. The shield contains four MAX14871 full-bridge DC motor drivers for driving up to 4 motors while two MAX5387 digital potentiometers provide the ability to set the motor current limit.
Solutions
Explore our motor control solutions to find recommended products for various motor types.
Brushed DC Motor Controller: Variable Voltage
Brushed DC Motor Controller: PWM
Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor Controller
Stepper-Motor Controller
Switched Reluctance Motor Controller
Variable-Frequency Drive Controller (AC Induction Motor, Synchronous Motor)
Technical Docs
| Type | ID | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Note | 5073 |
|
Accurate High-Side Current-Sense Amplifier Monitors PWM Load Current |
| Tutorial | 4697 |
|
Overview of Industrial Motor Control Systems |
| Application Note | 4469 |
|
Bipolar Stepper-Motor Driver has Few Components |
| Application Note | 1951 |
|
Class D Motor-Speed Control |
| Application Note | 578 |
|
New RS-485 IC Increases System Reliability and Fault Detection in Motor-Control Circuits |
Trainings & Videos
Resources
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