Unleash the potential of your BLDC motors with MCP8063 and PIC18F57Q43

Brushless 4 Click is based on the MCP8063, a 3-phase brushless sinusoidal sensorless motor driver from Microchip. This IC has many features that make it a perfect choice for driving a wide range of small to medium BLDC motors. The MCP8063 requires a low count of external components due to its high degree of integration. It provides the rotor position digital output via the FG pin, routed to the mikroBUS™ INT pin, also labeled as FG on the Click board™ itself. The rotation speed control is implemented via the PWM pin of the mikroBUS™, routed to the PWM input pin of the IC. One of the most distinctive features of the Brushless 4 click is the 180° sinusoidal drive, which provides more torque and better efficiency than the more commonly used 120° driver topology. As mentioned above, the PWM signal can be used to control the motor speed. The duty cycle controls the rotor's speed, while the PWM signal's frequency doesn't affect the rotation speed and can vary between 20 Hz and 100 kHz. When the PWM input is at the HIGH logic level, the motor's rotational speed will be at a maximum. When the PWM input stays at the LOW logic level, the motor is stopped. Toggling between HIGH and LOW logic

states will result in the rotor turning at a specific speed, which depends on the duration of the HIGH logic level state. The PWM pin is routed to the same named pin of the mikroBUS™, conveniently allowing the MCU to provide the required PWM signal. Another method of controlling the motor speed can be implemented by varying the voltage of the motor power supply, which is connected via the input screw terminal, labeled as VBAT. This voltage can range from 2V up to 14V. The power supply has to be connected to the input terminal, as this terminal provides power for both the output stage of the MCP8063, as well as for the internal logic circuit (through the internal voltage regulator). The motor's rotational speed and phase can be determined using the FG pin. This pin acts like the Hall-effect sensor output, providing information about the motor's speed and phase to the host MCU via the mikroBUS™. The FC pin is pulled up with the onboard resistor. When the lock-up or desync condition appears, this pin is set to a high impedance mode, which is pulled to a HIGH logic level - because of the pull-up resistor. When the rotor is blocked, or it loses synchronization, an internal lock-up section

detects this condition and ties the coils to GND, effectively discharging the rotor with minimal self-heating. After a time-out, another attempt is made to run the rotor. If it is still blocked, another lock-up event is detected, and another time-out period is initiated. This way, the rotor is protected from overheating. As already mentioned, the MCP8063 IC features current limit protection. The maximum current is internally limited to 1.5A. This limitation prevents overheating of the motor coils and protects the output stage transistors. A good practice is always keeping the power consumption lower than the maximum specified, ensuring enough overhead. The thermal protection protects the IC when it reaches 170°C, with a hysteresis of 25°C before the restart is attempted, meaning that the IC has to be cooled down to 145°C. The output three-pole screw terminal is used to connect the motor phases. It is labeled with A, B, and C, allowing connecting of the three poles BLDC motors which do not require more than 1.5A (when the internal overcurrent limit is triggered). Brushless 4 Click supports only 3.3V MCUs and is not intended to be connected or controlled via the 5V MCU without proper level shifting circuitry.

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive

mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI

GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.