STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced the EVLSERVO1 servo driver reference design, which provides an ultra-compact solution specifically designed for high-power motor-control applications, providing a turnkey platform for designers to explore capabilities and perform product development and prototyping without compromising performance.

Supplying up to 3kW in a small form factor (50mm x 80mm x 60mm), the EVLSERVO1 offers a wide range of features for servo motor control in applications such as industrial and home automation, appliances, servo drives, electric bicycles, and service and automation robots.

Featuring the advanced STSPIN32G4 intelligent motor driver, EVLSERVO1 lets developers implement sensorless or sensored flux-based control (FOC), advanced position and torque control algorithms, and six-step control mode with one, two, or three shunt topologies. The reference design combines the STSPIN32G4 with a power stage optimized for nominal bus voltages from 24 V to 48 V.

The system drives a three-phase brushless motor up to 2kW using only a heatsink, or up to 3kW with a fan. It also provides a flexible and feature-rich platform for system development, including a triple-shunt topology for sensing motor winding current in differential mode and dedicated circuits for supporting regenerative braking of the motor. The platform supports Hall sensors, incremental encoders, and absolute encoders via UART or SPI communication. The built-in CAN transceiver supports robust industry-standard communications, making system-level integration easy.

The STSPIN32G4 at the heart of EVLSERVO1 is a flexible, integrated SiP module in a small (9mm x 9mm VFQFPN) size for controlling three-phase brushless motors. It features triple half-bridge gate drivers, a high-performance STM32G4 MCU, and power-management circuitry that operates from a single power supply. Hardware overvoltage protection for the external MOSFET circuitry and an onboard bootstrap diode are integrated to further reduce the number of external components.

The EVLSERVO1 power stage is stacked with STSPIN32G4 to maximize overall power density. Six pairs of STL160N10F8 MOSFETs with very low RDS(ON) (up to 3.2mΩ) are configured in parallel to improve overall power density through high efficiency, low heat generation, and improved motor performance. Integrated overvoltage, overcurrent, and overtemperature protection functions ensure stable operation and minimize bill of materials (BOM).

The EVLSERVO1 provides an easy starting point for exploration and prototyping, leveraging advanced features of the STM32 ecosystem. Developers can also take advantage of a wide range of software libraries and examples. ST’s X-CUBE-MCSDK GUI-based workbench lets developers quickly and easily configure motor-control firmware parameters, some of which can be configured with real-time capabilities, dramatically reducing time to market and reducing costs.

The EVLSERVO1 is available through eSTore and ST distributors, priced at $168.