A4910 Datasheet

A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Features and Benefits
Description
•High-current 3-phase gate drive for N-channel MOSFETs
•3-phase current sense amplifiers
•SPI-compatible serial or direct parallel control
•Cross-conduction protection
•Programmable dead time
•Top-off charge pump for 100% PWM
•Uncommitted buffer amplifier
•5.5 to 50 V supply voltage range
•CMOS inputs, 3.3 to 5 V logic supply
•Extensive diagnostics output
•Low-current sleep mode
The A4910 is a three-phase controller for use with N-channel
external power MOSFETs and is specifically designed for
automotive applications.
PACKAGE:
48-pin LQFP with exposed thermal pad (suffix JP)
A unique charge-pump regulator provides full (>10 V) gate
drive for battery voltages down to 7 V, and allows the A4910
to operate with a reduced gate drive down to 5.5 V.
A bootstrap capacitor is used to provide the above battery
supply voltage required for N-channel MOSFETs. An internal
charge pump for the high-side drive allows DC (100% duty
cycle) operation.
Full control over all six power MOSFETs in the 3-phase
bridge is provided, allowing motors to be driven with block
commutation or sinusoidal excitation. The power MOSFETs are
protected from shoot-through by integrated crossover control
and programmable dead time.
Continued on the next page…
Applications
•Electronic power steering (EPS, EHPS, EAS)
•Hydraulic pumps
•Engine cooling fan
•Gearbox actuator
Not to scale
Typical Application Drawing
VBAT
VBAT
Regulator
Control
DSP
or
Microcontroller
A4910
Diagnostics
Current Sense
A4910-DS, Rev. 2
3-Phase
BLDC
Motor
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Description (continued)
Current in each half bridge can be measured using integrated current
sense amplifiers. These are three user-configurable differential
amplifiers, with below-ground common-mode range and excellent
transient response and settling time, allowing them to be used in
low-side current-sense applications.
Integrated diagnostics provide indication of undervoltage,
overtemperature, and power bridge faults, and can be configured
to protect the power MOSFETs under most short-circuit conditions.
Detailed diagnostics are available as a serial data word.
The A4910 is supplied in a small footprint (81 mm2) 48-pin LQFP
with exposed thermal pad (suffix JP). It is lead (Pb) free, with 100%
matte-tin leadframe plating.
SELECTION GUIDE
Part Number
A4910KJPTR-T
Package
Packing*
1500 pieces per 13-in. reel
7 mm × 7 mm, 1.6 mm nominal height LQFP
with exposed thermal pad
*Contact Allegro™ for additional packing options.
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS with respect to AGND, PGND connected directly to AGND
Characteristic
Load Supply Voltage
Symbol
Notes
VBB
Rating
Unit
–0.3 to 50
V
Logic Supply Voltage
VDD
–0.3 to 6
V
Terminal VREG
VREG
–0.3 to 16
V
Terminal CP1
VCP1
–0.3 to 16
V
VCP2
VCP1 – 0.3 to
VREG + 0.3
V
–0.3 to 6
V
–0.3 to VDD + 0.3
V
Terminal CP2
Logic Inputs
STRn, SDI, SCK, RESETn, COASTn, xHI, and xLO terminals
Logic Outputs
SDO, and DIAG terminals
Sense Amplifier Inputs
CSAP, CSAM, CSBP, CSBM, CSCP, and CSCM terminals
Sense Amplifier Outputs
CSAO, CSBO, and CSCO terminals
Operational Amplifier Inputs
OPAP and OPAM terminals
Operational Amplifier Outputs
OPAO terminals
Terminal VBRG
–4 to 6.5
V
–0.3 to VDD + 0.3
V
–0.3 to 6.5
V
–0.3 to VDD + 0.3
V
VBRG
–5 to 55
V
Terminals CA, CB, and CC 1
VCx
–0.3 to VREG + 50
V
Terminals GHA, GHB, and GHC 2
VGHx
VCx – 16 to
VCx + 0.3
V
Terminals SA, SB, and SC 2
VSx
VCx – 16 to
VCx + 0.3
V
Terminals GLA, GLB, and GLC
VGLx
VREG – 16 to 18
V
Terminals LSSA, LSSB, and LSSC
VLSSx
VREG – 16 to 18
V
–40 to 150
°C
Continuous
150
°C
Overtemperature event not exceeding 10 seconds, lifetime
duration not exceeding 10 hours, determined by design
characterization
175
°C
–55 to 150
°C
Ambient Operating Temperature
Range
Maximum Junction Temperature
Storage Temperature Range
TA
TJ(max)
Tstg
Limited by power dissipation
1 For
example, at VREG = 13 V the most positive rating is 13 V + 50 V = 63 V, while at VREG = 8 V the most positive rating is 8 V + 50 V = 58 V.
2 For example, at V
REG = 13 V the most negative rating is VCx – 16 V = –0.3 V – 16 V = –16.3 V, and the most positive rating is VCx + 0.3 V = VREG +
50 V + 0.3 V = 13 V + 50 V + 0.3 V = 63.3 V. If VREG = 8 V, the most negative rating remains at –16.3 V, and the most positive rating is 58.3 V.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
2
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Table of Contents
Specifications
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
3
4
5
6
6
6
7
7
8
9
10
11
12
12
12
12
13
14
Features and Benefits
Description
Applications
Typical Application Drawing
Selection Guide
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Thermal Characteristics
Pinout Diagram and Terminal List
Functional Block Diagram
Electrical Characteristics
Supply and Reference
Gate Output Drive
Logic Inputs and Outputs
Logic Inputs and Outputs, Dynamic
Current Sense Amplifiers
Uncommitted Operational Amplifier
Protection
Characteristic Definitions
Timing Diagrams
Serial Interface Timing
Gate Drive Timing, Phase
Gate Drive Timing, COASTn
Propagation Delay Timing
Logic Truth Tables
Characteristic Performance
15
Functional Description
16
16
17
17
19
20
20
Input and Output Terminal Functions
Power Supplies
Gate Drives
Logic Control Inputs
Current Sense Amplifiers
Uncommitted Operational Amplifier
20
20
20
21
23
23
23
Diagnostics
DIAG Output
System Faults
MOSFET Faults
Fault Actions
Fault States
Fault Masking
Serial Interface
24
25
25
27
27
27
28
28
29
Application Information
30
30
30
30
30
31
31
31
31
31
32
33
34
35
Configuration and Control Registers
Diagnostic Register
Serial Register Definition
Configuration Register 0 (Config0)
Configuration Register 1 (Config1)
Diagnostic Register Mask Register
Run Register
Dead Time Selection
Fault Blanking Time Selection
Bootstrap Capacitor Selection
Bootstrap Charging
Bootstrap Charge Management
VREG Capacitor Selection
Supply Decoupling
Power Dissipation
Braking
Current Sense Amplifier
Input/Output Structures
Layout Recommendations
Package Outline Drawing
THERMAL CHARACTERISTICS: May require derating at maximum conditions; see Power Dissipation section
Characteristic
Symbol
Package Thermal Resistance
(Junction to Ambient)
RθJA
Package Thermal Resistance
(Junction to Pad)
RθJP
Test Conditions*
Value
Unit
On 4-layer PCB based on JEDEC standard
23
°C/W
On 2-layer PCB with 3 in.2 of copper area each side
44
°C/W
2
°C/W
*Additional thermal information available on the Allegro website.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
3
A4910
25 OPAM
26 OPAO
27 CSCP
28 CSCM
29 CSCO
30 CSBP
31 CSBM
32 CSBO
33 CSAP
34 CSAM
35 CSAO
36 LSSC
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
GLC 37
24 OPAP
GHC 38
23 CLO
SC 39
22 CHI
CC 40
21 BLO
LSSB 41
20 BHI
GLB 42
19 ALO
PAD
GHB 43
18 AHI
SB 44
17 DIAG
CB 45
16 SDO
RESETn 12
COASTn 11
VDD 10
7
VBB
9
6
PGND
AGND
5
CP1
8
4
CP2
VBRG
3
VREG
13 STRn
2
14 SCK
GHA 48
1
15 SDI
GLA 47
SA
LSSA 46
CA
Pinout Diagram
Terminal List Table
Name
Number
AGND
9
Function
Analog ground
Name
Number
GHC
38
Function
High-side gate drive, phase C
AHI
18
Control input high side, phase A
GLA
47
Low-side gate drive, phase A
ALO
19
Control input low side, phase A
GLB
42
Low-side gate drive, phase B
BHI
20
Control input high side, phase B
GLC
37
Low-side gate drive, phase C
BLO
21
Control input low side, phase B
LSSA
46
Low-side source, phase A
LSSB
41
Low-side source, phase B
CA
2
Bootstrap capacitor, phase A
CB
45
Bootstrap capacitor, phase B
LSSC
36
Low-side source, phase C
CC
40
Bootstrap capacitor, phase C
OPAM
25
Operational amplifier input –
CHI
22
Control input high side, phase C
OPAO
26
Operational amplifier output
CLO
23
Control input low side, phase C
OPAP
24
Operational amplifier input +
COASTn
11
Coast input
PAD
–
Exposed thermal pad
CP1
5
Pump capacitor
PGND
6
Power ground
CP2
4
Pump capacitor
RESETn
12
Standby mode control
CSAM
34
Current sense input –, phase A
SA
1
Motor connection, phase A
CSAO
35
Current sense output, phase A
SB
44
Motor connection, phase B
CSAP
33
Current sense input +, phase A
SC
39
Motor connection, phase C
Current sense input –, phase B
SCK
14
Serial clock input
CSBM
31
CSBO
32
Current sense output, phase B
SDI
15
Serial data input
CSBP
30
Current sense input +, phase B
SDO
16
Serial data output
CSCM
28
Current sense input –, phase C
STRn
13
Serial strobe (chip select) input
CSCO
29
Current sense output, phase C
VBB
7
Main power supply
CSCP
27
Current sense input +, phase C
VBRG
8
High-side drain voltage sense
DIAG
17
Programmable diagnostic output
VDD
10
Logic supply
VREG
3
Gate drive supply output
GHA
48
High-side gate drive, phase A
GHB
43
High-side gate drive, phase B
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
4
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Functional Block Diagram
Battery +
VDD
DIAG
Diagnostics
and
Protection
STRn
SCK
SDI
SDO
Serial
Interface
CP2
CP1
CP
CREG
VBRG
Phase A
Charge
Pump
CA
COASTn
CBOOTA
High Side
Drive
AHI
Bootstrap
Monitor
ALO
BHI
VBAT
VBB
VREG
Charge
Pump
Regulator
VDS
Monitor
Control
Logic
VREG
BLO
CHI
Low Side
Drive
Phase A shown;
repeated for
phases B and C
GHA
RGATE
SA
VDS
Monitor
Phase C
Phase B
GLA
RGATE
CLO
RESETn
LSSA
CSAP
OPAP
CSAM
OPAM
CSAO
OPAO
AGND
PGND
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
5
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Valid at TJ = –40°C to 150°C, VDD = 5 V, VBB = 5.5 to 50 V, unless otherwise specified
Characteristic
Symbol
Test Conditions
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
SUPPLY AND REFERENCE
VBB Functional Operating Range
VBB Quiescent Current
VDD Logic Supply
VDD Quiescent Current
VREG Output Voltage
Bootstrap Diode Forward Voltage
Bootstrap Diode Resistance
VBB
IBBQ
RESETn = high, outputs low, VBB = 12 V
IBBS
RESETn = low, sleep mode, VBB = 12 V
VDD
5.5
–
50
V
–
10
14
mA
–
–
10
µA
3.0
–
5.5
V
IDDQ
RESETn = high, outputs low
–
10
13
mA
IDDS
RESETn = low, sleep mode
–
–
10
µA
VBB > 9 V, IREG = 0 to 30 mA
9
13
13.8
V
7.5 V < VBB ≤ 9 V, IREG = 0 to 20 mA
9
13
13.8
V
6 V < VBB ≤ 7.5 V, IREG = 0 to 15 mA
7.9
–
–
V
VREG
Vf BOOT
rD
5.5 V < VBB ≤ 6 V, IREG < 9 mA
7.9
9.5
–
V
ID = 10 mA
0.4
0.7
1.0
V
ID = 100 mA
1.5
2.2
2.8
V
6
11
22
Ω
rD(100 mA) = (Vf BOOT(150 mA) – Vf BOOT(50mA)) /
100 mA
Bootstrap Diode Current Limit
IDBOOT
250
500
750
mA
Top-Off Charge Pump Current Limit
ITOCPM
–
100
–
µA
High-Side Gate Drive Static Load
Resistance
RGSH
250
–
–
kΩ
System Clock Period
tOSC
45
50
55
ns
GATE OUTPUT DRIVE
Turn-On Time
tr
CLOAD = 10 nF, 20% to 80% points
–
190
–
ns
Turn-Off Time
tf
CLOAD = 10 nF, 80% to 20% points
–
120
–
ns
TJ = 25°C, IGHx = –150 mA
5
8
11
Ω
TJ = 150°C, IGHx = –150 mA
10
15
20
Ω
TJ = 25°C, IGLx = 150 mA
1.7
2.5
3.1
Ω
TJ = 150°C, IGLx = 150 mA
2.9
4
5
Ω
VCx – 0.2
–
–
V
–
–
VSx + 0.3
V
VREG – 0.2
–
–
V
Pull-Up On-Resistance
RDS(on)UP
Pull-Down On-Resistance
RDS(on)DN
GHx Output Voltage (High)
VGHH
Bootstrap capacitor fully charged
–10 µA < IGHx < 10 µA
GHx Output Voltage (Low)
VGHL
GLx Output Voltage (High)
VGLH
GLx Output Voltage (Low)
VGLL
GHx Passive Pull-Down
GLx Passive Pull-Down
RGHPD
RGLPD
–10 µA < IGLx < 10 µA
–
–
VLSSx + 0.3
V
VBB = 0 V, VGHx – VSx < 0.1 V
–
950
–
kΩ
VBB = 0 V, IGHx = 500 µA
–
4
–
kΩ
VBB = 0 V, VGLx – VLSSx < 0.1 V
–
950
–
kΩ
VBB = 0 V, IGLx = 500 µA
–
4
–
kΩ
Continued on the next page…
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
6
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued): Valid at TJ = –40°C to 150°C, VDD = 5 V, VBB = 5.5 to 50 V, unless otherwise specified
Characteristic
Symbol
Test Conditions
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
GATE OUTPUT DRIVE (continued)
Turn-Off Propagation Delay
tP(off)
Input change to unloaded gate output change
(see figure 5)
60
90
140
ns
Turn-On Propagation Delay
tP(on)
Input change to unloaded gate output change
(see figure 5)
50
80
130
ns
Propagation Delay Matching
(Phase-to-Phase)
∆tPP
Same phase change, DT[6..0] = 0
–
5
15
ns
Propagation Delay Matching
(On-to-Off)
∆tOO
Single phase, DT[6..0] = 0
–
15
30
ns
Propagation Delay Matching
(GHx-to-GLx)
∆tHL
Rising to rising edges, falling to falling edges,
DT[6..0] = 0
–
–
20
ns
RESETn pin
–
–
0.2 × VDD
V
LOGIC INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
Input Low Voltage
VIL
Input High Voltage
VIH
All other logic pins
–
–
0.3 × VDD
V
0.7 × VDD
–
–
V
RESETn pin
200
350
–
mV
All other logic pins
250
500
–
mV
Input Hysteresis
VIhys
Input Pull-Up Resistor
RPU
STRn
30
50
70
kΩ
Input Pull-Down Resistor
RPD
COASTn, RESETn, SCK, SDI, AHI, ALO, BHI,
BLO, CHI, and CLO pins
30
50
70
kΩ
Output Low Voltage
VOL
IOL= 1 mA
–
0.2
0.4
V
VOH
IOL = –1 mA
VDD – 0.4
VDD – 0.2
–
V
–1
–
1
µA
Output High
Voltage 1
Output Leakage (SDO pin) 1
ISDOlkg
0 V < VSDO < VDD , STRn = 1
LOGIC INPUTS AND OUTPUTS DYNAMIC PARAMETERS
Reset Pulse Width
tRST
0.2
–
4.5
µs
Reset Shutdown Time
tRSD
10
–
–
µs
Clock High Time
tSCKH
A in Figure 2
50
–
–
ns
Clock Low Time
tSCKL
B in Figure 2
50
–
–
ns
Strobe Lead Time
tSTLD
C in Figure 2
30
–
–
ns
Strobe Lag Time
tSTLG
D in Figure 2
30
–
–
ns
Strobe High Time
tSTRH
E in Figure 2
300
–
–
ns
Data Out Enable Time
tSDOE
F in Figure 2
–
–
40
ns
Data Out Disable Time
tSDOD
G in Figure 2
–
–
30
ns
Data Out Valid Time from
Clock Falling
tSDOV
H in Figure 2
–
–
40
ns
Data Out Hold Time from
Clock Falling
tSDOH
I in Figure 2
5
–
–
ns
Continued on the next page…
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
7
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued): Valid at TJ = –40°C to 150°C, VDD = 5 V, VBB = 5.5 to 50 V, unless otherwise specified
Characteristic
Symbol
Test Conditions
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
LOGIC INPUTS AND OUTPUTS DYNAMIC PARAMETERS (continued)
Data In Set-Up Time to Clock Rising
tSDIS
J in Figure 2
15
–
–
ns
Data In Hold Time from Clock Rising
tSDIH
K in Figure 2
10
–
–
ns
RESETn high to POR bit set
–
–
1
ms
Wake Up from Reset
tEN
CURRENT SENSE AMPLIFIERS 2 (refer to Figure 1 for definitions)
VIOS(SA)
–10
–
+10
mV
Input Offset Voltage Drift 3
Input Offset Voltage
∆VIOS(SA)
–
±10
–
µV/°C
Input Bias Current 1
IBIAS(SA)
0 V < VP < VDD, 0 V < VM < VDD
–1
0
+1
µA
Current 1
Input Offset
IOS(SA)
VID = 0 V, VCMin range
–1
–
+1
µA
Input Common-Mode Range (DC)
VCM(SA)
VID = 0 V
–1
–
2
V
Differential Input Voltage
VID(SA)
–
–
200
mV
Open Loop Gain 3
AVOL(SA)
VCM in range
80
100
–
dB
Closed Loop Gain
AVCL(SA)
VCM in range
Small Signal –3 dB Bandwidth
BW(SA)
5
–
–
V/V
Gain = 20, VIND = 10 mVpp , RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
CSB bit = 1
500
–
–
kHz
Gain = 20, VIND =10 mVpp , RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
CSB bit = 0
150
–
–
kHz
–
1
1.8
µs
0.3
–
VDD – 0.3
V
VIND = 0 V, VOUT =1.5 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20
2
–
–
mA
VIND = 200 mV, VOUT =1.5 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20, VOZ = 0 V
–
–
–2
mA
DC, VINP = VINM = 0 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20
80
–
–
dB
f = 100 kHz, VINP = VINM = 0 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20
–
30
–
dB
DC, VINCM step from 0 V to 2.0 V,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
60
80
–
dB
f = 100 kHz, VINCM = 200 mVPP ,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
–
62
–
dB
f = 1 MHz, VINCM = 200 mVPP ,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
–
43
–
dB
f = 10 MHz, VINCM = 200 mVPP ,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
–
33
–
dB
To within 100 mV of steady state, VINCM step
from –4 V to +1 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20,
capacitive load = 200 pF
–
1
–
µs
Output Settling Time
tSET(SA)
To within 40 mV of steady state, VOUT = 1 Vpp
square wave, RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20,
capacitive load = 200 pF
Output Dynamic Range
VOUT(SA)
–100 µA < IOUT <100 µA
Output Current Sink
Output Current Source 1
VDD Supply Ripple Rejection
Common-Mode Rejection
Common-Mode Recovery Time
Isink(SA)
Isource(SA)
PSRR(SA)
CMRR(SA)
tCMrec(SA)
Continued on the next page…
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
8
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued): Valid at TJ = –40°C to 150°C, VDD = 5 V, VBB = 5.5 to 50 V, unless otherwise specified
Characteristic
Symbol
Test Conditions
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
CURRENT SENSE AMPLIFIERS 2 (continued) (refer to Figure 1 for definitions)
Output Slew Rate (Peak)
SR
VIND step from 0 V to 175 mV, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20, capacitive load = 200 pF
–
10
–
V/µs
Input Overload Recovery
tIDrec(SA)
To within 40 mV of steady state, VIND step from
250 mV to 0 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20,
capacitive load = 200 pF
–
1
–
µs
–10
–
+10
mV
–
±10
–
µV/°C
–1
0
+1
µA
UNCOMMITTED OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER 2 (refer to Figure 1 for definitions)
Input Offset Voltage
Input Offset Voltage
VIOS(OA)
Drift 3
Input Bias Current 1
Input Offset
∆VIOS(OA)
IBIAS(OA)
0 V < VP < VDD , 0 V < VM < VDD
Current 1
IOS(OA)
VID = 0 V, VCM in range
–1
–
+1
µA
Input Common-Mode Range (DC)
VCM(OA)
VID = 0
0.3
–
VDD – 0.3
V
mV
Differential Input Voltage
VID(OA)
–
–
200
Open Loop Gain 3
AVOL(OA)
VCM in range
80
100
–
dB
Closed Loop Gain
AVCL(OA)
VCM in range
1
–
–
V/V
Small Signal –3 dB Bandwidth
BW(OA)
VIND = 10 mVPP , RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
50
–
–
kHz
Output Settling Time
tSET(OA)
To within 40 mV of steady state,
VOUT = 1 VPP square wave, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20, capacitive load = 200 pF
–
10
20
µs
Output Dynamic Range
VOUT(OA)
–100 µA < IOUT < 100 µA
0.3
–
VDD – 0.3
V
VIND = 0 V, VOUT =1.5 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20
150
–
–
µA
VIND = 200 mV, VOUT = 1.5 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ,
Gain = 20, VOZ = 0 V
–
–
–2
mA
Output Current Sink
Isink(OA)
Output Current Source 1
Isource(OA)
VDD Supply Ripple Rejection
PSRR(OA)
Common-Mode Rejection
CMRR(OA)
DC, VP = 0.5 VDC, voltage follower
–
40
–
dB
f = 100 kHz, VP = 0.5VDC,
voltage follower
–
40
–
dB
DC, VINCM step from 0 V to 2.0 V,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
–
80
–
dB
f = 100 kHz, VINCM = 200 mVPP ,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
–
60
–
dB
f = 1 MHz, VINCM = 200 mVPP ,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
–
45
–
dB
f = 10 MHz, VINCM = 200 mVPP ,
RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20
–
45
–
dB
Common-Mode Recovery Time
tCMrec(OA)
To within 100 mV of steady state, VINCM step
from –4 V to +1 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20,
capacitive load = 200 pF
–
10
–
µs
Input Overload Recovery
tIDrec(OA)
To within 40 mV of steady state, VIND step from
250 mV to 0 V, RP = RM = 4 kΩ, Gain = 20,
capacitive load = 200 pF
–
10
–
µs
Continued on the next page…
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
9
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued): Valid at TJ = –40°C to 150°C, VDD = 5 V, VBB = 5.5 to 50 V, unless otherwise specified
Characteristic
Symbol
Test Conditions
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
PROTECTION
VREG Undervoltage Lockout
Bootstrap Undervoltage
Bootstrap Undervoltage Hysteresis
VDD Undervoltage Turn Off
VDD Undervoltage Hysteresis
VDS Threshold
VREGON
VREG rising
7.6
7.95
8.2
V
VREGOFF
VREG falling
6.9
7.18
7.4
V
VBOOTUV
Cx with respect to Sx
60
–
74
%VREG
–
9
–
%VREG
2.45
2.7
2.85
V
50
100
150
mV
–
800
–
mV
5.5
VBB
50
V
–
–
250
µA
VBOOTUVhys
VDDUV
VDSTH
VBRG Input Voltage
VBRG Input Current
Short-to-Ground Threshold Offset 4
Short-to-Battery Threshold Offset 5
VDD falling
VDDUVhys
Default power–up level
VBRG
IVBRG
VDSTH = 2 V, VBB = 12 V, 0 V < VBRG < VBB
IVBRGQ
RESETn = low, sleep mode, VBB = 12 V
–
–
5
µA
VDSTH ≥ 1 V, VBB > 7 V
–
±100
–
mV
–150
±50
+150
mV
–
±100
–
mV
–150
±50
+150
mV
2.8
3.2
3.6
µs
VSTGO
VSTBO
Fault Blanking Time
VDSTH < 1 V
VDSTH ≥ 1 V, VBB > 7 V
VDSTH < 1 V
tBL
Default power–up state
DIAG Output Clock Division Ratio
ND
DIAG[1..0] = 01
–
409600
–
–
DIAG Output Temperature Offset 6
VTJD
DIAG[1..0] = 11
–
1420
–
mV
DIAG Output Temperature Slope 6
ATJD
DIAG[1..0] = 11
–
–3.85
–
mV/°C
DIAG output VDS Threshold Error
VDSE
DIAG[1..0] = 10
–10
–
10
mV
Hot Temperature Warning Threshold
TJWH
Temperature increasing
125
135
145
°C
Hot Temperature Warning Hysteresis
TJWHhys
–
15
–
°C
TJF
Temperature increasing
155
170
–
°C
TJhys
Recovery = TJF – TJhys
–
15
–
°C
Overtemperature Flag
Overtemperature Hysteresis
1 For
input and output current specifications, negative current is defined as coming out of (sourcing) the specified device terminal.
2V
OZ = 0.5 V unless otherwise specified.
3 Confirmed by design and characterization.
4 With
high-side on; as VSx decreases, fault occurs if VBAT – VSx > VSTG , given Short-to-Ground Threshold: VSTG = VDSTH + VSTGO .
low-side on; as VSx increases, fault occurs if VSx – VLSSx >VSTB , given Short-to-Battery Threshold: VSTB = VDSTH + VSTBO .
6 T ≈ ( V
J
DIAG – VTJD ) / ATJD where TJ is junction temperature in °C, VDIAG is voltage measured on the DIAG pin in mV, VTJD is temperature offset in mV,
and ATJD is temperature slope in mV/°C.
5 With
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
10
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Characteristic Definitions
VOZ
VINCM = (VINP + VINM ) / 2
RG
INP
RP
RS
VCM = (VP + VM ) / 2
VIND
VID
RM
VINP
VOUT = VOZ +
OUT
–
INM
VINM
VP
RF
(VINP – VINM )
RM
Where: RP = RM and RG = RF
+
A4910
RF
VOUT
VM
Figure 1: Operational amplifier voltage definitions
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
11
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Timing Diagrams
STRn
C
A
B
D
E
SCK
J
SDI
X
K
D15
F
SDO
X
D14
X
X
D0
I
Z
X
G
D15’
D14’
D0’
Z
H
X=don’t care, Z=high impedance (tri-state)
Figure 2: Serial interface timing
xHI
xLO
tDEAD
tP(off)
tP(on)
tP(off)
GHx
GLx
tP(off)
tDEAD
Synchronous Rectification
High-side PWM
tP(on)
tP(off)
Low-side PWM
Figure 3: Gate drive timing, phase inputs
COASTn
COASTn
tP(off)
tP(on)
tP(off)
GHx
GHx
GLx
GLx
(A) xHI pin = high, xLO pin = low
tP(on)
(B) xHI pin = low, xLO pin = high
Figure 4: Gate drive timing, COASTn input
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
12
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Timing Diagrams (continued)
xHI, xLO
0.5VDD
GHx, GLx
0.5VDD
0.25vout
tP(on)
vout
0.75vout
tP(off)
Figure 5: Propagation delay definition
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
13
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Logic Truth Tables
Table 1: Mapping of Phase Control Inputs to Internal Phase Control States
Phase Control Inputs
External Control Pins
Run Register
Control Bits
Resultant
Control States
(Inputs for Table 2)
xHI
xH
HIx
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
xLO
xL
LOx
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
Table 2: Mapping of Internal Phase Control States to Gate Drive Outputs
Inputs
Output
Override Pin
Control States
(From Table 1)
Gate Drive Outputs
COASTn
HIx
LOx
GHx
GLx
Sx
Comment
1
0
0
Low
Low
Z
Phase disabled
1
0
1
Low
High
Low
Phase sinking
1
1
0
High
Low
High
Phase sourcing
1
1
1
Low
Low
Z
Phase disabled
0
X
X
Low
Low
Z
Phase disabled
X = don’t care, Z = high impedance
All three motor drive phases are controlled independently. Control
states (HIx, LOx) are derived by combining the logic states applied to
the control input pins (xHI, xLO) with the bit patterns held in the Run
register (xH, xL). Normally the input pins or the Run register method
is used for control with the other being held inactive (all pins or bits at
logic 0). Table 1 details how the two control mechanisms are combined
and Table 2 shows the way in which the resultant control states map to
the gate drive outputs.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
14
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
0
50
-1
40
-2
30
IB (nA)
VOS (mV)
Characteristic Performance
-3
-4
-5
20
10
-50
0
50
100
0
150
50
100
150
TA(°C)
Figure 6: Current-Sense Amplifier Input
Offset Voltage versus Temperature
Figure 7: Current-Sense Amplifier Input
Bias Current versus Temperature
8
-1
6
-2
IB (nA)
VOS (mV)
0
TA(°C)
0
-3
4
2
-4
-5
-50
-50
0
50
100
150
0
-50
0
50
100
TA(°C)
TA(°C)
Figure 8: Uncommitted Operational
Amplifier Input Offset Voltage versus
Temperature
Figure 9: Uncommitted Operational
Amplifier Input Bias Current versus
Temperature
150
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
15
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Functional Description
The A4910 provides six high-current gate drives capable of driving a wide range of N-channel power MOSFETs. The gate drives
are configured as three high-side drives and three low-side drives.
Gate drives can be controlled individually with logic inputs or
through the SPI-compatible serial interface. CMOS input thresholds are compatible with 3.3 or 5 V logic outputs. The serial
interface also provides configuration control, programmable dead
time and programmable VDS threshold for short detection.
a minimum 220 nF, typically 470 nF, capacitor between CP1
and CP2.
The A4910 provides all the necessary circuits to ensure that
the gate-source voltage of both high-side and low-side external
MOSFETs are above 10 V at supply voltages down to 7 V. For
extreme battery voltage drop conditions correct function is maintained down to 5.5 V, but with reduced gate drive.
and input references. Connect to PGND (see Layout Recommendations section).
The control inputs to the A4910 provide a very flexible solution
for many motor control applications. Independent control over
each MOSFET allows each driver to be driven with an independent PWM signal for full sinusoidal excitation.
capacitance on the MOSFET gates. Connected independently to
the source of the low-side MOSFET on the corresponding phase
of the power bridge through a low-impedance track.
Three current-sense amplifiers allow the current in each leg of
the three-phase bridge to be sensed by a low-value sense resistor
in the ground connection. With fast settling time, high-transient
immunity, and fast overload recovery, the current-sense amplifiers are designed especially for current sensing in switched power
systems.
An additional uncommitted operational amplifier provides analog
signal buffering and amplification.
VREG Regulated voltage, nominally 13 V, used to supply the
low-side gate drivers and to charge the bootstrap capacitors. A
sufficiently large storage capacitor must be connected to this
terminal to provide the transient charging current.
AGND Analog reference ground. Quiet return for measurement
PGND Digital and power ground. Connect to supply ground and
AGND (see Layout Recommendations section).
LSSA, LSSB, LSSC Low-side return path for discharge of the
VBRG Sense input to the top of the external MOSFET bridge.
Allows accurate measurement of the voltage at the drain of the
high-side MOSFETs.
CA, CB, CC High-side connections for the bootstrap capacitors
and positive supply for high-side gate drivers.
GHA, GHB, GHC High-side, gate-drive outputs for external
N-channel MOSFETs.
Specific functions are described more fully in the following sections.
SA, SB, SC Motor phase connections. These terminals sense the
voltages switched across the load. They are also connected to the
negative side of the bootstrap capacitors and are the negative supply connections for the floating high-side drivers
Input and Output Terminal Functions
GLA, GLB, GLC Low-side, gate-drive outputs for external
VBB Main power supply for internal regulators and charge pump.
The main power supply should be connected to VBB through a
reverse voltage protection circuit and should be decoupled with
ceramic capacitors connected close to the supply and ground
terminals.
VDD Logic supply. Should be decoupled to ground with a 100 nF
capacitor. Inputs have CMOS thresholds making them compatible
with 3.3 V and 5 V logic.
CP1, CP2 Pump capacitor connection for charge pump. Connect
N-channel MOSFETs.
AHI, ALO Phase A gate drive controls. Logically ORed with the
corresponding bits in the Run register to control the GHA and
GLA ouputs. Refer to tables 1 and 2 for detailed logic and safety
lockouts.
BHI, BLO Phase B gate drive controls. Logically ORed with the
corresponding bits in the Run register to control the GHB and
GLB ouputs. Refer to tables 1 and 2 for detailed logic and safety
lockouts.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
16
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
CHI, CLO Phase C gate drive controls. Logically ORed with the
corresponding bits in the Run register to control the GHC and
GLC ouputs. Refer to tables 1 and 2 for detailed logic and safety
lockouts.
CSAP, CSAM Phase A current-sense amplifier inputs.
allowing the inputs to be driven from a 3.3 or 5 V logic interface.
The main power supply should be connected to VBB through
a reverse voltage protection circuit. Both supplies should be
decoupled with ceramic capacitors connected close
to the supply and ground terminals. The A4910 will operate
within specified parameters with a VBB supply from 7 to 50 V
and will function correctly with a supply down to 5.5 V. This
provides a very rugged solution for use in the harsh automotive
environment.
CSAO Phase A current-sense amplifier output.
CP1,CP2, VREG The gate drivers are powered by an internal
COASTn Active-low input. Forces all gate drive outputs low and
turns all external MOSFETs off. Overrides all gate drive control
inputs and registers.
CSBP, CSBM Phase B current-sense amplifier inputs.
CSBO Phase B current-sense amplifier output.
CSCP, CSCM Phase C current-sense amplifier inputs.
CSCO Phase C current-sense amplifier output.
OPAP, OPAM Uncommitted operational amplifier inputs.
OPAO Uncommitted operational amplifier output.
RESETn Resets faults when pulsed low. Forces low-power shut-
down (sleep) when held low for more than the RESET shutdown
time, tRSD . Can be pulled to VBB with a 30 kΩ resistor.
regulator that limits the supply to the drivers and therefore the
maximum gate voltage. For VBB supply greater than about 16 V
the regulator is a simple buck regulator. Below 16 V the regulated
supply is maintained by a charge pump boost converter which
requires a pump capacitor, typically 470 nF, connected between
the CP1 and CP2 terminals.
The regulated voltage, nominally 13 V, is available on the VREG
terminal. A sufficiently large storage capacitor (see the Applications Information section) must be connected to this terminal to
provide the transient charging current to the low-side drivers and
the bootstrap capacitors.
SDI Serial data input. 16-bit serial word input, MSB first.
Gate Drives
SDO Serial data output. High impedance when STRn is high.
The A4910 is designed to drive external, low on-resistance,
power N-channel MOSFETs. It supplies the large transient
currents necessary to quickly charge and discharge the external
MOSFET gate capacitance in order to reduce dissipation in the
external MOSFET during switching. The charge current for the
low-side drives is provided by the capacitor on the VREG terminal. The charge current for the high-side drives is provided by the
bootstrap capacitors connected between the Cx and Sx terminals,
one for each phase. The charge and discharge rate can be controlled using an external resistor in series with the connection to
the gate of the MOSFET.
Outputs bit 15 of the fault register, the fault flag, as soon as STRn
goes low.
SCK Serial clock. Data is latched in from SDI on the rising edge
of CLK. There must be 16-rising edges per write and SCK must
be held high when STRn changes.
STRn Serial data strobe and serial access enable. When STRn
is high, any activity on SCK or SDI is ignored and SDO is high
impedance, allowing multiple SDI slaves to have common SDI,
SCK, and SDO connections.
DIAG Diagnostic output. Programmable output to provide one of
four functions: fault flag, temperature, clock, and VDS threshold.
Default is fault flag.
Power Supplies
Two power supply voltages are required, one for the logic
interface and one for the analog and output drive sections. The
logic supply, connected to VDD, can be driven from 3 to 5.5 V,
Bootstrap Charge Management The A4910 monitors the individual bootstrap capacitor charge voltages to ensure sufficient
high-side drive. Before a high-side drive can be turned on, the
bootstrap capacitor voltage must be higher than the turn-on voltage limit. If this is not the case, then the A4910 will attempt to
charge the bootstrap capacitor by activating the complementary
low-side drive. Under normal circumstances this will charge the
capacitor above the turn-on voltage in a few microseconds and
the high-side drive will then be enabled.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
17
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
The bootstrap voltage monitor remains active while the high-side
drive is active, and if the voltage drops below the turn-off voltage, a charge cycle is also initiated. The bootstrap charge management circuit may actively charge the bootstrap capacitor regularly when the PWM duty cycle is very high, particularly when
the PWM off-time is too short to permit the bootstrap capacitor
to become sufficiently charged. If, for any reason, the bootstrap
capacitor cannot be sufficiently charged, a bootstrap fault will
occur (see the Diagnostics section for further details).
In systems where the bootstrap voltage is managed by the controller, the bootstrap management in the A4910 can be disabled.
The bootstrap voltage monitor remains active and will still indicate bootstrap faults.
Top-Off Charge Pump An additional top-off charge pump is
provided for each phase, which allows the high-side drive to
maintain the gate voltage on the external MOSFET indefinitely,
ensuring so-called 100% PWM if required. This is a low current
trickle charge pump and is only operated after a high-side has
been signaled to turn on. There is a small amount of bias current
drawn from the Cx terminal to operate the floating high-side circuit (<40 µA) and the charge pump simply provides enough drive
to ensure the bootstrap voltage, and hence the gate voltage, will
not droop due to this bias current.
In some applications, a safety resistor is added between the gate
and source of each MOSFET in the bridge. When a high-side
MOSFET is held in the on-state, the current through the associated high-side gate-source resistor, RGSH , is provided by the
high‑side driver and therefore appears as a static resistive load on
the top-off charge pump. The minimum value of RGSH for which
the top-off charge pump can provide current, without dropping
below the bootstrap undervoltage threshold, is defined in the
Electrical Characteristics table.
In all cases, the charge required for initial turn-on of the high-side
gate is always supplied by the bootstrap capacitor. If the bootstrap
capacitor becomes discharged the top-off charge pump alone will
not provide sufficient current to allow the MOSFET to turn on.
High-Side Gate Drives GHA, GHB, GHC High-side, gate drive
outputs for external N-channel MOSFETs. External resistors
between the gate drive output and the gate connection to the
MOSFET (as close as possible to the MOSFET) can be used
to control the slew rate seen at the gate, thereby controlling the
di/dt and dv/dt of the voltage at the SA, SB, and SC terminals.
GHx set high means that the upper half of the driver is turned
on and its drain will source current to the gate of the high-side
MOSFET in the external motor-driving bridge, turning it on. GHx
set low means that the lower half of the driver is turned on and its
drain will sink current from the external MOSFET gate circuit to
the respective Sx terminal, turning it off.
CA, CB, CC High-side connections for the bootstrap capacitors
and positive supply for high-side gate drivers. The bootstrap
capacitors are charged to approximately VREG when the associated output Sx terminal is low. When the output swings high,
the voltage on this terminal rises with the output to provide the
boosted gate voltage required for the high-side N-channel power
MOSFETs.
SA, SB, SC are directly connected to the motor phase connections. These terminals sense the voltages switched across the
load. These terminals are also connected to the negative side of
the bootstrap capacitors and are the negative supply connections
for the floating high-side drivers. The discharge current from the
high-side MOSFET gate capacitance flows through these connections which should have low-impedance traces to the MOSFET
bridge.
Low-Side Gate Drives GLA, GLB, GLC The low-side, gate
drive outputs are referenced to the corresponding LSSx terminal.
These outputs are designed to drive external N-channel power
MOSFETs. External resistors between the gate drive output and
the gate connection to the MOSFET (as close as possible to the
MOSFET) can be used to control the slew rate seen at the gate,
thereby providing some control of the di/dt and dv/dt of the voltage at the SA, SB, and SC terminals. GLx set high means that
the upper half of the driver is turned on and its drain will source
current to the gate of the low-side MOSFET in the external power
bridge, turning it on. GLx set low means that the lower half of the
driver is turned on and its drain will sink current from the external MOSFET gate circuit to the corresponding LSSx terminal,
turning it off.
LSSA, LSSB, LSSC Return paths for discharge of the low-side
external MOSFET gate-source capacitances. Each LSSx pin to be
connected to its associated MOSFET source by a low-impedance
PCB trace.
If a single sense resistor is used across all three phases, the LSSx
pins may be connected together and linked to the sources of all
three low-side MOSFETs.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
18
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Gate Drive Passive Pull-Downs Each gate drive output includes
a discharge circuit to ensure that any external MOSFET connected to the gate drive output is held off when the power is
removed. This discharge circuit appears as a variable resistance
pull-down, but is not active when the A4910 is in normal operating mode. At low gate source voltage, less than 100 mV, the
resistance is approximately 950 kΩ to ensure that any charge
accumulated on the MOSFET gate has a discharge path. This
resistance reduces rapidly as the voltage increases such that any
MOSFET gate that becomes charged by external means is rapidly
discharged to below the turn-on threshold. In some applications,
this can eliminate the requirement for a permanent external gate
source resistor.
Dead Time To prevent cross-conduction (shoot-through) in any
phase of the power MOSFET bridge, it is necessary to have a
dead-time delay between a high- or low-side turn-off and the next
complementary turn-on event. The potential for cross-conduction
occurs when any complementary high-side and low-side pair of
MOSFETs are switched at the same time—for example, when
using synchronous rectification, or after a bootstrap capacitor
charging cycle. In the A4910, the dead time for all three phases
is set by the contents of the DT[6..0] bits in the Config0 register.
These seven bits contain a positive integer that determines the
dead time in system clock cycles.
The dead time is defined as:
tDEAD = n × 50 ns
(1)
where n is a positive integer defined by DT[6..0] and 50 ns is the
typical system clock period.
For example, when DT[6..0] contains [0 1 1 0 0 0 0] (48 decimal), then tDEAD is 2.4 µs (typical). If n = 1 or 2, tDEAD = 100 ns,
the minimum dead time. The accuracy of tDEAD is determined
by the accuracy of the system clock as defined in the Electrical
Characteristics table.
If the dead time is to be generated externally, for example by the
PWM output of a microcontroller, then entering a value of zero
in DT[6..0] will disable the dead timer. However, the logic that
prevents cross-conduction will still be active.
The internally generated dead time will only be present if the
on­‑command for one MOSFET occurs within one dead-time
period after the off‑command for its complementary partner. In
the case where one side of a phase drive is permanently off, for
example when using diode rectification with slow decay, then the
dead time will not occur. In this case, the gate drive will turn on
within the specified propagation delay after the corresponding
phase input goes high (see Figure 3).
Logic Control Inputs
All three motor drive phases are controlled independently as
detailed in Table 1 and Table 2. Control states (HIx, LOx) are
derived by combining the logic states applied to the control input
pins (xHI, xLO) with the bit patterns held in the Run register (xH,
xL). Normally, either the input pin or the Run register method is
used for control, with the other held inactive (all pins or all bits
at 0).
The control input pins (xHI, xLO) are CMOS and can be driven
from 3.3 or 5 V logic. Logic thresholds are ratiometric with
respect to VDD and hysteresis is provided to improve noise immunity as detailed in the Electrical Characteristics table.
AHI, ALO, BHI, BLO, CHI, and CLO can be used to directly con-
trol the gate drives. The xHI inputs correspond to the high‑side
drives and the xLO inputs correspond to the low-side drives.
These logic inputs are combined, using logical OR, with the
corresponding bits, xH, xL, in the serial interface Run register to
determine the state of the gate drive. If the result of the OR is a
logic high then the corresponding gate drive output will be high
and the MOSFET will be active. Internal lockout logic ensures
that the high-side output drive and low-side output drive cannot
be active simultaneously.
COASTn is an active-low input, which overrides any other gate
control signals and forces all gate drive outputs, GHx or GLx,
low to turn off all external MOSFETs. This can be used to protect the MOSFETs and the motor in the case of a short-circuit.
COASTn does not clear any faults so that the fault flags can be
decoded or the serial fault word can be read. It may also be used
to provide fast decay PWM without synchronous rectification.
RESETn is an active-low input which allows the A4910 to enter
sleep mode, in which the current consumption from the VBB and
VDD supplies is reduced to its minimum level. When RESETn is
held low for longer than the reset shutdown time, tRSD , the regulator and all internal circuitry is disabled and the A4910 enters
sleep mode. In sleep mode, the latched faults and corresponding
fault flags are cleared. When coming out of sleep mode, the protection logic ensures that the gate drive outputs are off until the
charge pump reaches its correct operating condition. The charge
pump stabilizes in approximately 1 ms under nominal conditions.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
19
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
To allow the A4910 to start up without an external logic input, the
RESETn terminal can be pulled to VBB with an external pull-up
resistor. The resistor value should be between 20 and 33 kΩ.
RESETn can also be used to clear any fault conditions without
entering sleep mode by taking it low for the reset pulse width,
tRST . Any latched fault conditions such as short detection or
bootstrap capacitor undervoltage, which disable the outputs, will
be cleared, as will the serial fault register.
Current-Sense Amplifiers
Three user-configurable differential sense amplifiers are provided
to allow the use of low-value sense resistors or current shunts as
the current-sensing elements. The input common-mode range of
the CSxP and CSxM inputs allows below-ground current sensing
typically required for low-side current sense in PWM motor control during switching transients. The output of the sense amplifiers are available at the CSxO outputs and can be used in peak or
average current control systems.
The gain of each sense amplifier is set using external input and
feedback resistors. The gain must be set to be greater than the
specified minimum to ensure stability. Typically the gain is set
between 5 and 50 V / V. Output offset can also be added using
external resistors. Examples of setting the sense amplifier gain
and offset are provided in the Applications Information section.
If the sense amplifiers are used for average current measurement, or in any system where peak signal full scale might not be
directly accommodated, it is possible to reduce amplifier bandwidth by setting the CSB bit to 0 in the Config1 register. This
will approximately reduce the bandwidth of the sense amplifier
by half and will also reduce the quiescent current.
Uncommitted Operational Amplifier
One additional uncommitted operational amplifier is provided
for general use as an analog buffer. The gain of the operational
amplifier is set using external input and feedback resistors.
There is sufficient open loop gain to allow closed loop gain up
to 50 V / V, and the operational amplifier can be configured as a
unity gain buffer.
Diagnostics
Several diagnostic features are integrated into the A4910 to
provide indication of fault conditions. In addition to system-wide
faults such as undervoltage and overtemperature, the A4910
integrates individual drain-source monitors for each external
MOSFET, to provide short-circuit detection. Detailed diagnostic
information can be read from the Diagnostic register through the
serial interface any time.
DIAG Output
A single pin output that may be programmed via the serial interface to carry any one of four diagnostic signals:
•a general fault flag
•a voltage representing the temperature of the internal silicon
•the programmed VDS threshold voltage
•a clock signal derived from the internal chip clock
The power-on default for the DIAG output is the general fault
flag, which is low at any time when a fault is present or when
one of the transient faults has been latched. Note that this is not
exactly the same signal as the fault flag in the Diagnostic register.
System Faults
Parameters critical for the safe operation of the A4910 and of the
external MOSFETs are monitored. These include chip temperature, logic supply voltage, and the voltages required to drive the
external MOSFETs, namely, VREG and each of the bootstrap voltages. Note that the main supply voltage, VBB , is not monitored
because the critical voltages are generated by the charge pumps
internal to the A4910.
VREG Undervoltage VREG powers the low-side gate drivers and provides current to charge the bootstrap capacitors. It is
critical that the voltage on VREG (and, for high-side switching,
the voltages on the bootstrap capacitors) is high enough prior to
attempting to switch any gate drive outputs into the high, external
MOSFET on, state.
At power-up, all gate drive outputs and the general fault flag on
the DIAG pin remain low until VREG exceeds the VREG Undervoltage Lockout threshold, VREGON (approximately 8 V). This
value of VREG should be sufficient to turn on standard-threshold
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
20
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
external power MOSFETs at a battery voltage as low as 5.5 V,
though the resultant MOSFET on-resistance may be higher than
its specified maximum.
During normal operation, when a VREG undervoltage is
detected, the general fault flag and the Diagnostic register will be
set and the outputs will be disabled. When the VREG undervoltage condition is removed, the general fault flag will be cleared
and the outputs enabled. The VR flag in the Diagnostic register
will remain set until cleared by a register reset (see the Diagnostic
Register section for serial access information).
Bootstrap Undervoltage In addition to a monitor on VREG, the
will be reset to their power-on state and all fault states and the
general fault flag will be reset. The FF bit and the POR bit in the
Diagnostic register will be set to 1 to indicate that a power-on
reset has taken place. The same power-on reset sequence occurs
at initial start-up or after recovery from a VDD brown-out. (A
brown-out is defined as VDD momentarily dropping below the
VDDUV threshold during operation.)
Overtemperature An internal temperature-to-voltage converter
provides a measurement of the surface temperature of the silicon.
This voltage is available as an analog output on the DIAG terminal by setting DIAG[1..0] to [1 1].
A4910 also monitors the individual bootstrap capacitor charge
voltages to ensure sufficient high-side drive.
Two temperature thresholds are provided: a hot warning, and an
overtemperature shutdown.
Before a high-side drive can be turned on, the bootstrap capacitor voltage must be higher than the turn-on voltage limit. If this
is not the case, and bootstrap management is enabled (Config1
register DBM bit set to 0), then the A4910 will attempt to charge
the bootstrap capacitor by activating the complementary low-side
drive. Under normal circumstances this will charge the capacitor above the turn-on voltage in a few microseconds and the
high‑side drive will then be enabled.
• If the chip temperature rises above the hot temperature warning threshold, TJWH , the Diagnostic register temperature warning
bit, TW, will be set to 1 and the general fault flag will go low.
No action will be taken by the A4910. When the temperature
drops below TJW by more than the hysteresis value, TJWHhys , the
general fault flag goes high but the TW bit remains set to 1 until
reset.
While the high-side drive is active, the bootstrap voltage monitor
remains active. If the voltage drops below the turn-off voltage, a
charge cycle is initiated.
In either case, if there is a fault that prevents the bootstrap capacitor from charging, then the charge cycle will timeout, the general
fault flag will be set, and the outputs will be disabled. The appropriate bit in the Diagnostic register will be set to allow the faulty
bootstrap capacitor to be identified by reading the serial interface.
The bootstrap undervoltage fault state will be latched until
RESETn is low, a serial read is completed, or a power-on reset
occurs due to a VDD undervoltage on the logic supply.
VDD Undervoltage The logic supply voltage at VDD is moni-
tored to ensure correct logical operation. If the voltage on VDD
drops below the VDD undervoltage threshold, VDDUV , then the
logical function of the A4910 cannot be guaranteed and the outputs will be immediately disabled. The A4910 will enter a powerdown state and all internal activity, other than the VDD voltage
monitor, will be suspended. When the voltage at VDD rises
above the rising undervoltage threshold, VDDUV + VDDUVhys , the
A4910 will perform a power-on reset. All serial control registers
• If the chip temperature rises above the overtemperature threshold, TJF , the overtemperature bit, OT in the Diagnostic register,
will be set to 1. If the ESF bit in the Config1 register is set to 1,
when an overtemperature is detected, all gate drive outputs will
be disabled automatically. If ESF is set to 0, then no circuitry
will be disabled and action must be taken by the user to limit
the power dissipation in some way to prevent overtemperature
damage to the chip and unpredictable device operation. When the
temperature drops below TJF by more than the hysteresis value,
TJFhys , the OT bit remains set to 1 until reset.
MOSFET Faults
Faults on any external MOSFETs are determined by measuring
the drain-source voltage of the MOSFET and comparing it to the
drain-source threshold voltage, VDSTH , defined by the VT[6..0]
bits in the Config1 register. These bits provide the input to a 7-bit
D-to-A converter that has a least significant bit value of 25 mV
(typical). For example, when VT[6..0] contains [1 0 1 1 0 1 0]
(90 decimal), then VDSTH = 2.25 V (typical).
The low-side drain-source voltage for any MOSFET is measured
between the LSSx terminal and the corresponding Sx terminal.
Using the LSSx terminal rather than the ground connection
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
21
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
avoids adding any low-side current sense voltage to the real
low‑side drain-source voltage. The high‑side drain-source voltage
for any MOSFET is measured between the VBRG terminal and
the appropriate Sx terminal. Using the VBRG terminal rather
than the bridge supply avoids adding any high-side current-sense
voltage to the real high-side drain-source voltage.
VBRG is a low-current input allowing a voltage-sense connection to be made with the top of the external MOSFET bridge. It
should be connected directly to the common connection point for
the drains of the power bridge MOSFETs at the positive supply connection point. The input current to the VBRG terminal is
proportional to the drain-source threshold voltage, VDSTH, and
can be approximated by:
IVBRG = 72 × VDSTH + 52
(2)
where IVBRG is the current into the VBRG terminal in µA and
VDSTH is the voltage on the VDSTH terminal in V.
Fault Blanking Time To avoid false MOSFET fault detection
during switching transients, the VDS to VDSTH comparison is
delayed by an internal fault blanking timer. The fault blanking
time is defined by the contents of the BT[5..0] bits in the Config0
register. These bits provide the input to a 6-bit counter that is
clocked by a divide-by-four clock derived from the system clock
(typically 20 MHz).
The fault blanking time is defined as:
tBL = n × 100 ns
(3)
where n is a positive integer defined by BT[5..0] and 100 ns is
twice the typical system clock period.
For example, when BT[5..0] contains [0 1 1 0 1 0] (26 decimal),
then tBL is 2.6 µs (typical).
Short Fault Operation As the phase switches, the measured
drain-source voltage may generate a fault because power
MOSFETs take a finite time to reach their rated on-resistance. To
overcome this and avoid generating false short faults, the voltages are not sampled until one fault blanking time period after
the external MOSFET is turned on. If the drain-source voltage
remains above the threshold after the fault blanking time expires,
then a short fault will be generated. If the ESF bit in the Config1
register is set to 1, this fault will be latched and the MOSFET
disabled until reset.
In some applications it may be necessary to increase the switching time of the external MOSFET by increasing the value of the
gate resistor. This will mean that the fault blanking time may be
insufficient to avoid generating incorrect fault states. In these
cases, by setting the ESF bit to 0, the microcontroller driving
the A4910 can be used to determine the correct fault condition.
This will disable fault flag latching during a short condition and
the general fault flag, available on the DIAG terminal, will only
remain low while the measured drain-source voltages show a
fault. The microcontroller can then monitor the fault flags and use
its own timers to validate the fault condition. Note that, regardless of the ESF setting, any fault detected by the A4910 will still
be latched in the Diagnostic register and remain there until reset.
If a short-circuit fault occurs and ESF is set to 0, the external
MOSFETs are not disabled by the A4910. To limit any damage
to the external MOSFETs or to the motor, the A4910 can either
be fully disabled by the RESETn input or all MOSFETs can be
switched off by pulling the COASTn input low. Alternatively, setting ESF to 1 allows the A4910 to disable the MOSFETs as soon
as a fault is detected.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
22
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Fault Actions
Actions taken in the event of fault conditions are as detailed in
Table 3. Device behavior changes according to the state of the
Enable Stop on Fault (ESF) bit in the Config1 register.
If ESF is set to 1, any short fault or overtemperature condition
disables all gate drive outputs and coasts the motor. Short faults
are latched until RESETn goes low, a serial read is completed, or
a power-on reset occurs. If ESF is set to 0, all gate drive outputs
remain active if a short or overtemperature fault occurs, so as not
to disrupt normal system operation.
In this latter case (ESF set to 0) it is imperative that the master
controller or other external device takes all steps necessary to
protect the motor and the drive circuit. For example, COASTn or
all gate drive inputs (xHi, xLO) might be taken low to turn off all
external MOSFETs.
Fault States
Short to Supply A short from any of the motor phase connections to the battery or VBB connection is detected by monitoring
the voltage across the low-side MOSFETs in each phase using
the appropriate Sx and LSSx terminals. This drain-source voltage
is then compared to the drain-source threshold voltage, VDSTH ,
after one fault blanking time period. While the drain-source
voltage exceeds VDSTH , the general fault flag will be low, and if
ESF is set to 1, the fault will be latched and the outputs will be
disabled.
Short to Ground A short from any of the motor phase connections to ground is detected by monitoring the voltage across
the high-side MOSFETs in each phase using the appropriate Sx
terminal and the voltage at VBRG. This drain-source voltage is
then compared to the drain-source threshold voltage, VDSTH , after
one fault blanking time period. While the drain-source voltage
exceeds VDSTH , the general fault flag will be low, and if ESF is
set to 1, the fault will be latched and the outputs will be disabled.
Note that the distinction between short to ground and short to
supply can only be made by reading the Diagnostic register via
the serial bus. The general fault flag simply indicates the presence
of a probable short-circuit.
Table 3: Fault Actions
Outputs Disabled
Fault
Description
ESF=0
ESF=1
Fault Latched
No fault
No
No
-
VDD
Undervoltage
Yes*
Yes*
No
VREG
Undervoltage
Yes*
Yes*
No
Bootstrap
Undervoltage
Yes*
Yes*
Yes
Temperature
Warning
No
No
No
Overtemperature
No
Yes*
No
Short to Ground
No
Yes*
Short to Supply
No
Yes*
Shorted Load
No
Yes*
*All gate drives low, all MOSFETs off.
Only when
ESF = 1
Shorted Motor Winding The short-to-ground and short-to-supply
detection circuits also detect shorts across a motor phase winding.
In most cases, a shorted winding is indicated by a high-side and
low-side fault latched at the same time in the Diagnostic register.
In some cases, the relative impedances may only permit one of
the shorts to be detected. In any case, when a short of any type is
detected the general fault flag will go low and, if ESF is set to 1,
the fault will be latched and the outputs will be disabled.
Fault Masking
Individual diagnostics, except VDD undervoltage, can be disabled by setting the corresponding bit in the Mask register. A
VDD undervoltage fault cannot be disabled because the diagnostics and the output control depend on VDD to operate correctly.
If a bit in the Mask register is set to one, then the corresponding
diagnostic actions will be completely disabled. No fault states
for the disabled diagnostic will be generated and no fault flags or
Diagnostic register bits will be set. (For bit allocations, see the
Mask register definition in the Serial Interface section.)
Note that when diagnostics are disabled, care must be taken to
avoid potentially damaging conditions.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
23
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Serial interface
The three-wire synchronous serial interface, compatible with SPI,
can be used to control all features of the A4910. A fourth wire
can be used to provide diagnostic feedback and readback of the
register contents.
When 16 data bits have been clocked into the shift register, STRn
must be taken high to latch the data into the selected register.
When this occurs, the internal control circuits act on the new data
and the Diagnostic register is reset.
The A4910 can be operated without the serial interface using the
default settings and the phase control inputs; however, application specific configurations are only possible by setting the
appropriate register bits through the serial interface. In addition to
setting the configuration bits, the serial interface can also be used
to control the bridge MOSFETs directly.
If there are more than 16 rising edges on SCK, or if STRn goes
high, and there are fewer than 16 rising edges on SCK, the write
will be cancelled without writing data to the registers. In addition,
the Diagnostic register will not be reset and the FF bit will be set
to indicate a data transfer error.
The serial interface timing requirements are specified in the
Electrical Characteristics table, and illustrated in the Serial
Interface Timing diagram (Figure 2). Data is received on the SDI
terminal and clocked through a shift register on the rising edge
of the clock signal input on the SCK terminal. STRn is normally
held high, and is only brought low to initiate a serial transfer.
No data is clocked through the shift register when STRn is high
allowing multiple SDI slave units to use common SDI, SCK and
SDO connections. Each slave then requires an independent STRn
connection.
Diagnostic information or the contents of the configuration and
control registers is output on the SDO terminal MSB first while
STRn is low and changes to the next bit on each falling edge of
SCK. The first bit, which is always the FF bit from the Diagnostic register, is output as soon as STRn goes low.
Each of the configuration and control registers has a write bit,
WR (bit 13), as the first bit after the register address. This bit
must be set to 1 to write the subsequent bits into the selected
register. If WR is set to 0, then the remaining data bits (bits 12 to
0) are ignored. The state of the WR bit also determines the data
output on SDO. If WR is set to 1 then the Diagnostic register is
Table 4: Serial Register Definition*
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Configuration and Control Registers (Write)
Configuration
Register 0
(CONFIG0)
0
0
Configuration
Register 1
(CONFIG1)
0
1
Mask
Register
1
0
Run Register
1
1
WR
BT5
BT4
BT3
BT2
BT1
BT0
DT6
DT5
DT4
DT3
DT2
DT1
DT0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
WR
CSB
ESF
DIAG1
DIAG0
DBM
–
VT6
VT5
VT4
VT3
VT2
VT1
VT0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
WR
–
TW
OT
VR
VA
VB
VC
AH
AL
BH
BL
CH
CL
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
WR
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
AH
AL
BH
BL
CH
CL
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Diagnostic Register (Read)
Diagnostic
Register
FF
POR
–
–
TW
OT
VR
VA
VB
VC
AH
AL
BH
BL
CH
CL
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
*Power-on reset value shown below each input register bit.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
24
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
output. If WR is set to 0, then the contents of the register selected
by the first two bits is output. In all cases, the first two bits output
on SDO will always be the FF bit and the POR bit from the Diagnostic register.
Configuration and Control Registers
CSB can be used to modify the bandwidth of the sense amplifiers
as specified in the Electrical Characteristics table. It also has the
effect of reducing the current consumption from VBB.
ESF is the Enable Stop On Fault bit that defines the action taken
when a short is detected. See Diagnostics section in the Functional Description above for details of fault actions.
• The first two registers are used for configuration: one for
blanking-time and dead-time programming, and one for system
and diagnostic parameters.
The DIAG[1..0] bits are set to select the output seen on the DIAG
terminal. The default output is the general fault flag which is a
low true signal that is active anytime a fault is present or a fault
state has been latched. The other three outputs provide any external controller with the ability to read back the silicon temperature
or the drain-source threshold voltage, or to measure the system
clock frequency for calibration.
• The third register is the fault mask register, providing the ability
to disable individual diagnostics.
DBM is the Disable Bootstrap Management bit and should be set
to 1 if bootstrap management is not required.
• The fourth register is the Run register, containing MOSFET
control inputs.
The Mask register contains a fault mask bit for each fault bit in
the Diagnostic register. If a bit is set to 1 in the Mask register,
then the corresponding diagnostic will be completely disabled.
No fault states for the disabled diagnostic will be generated and
no fault flags or Diagnostic register bits will be set.
The serial data word is 16 bits, input MSB first. The first two bits
are defined as the register address. This provides four writeable
registers:
Writing to any register when the WR bit is set to 1 will allow the
Diagnostic register to be read at the SDO output.
Configuration Register 0 (Config0) contains a 7-bit number,
DT[6..0], to set the dead time and a 6-bit number, BT[5..0], to set
the fault blanking time.
DT[6..0] is a positive integer, n, which determines the dead time,
tDEAD, in system clock cycles, defined as:
tDEAD = n × 50 ns
BT[5..0] is a positive integer, n, which determines the blank time,
tBL, in system clock cycles, defined as:
tBL = n × 100
(ns)
The accuracy of tDEAD and tBL is defined by the system clock
period as defined in the Electrical Characteristics table.
Configuration Register 1 (Config1) contains a 7-bit number,
VT[6..0], to set the drain-source threshold voltage, VDSTH, and
six configuration bits, ESF, DIAG[1..0], and DBM.
VT[6..0] is a positive integer, n, which determines the drainsource threshold voltage, VDSTH, in 25 mV increments, approximately defined as:
VDSTH = n × 25 mV
(4)
The Run register contains 1 bit for each gate drive output. The
first letter of the bit defines is the phase output (A, B, or C). The
second letter defines high-side (H) or low-side (L) gate drive for
each phase.
Diagnostic Register
There is one diagnostic register in addition to the three writeable registers. Each time a register is written with the WR bit set
to 1, the Diagnostic register can be read, MSB first, on the serial
output terminal, SDO (see Serial Timing Diagram, figure 2). The
Diagnostic register contains fault flags for each fault condition,
a general fault flag, and an overcurrent indicator. Whenever a
fault occurs, the corresponding flag bit in the Diagnostic register
will be set and latched. The fault flags in the Diagnostic register are only reset on the completion of a serial access or when
the RESETn input is low for the reset pulse width, tRST. Resetting the Diagnostic register only affects latched faults that are
no longer present. For any static faults that are still present, for
example overtemperature, the fault flag will remain set after the
register reset.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
25
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
At power-up or after a power-on reset, the FF bit and the POR bit
are set and all other bits are reset. This indicates to the external
controller that a power-on reset has taken place and all registers
have been reset. Note that a power-on reset only occurs when the
VDD supply rises above its undervoltage threshold. Power-on
reset is not affected by the state of the VBB supply or VREG.
The first bit in the register is the Diagnostic register flag. This
is high if any bits in the Diagnostic register are set or if a serial
write error or parity error has occurred. When STRn goes low, to
start a serial write, SDO comes out of its high-impedance state
and outputs the serial register fault flag irrespective of the register
address or state of the WR bits. This allows the main controller to
poll the A4910 through the serial interface to determine if a fault
has been detected. If no faults have been detected, then the serial
transfer may be terminated without generating a serial read fault
by ensuring that SCK remains high while STRn is low. When
STRn goes high, the transfer will be terminated and SDO will go
into its high-impedance state.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
26
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Serial Register Definition
CONFIG0
CONFIG1
15
14
0
0
0
1
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
WR
BT5
BT4
BT3
BT2
BT1
BT0
DT6
DT5
DT4
DT3
DT2
DT1
DT0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
WR
CSB
ESF
DIAG1
DIAG0
DBM
–
VT6
VT5
VT4
VT3
VT2
VT1
VT0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
Configuration Register 0 (Config0)
BT[5..0]
DT[6..0]
Fault blanking time
Assumes 20 MHz clock
tBL = n × 100 ns
where n is a positive integer defined by
BT[5..0]; for example, for the power-onreset condition, BT[5..0] = [1 0 0 0 0 0],
then tBL = 3.2 µs. tBL can be between 0 ns
and 6.3 µs. The accuracy of tBL is defined
by the system clock period as defined in
the Electrical Characteristics table.
Dead time
Assumes 20 MHz clock
tDEAD = n × 50 ns
where where n is a positive integer
defined by DT[6..0] and tDEAD has a
minimum value of 100 ns. For example,
for the power-on reset condition,
DT[6..0] = [0 1 0 0 0 0 0], tDEAD = 1.6 µs.
tDEAD can be between 100 ns and 6.35µs.
The accuracy of tDEAD is defined by the
system clock period as defined in the
Electrical Characteristics table. A value of
1 or 2 in DT[6..0] sets the minimum dead
time of 100 ns. A value of all 0s disables
dead time.
Configuration Register 1 (Config1)
Current sense bandwith
CSB
CSB
Current sense bandwith
0
Reduced bandwidth
1
Full bandwidth
Default
D
Enable stop on fault
ESF
ESF
Enable stop on fault
0
Stop on fault disabled
1
Stop on fault enabled
DIAG[0..1]
Default
D
Selects signal routed to DIAG output
DIAG1
DIAG0
Signal on DIAG terminal
Default
0
0
D
0
1
1
1
0
1
General Fault– low true
Clock / 409,600
(48.828 Hz Nominal)
VDS Threshold voltage
Temperature
Disable bootstrap management
DBM
DBM
0
1
VT[6..0]
Disable Bootstrap Management
Bootstrap management active
Bootstrap management disabled
Default
D
VDS Threshold
Typically: VDSTH = n × 25 mV
where n is a positive integer defined by
VT[6..0]. For example, for the power-on
reset condition, VT[6..0] = [0 1 0 0 0 0 0],
VDSTH = 800 mV. VDSTH can be between
0 and 3.175 V.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
27
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Mask
Diagnostic
15
14
1
0
FF
POR
1
1
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
WR
–
TW
OT
VR
VA
VB
VC
AH
AL
BH
BL
CH
CL
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
–
–
TW
0
OT
0
VR
0
VA
0
VB
0
VC
0
AH
0
AL
0
BH
0
BL
0
CH
0
CL
0
0
0
Mask Register
— —
Diagnostic Register
FF Diagnostic register flag
POR Power-On Reset
— —
TW Temperature Warning
TW Temperature Warning
OT Overtemperature
OT Overtemperature
VR VREG Undervoltage
VR Undervoltage on VREG
VA Phase A boot capacitor fault
VA Phase A boot capacitor fault
VB Phase B boot capacitor fault
VB Phase B boot capacitor fault
VC Phase C boot capacitor fault
VC Phase C boot capacitor fault
AH Phase A high-side VDS
AL Phase A low-side VDS
AH VDS fault detected on phase A high-side
AL VDS fault detected on phase A low-side
BH Phase B high-side VDS
BH VDS fault detected on phase B high-side
BL Phase B low-side VDS
CH Phase C high-side VDS
BL VDS fault detected on phase B low-side
CH VDS fault detected on phase C high-side
CL Phase C low-side VDS
CL VDS fault detected on phase C low-side
xx
Fault mask
0
Fault detection permitted
1
Fault detection disabled
Default
xx
Fault mask
Default
D
0
Fault detection permitted
1
Fault detection disabled
D
FF and POR are always output as the first two bits at
the start of any serial transfer. The remaining diagnostic
bits are only output if the WR bit in the incoming write
is set to 1. If WR is set to 0, then the remaining bits will
be the contents of the register selected by the first two
bits on the SDI input.
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
28
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Run
15
14
1
1
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
WR
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
AH
AL
BH
BL
CH
CL
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Run Register
Phase A high-side control
Phase A low-side control
Phase B high-side control
Phase B low-side control
Phase C high-side control
Phase C low-side control
AH
AL
BH
BL
CH
CL
xH/L
MOSFET Control
0
Corresponding gate drive controlled by
external logic input
1
Corresponding gate drive high
Default
D
ORed with corresponding logic input
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
29
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Application Information
Dead-Time Selection
A factor of 20 is a reasonable value, so
The choice of power MOSFET and external series gate resistance
determines the selection of the dead time. The dead time should
be made long enough to ensure that one MOSFET has stopped
conducting before the complementary MOSFET starts conducting. This should also account for the tolerances and variations of
the MOSFET gate capacitance, the series gate resistance, and the
on-resistance of the driver in the A4910.
Fault Blanking Time Selection
The fault blanking time should be set to avoid false short fault
detection that is possible immediately after a MOSFET has been
switched on. The length of time required will depend on the
switching time of the MOSFET and the capacitance of the load
attached to the bridge. The MOSFET switching time is dependent
on the size of the MOSFET, the on-resistance of the gate drive,
and the resistance between the gate drive output of the A4910 and
the gate of the MOSFET. Other factors such as the load impedance, back EMF, and any switching transients also affect the
settling time of the MOSFET drain-source voltage. The blanking
time should be set so that it is just long enough to avoid these
effects under all conditions. For highly dynamic systems, where
there is a large load variation, improved short fault detection is
possible by changing the blanking time between phase commutations, by using the serial interface. The new blanking time will
take effect on the first off-to-on transition following the end of
the serial transfer.
Bootstrap Capacitor Selection
CBOOT must be correctly sized to ensure that adequate gate
drive is applied to high-side MOSFETs. If the selected value is
too large, excessive time will be spent charging the capacitor and
the maximum achievable duty cycle and PWM frequency will be
reduced. If the selected value is too small, an unacceptably large
voltage drop may be experienced when charge is transferred from
CBOOT to the MOSFET gate.
To keep the voltage drop due to charge-sharing small, the charge
in the bootstrap capacitor, QBOOT , should be much larger than
QGATE , the charge required by the gate:
QBOOT >> QGATE(5)
QBOOT = CBOOT × VBOOT = QGATE × 20
or
CBOOT = QGATE × 20
VBOOT
(6)
where VBOOT is the voltage across the bootstrap capacitor.
The voltage drop, ∆V, across the bootstrap capacitor as the
MOSFET is being turned on, can be approximated by:
∆V =
QGATE
CBOOT
(7)
so for a factor of 20, ∆V will be 5% of VBOOT.
The maximum voltage across the bootstrap capacitor under normal operating conditions is VREG(max). However, in some circumstances, the voltage may transiently reach 18 V—the clamp
voltage of the Zener diode between the Cx terminal and the Sx
terminal. In most applications with a good ceramic capacitor, the
working voltage can be limited to 16 V.
Bootstrap Charging
It is good practice to ensure the high-side bootstrap capacitor is
completely charged before a high-side PWM cycle is requested.
The time required to charge the capacitor, tCHARGE , in µs, is
approximated by:
tCHARGE = CBOOT × ∆V
500
(8)
where CBOOT is the value of the bootstrap capacitor in nF and ∆V
is the required voltage of the bootstrap capacitor. At power‑up,
and when the drivers have been disabled for a long time, the
bootstrap capacitor can be completely discharged. In this case,
∆V can be considered to be the full high-side drive voltage,
12 V. Otherwise, ∆V is the amount of voltage dropped during the
charge transfer, which should be 400 mV or less. The capacitor
is charged whenever the Sx terminal is pulled low and current
flows from VREG through the internal bootstrap diode circuit
to CBOOT .
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
30
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Bootstrap Charge Management
The A4910 provides automatic bootstrap capacitor charge
management. The bootstrap capacitor voltage for each phase
is continuously checked to ensure that it is above the bootstrap
undervoltage threshold, VBOOTUV . If the bootstrap capacitor voltage drops below this threshold, the A4910 will turn on
the necessary low-side MOSFET until the bootstrap capacitor
exceeds the undervoltage threshold plus the hysteresis, VBOOTUV
+ VBOOTUVhys . The minimum charge time is typically 7 µs,
but may be longer for very large values of bootstrap capacitor
(>1000 nF). If bootstrap capacitor voltage does not reach the
threshold within approximately 200 µs, an undervoltage fault will
be flagged.
In systems where the bootstrap voltage is managed by the controller, the bootstrap management in the A4910 can be disabled.
The bootstrap voltage monitor remains active and will still indicate bootstrap faults.
VREG Capacitor Selection
The internal reference, VREG, supplies current for the low-side
gate drive circuits and the charging current for the bootstrap
capacitors. When a low-side MOSFET is turned on, the gate drive
circuit will provide the high transient current to the gate that is
necessary to turn on the MOSFET quickly. This current, which
can be several hundred milliamperes, cannot be provided directly
by the limited output of the VREG regulator, but instead must be
supplied by an external capacitor connected to VREG.
The turn-on current for the high-side MOSFET is similar in value
to that of the low-side MOSFET, but is mainly supplied by the
bootstrap capacitor. However the bootstrap capacitor must then
be recharged from the VREG regulator output. Unfortunately, the
bootstrap recharge can occur a very short time after the low‑side
turn on occurs. This means that the value of the capacitor connected between VREG and AGND should be high enough to
minimize the transient voltage drop on VREG for the combination of a low-side MOSFET turn-on and a bootstrap capacitor
recharge. For block commutation control (trapezoidal drive),
where only one high-side and one low-side are switching during
each PWM period, a minimum value of 20 × CBOOT is reasonable. For sinusoidal control schemes, a minimum value of 40 ×
CBOOT is recommended. The maximum working voltage of the
VREG capacitor will never exceed VREG, so it can be as low as
15 V. This capacitor should be placed as close as possible to the
VREG terminal.
Supply Decoupling
Current spikes are likely to be present on all supplies because of
the switching action of the circuit. As with all such circuits, the
power supply connections should be decoupled with a ceramic
capacitor, typically 100 nF, between the supply terminal and
ground. These capacitors should be connected as close as possible
to the device supply terminals VBB and VDD and the power
ground terminal, PGND.
Power Dissipation
In applications where a high ambient temperature is expected,
on-chip power dissipation may become a critical factor. Careful
attention should be paid to ensure the operating conditions allow
the A4910 to remain in a safe range of junction temperature.
The power consumed by the A4910, PD , can be estimated by:
PD = PBIAS + PCPUMP + PSWITCHING(9)
where
PBIAS = VBB × IBB
(10)
PCPUMP = [( 2 × VBB) – VREG] × IAV , for VBB < 15 V (11)
PCPUMP = ( VBB – VREG) × IAV ,
(12)
for VBB > 15 V where IAV = QGATE × n × fPWM (13)
and n is the number of MOSFETs switching during
a PWM cycle
PSWITCHING = QGATE × VREG × n × fPWM × Ratio
(14)
where:
Ratio =
10
RGATE + 10
(15)
Braking
The A4910 can be used to perform dynamic braking by switching all low-side MOSFETs on and all high-side MOSFETs off
or, conversely, all low-side MOSFETs off and all high-side
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
31
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
MOSFETs on (COASTn high in either case). This will effectively short-circuit the back EMF of the motor, creating a braking
torque. During braking, the load current can be approximated by:
IBRAKE =
VBEMF
RL
(16)
where VBEMF is the voltage generated by the motor and RL is the
resistance of the phase winding.
Care must be taken during braking to ensure that the power
MOSFET maximum ratings are not exceeded. Dynamic braking
is equivalent to slow decay with synchronous rectification and all
phases enabled.
The A4910 can also be used to perform regenerative braking.
This is equivalent to reversing the motor commutation sequence
or using fast decay with synchronous rectification. Note that
phase commutation must continue for regenerative braking to
operate and the supply must be capable of managing the reverse
current—for example, by connecting a resistive load or dumping
the current to a battery or capacitor.
G = RF / RM
RG = RF
RP = RM
RG
+
RP
CSxP
CSxO
RS
–
RM
CSxM
A4910
RF
Figure 10: Basic current-sense amplifier configuration
Current-Sense Amplifier
The gain of the current-sense amplifier is set using external input
and feedback resistors. Output offset zero point (output voltage
corresponding to zero differential input voltage) can be adjusted
by the connection of a suitable resistor network. Care must be
taken to ensure that the input impedances seen from either end of
the sense resistor are matched.
For the basic configuration shown in Figure 10, the two input
resistors (RM and RP) have the same value, as do the feedback
resistor (RF) between CSxM and CSxO and the ground reference
resistor (RG) between CSxP and AGND. The gain of the sense
amplifier, G, is determined by the values of RF and RM, and will
be approximately:
G=
RF
RM
4.22 kΩ
78.7 kΩ
5V
G = 20
VCSxO = 250 mV
76.8 kΩ
4.02 kΩ
CSxP
+
CSxO
RS
–
4.02 kΩ
CSxM
A4910
80.6 kΩ
VCSxO
(17)
If it is necessary to set the output offset zero point to a positive
value (for example, to allow sensing of reverse currents) RG
may be replaced by a three-resistor network of the type detailed
in Figure 11. The values shown give a gain of 20 with the output
offset zero point lifted to 250 mV.
Figure 11: Typical current-sense amplifier configuration
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
32
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Input/Output Structures
Cx
VBRG
18V
20V
VBB
GHx
20V
14V
CP1
Sx
VDD
CP2
VREG
8V
18V
18V
GLx
18V
VREG
7.5V
20V
20V
20V
20V
18V
14V
6V
18V
LSSx
Figure 12a: Gate Drive Outputs
Figure 12b: Supplies
VDD
VDD
VDD
VDD
50 kΩ
PWM
SDI
SCK
COASTn
2 kΩ
2 kΩ
STRn
2 kΩ
RESETn
50 kΩ
6V
50 kΩ
6V
6V
6V
7.5V
Figure 12c: xHI, xLO, SDI, SCK, COASTn Inputs Figure 12d: STRn Input
VDD
VDD
25 Ω
Figure 12e: RESETn Input
150 kΩ
7.5V
6V
CSxP
CSxM
Figure 12f: Logic Outputs
4 kΩ
OPAP
OPAM
SDO
DIAG
6V
7.5V
Figure 12g: Current Sense Amplifier Inputs
6V
6V
Figure 12h: Operational Amplifier Inputs
VDD
25 Ω
CSxO
OPAO
6V
Figure 12i: Operational Amplifier and Current
Sense Amplifier Outputs
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
33
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Layout Recommendations
Careful consideration must be given to PCB layout when designing high-frequency, fast-switching, high-current circuits:
• The A4910 analog ground, AGND, and power ground, PGND,
should be connected together at the package terminals. This
common point should return separately to the negative side of the
motor supply filtering capacitor. This will minimize the effect of
switching noise on the device logic and analog reference.
• The exposed thermal pad should be connected to the common
point of AGND and PGND.
• Minimize stray inductance by using short, wide copper traces
at the drain and source terminals of all power MOSFETs. This
includes motor lead connections, the input power bus, and the
common source of the low-side power MOSFETs. This will minimize voltages induced by fast switching of large load currents.
• Consider the addition of small (100 nF) ceramic decoupling
capacitors across the source and drain of the power MOSFETs to
limit fast transient voltage spikes caused by PCB trace inductance.
• Keep the gate discharge return connections Sx and LSSx as
short as possible. Any inductance on these traces will cause negative transitions on the corresponding A4910 terminals, which may
exceed the absolute maximum ratings. If this is likely, consider
the use of clamping diodes to limit the negative excursion on
these terminals with respect to AGND.
• Supply decoupling for VBB, VREG and VDD should be connected independently, close to the PGND terminal. The decou-
pling capacitors should also be connected as close as possible to
the relevant supply terminal.
• Check the peak voltage excursion of the transients on the
LSSx terminals with reference to the AGND terminal using a
close-grounded (tip and barrel) probe. If the voltage at any LSSx
terminal exceeds the absolute maximum in the datasheet, add
additional clamping and/or capacitance between the LSSx terminal and the AGND terminal.
• Gate charge drive paths and gate discharge return paths may
carry a large transient current pulse. Therefore the traces from
GHx, GLx, Sx and LSSx (x = A, B or C) should be as short as
possible to reduce inductance in the traces.
• Provide an independent connection from each LSSx terminal to
the source of the corresponding low-side MOSFET in the power
bridge. Connection of the LSSx terminals directly to the PGND
terminal is not recommended as this may inject noise into sensitive functions such as the various voltage monitors.
• The inputs to the sense amplifiers, CSxP and CSxM, should
take the form of independent traces and for best results should be
matched in length and route.
• A low-cost diode can be placed in the connection to VBB to
provide reverse-battery protection. In reverse-battery conditions,
it is possible to use the body diodes of the power MOSFETs to
clamp the reverse voltage to approximately 4 V. In this case, the
additional diode in the VBB connection will prevent damage to
the A4910 and the VBRG input will survive the reverse voltage.
Optional reverse battery protection
VBB
VBRG
VREG
VDD
SA
SB
SC
A4910
GLA
GLB
GLC
LSSA
LSSB
LSSC
AGND
+ Supply
GHC
GHB
GHA
PGND
Controller Supply Ground
Motor
RS
RS
RS
Power Ground
Supply
Common
Figure 13. Supply Routing Suggestions
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
34
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Package JP, 48-Pin LQFP
with Exposed Thermal Pad
0.30
9.00 ±0.20
7.00 ±0.20
0.50
1.70
7º
4° ±4
0º
0.20
0.09
C
9.00 ±0.20 7.00 ±0.20
5.00
5.00±0.04
48
1.00
REF
A
1
8.60
0.60 ±0.15
48
2
0.25 BSC
5.00±0.04
1 2
SEATING PLANE
5.00
GUAGE PLANE
8.60
Branded Face
48X
SEATING
PLANE
0.08 C
0.50 BSC
0.22 ±0.05
C
1.60 MAX
1.40 ±0.05
0.15
0.05
PCB Layout Reference View
Reference land pattern layout (reference IPC7351
QFP50P900X900X160-48M); adjust as necessary to meet
application process requirements and PCB layout
tolerances; when mounting on a multilayer PCB, thermal
vias at the exposed thermal pad land can improve thermal
dissipation (reference EIA/JEDEC Standard JESD51-5)
NNNNNNNNN
YYWW
LLLLLLLLL
For Reference Only; not for tooling use (reference MS-026 BBCHD)
Dimensions in millimeters
Dimensions exclusive of mold flash, gate burrs, and dambar protrusions
Exact case and lead configuration at supplier discretion within limits shown
A Terminal #1 mark area
1
B Branding scale and appearance at supplier discretion
C Exposed thermal pad (bottom surface) ; exact dimensions may vary with device
B
Standard Branding Reference View
N = Device part number
= Supplier emblem
Y = Last two digits of year of manufacture
W = Week of manufacture
L = Lot number
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
35
A4910
Automotive 3-Phase MOSFET Driver
Revision History
Number
Date
–
January 24, 2013
Initial release
Description
1
October 7, 2015
Change in tBL
2
May 18, 2016
Updated VBB, VREG, Short-to-Battery, and Short-to-Ground test conditions, updated VBRG Input
Voltage min value, and removed footnote 1 from Electrical Characteristics table; corrected Figure 12c.
Copyright ©2016, Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC reserves the right to make, from time to time, such departures from the detail specifications as may be required to
permit improvements in the performance, reliability, or manufacturability of its products. Before placing an order, the user is cautioned to verify that
the information being relied upon is current.
Allegro’s products are not to be used in any devices or systems, including but not limited to life support devices or systems, in which a failure of
Allegro’s product can reasonably be expected to cause bodily harm.
The information included herein is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, Allegro MicroSystems, LLC assumes no responsibility for its
use; nor for any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use.
For the latest version of this document, visit our website:
www.allegromicro.com
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
36