ALLEGRO A4940

A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Features and Benefits
Description
▪ High current gate drive for N-channel MOSFET full bridge
▪ Independent control of each MOSFET
▪ Charge pump for low supply voltage operation
▪ Cross-conduction protection with adjustable dead time
▪ 5.5 to 50 V supply voltage range
▪ Diagnostics output
▪ Low current sleep mode
The A4940 is a full-bridge controller for use with external
N-channel power MOSFETs and is specifically designed for
automotive applications with high-power inductive loads such
as brush DC motors.
Package: 24-pin TSSOP with exposed
thermal pad (suffix LP)
A unique charge pump regulator provides full ( >10 V ) gate
drive for battery voltages down to 7 V and allows the A4940
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. A unique
bootstrap charge management system ensures that the bootstrap
capacitor is always sufficiently charged to supply the high-side
gate drive circuit.
Each of the power MOSFETs is controlled independently but
all are protected from shoot-through by dead time that is userconfigured by an external resistor.
Integrated diagnostics provide indication of undervoltage and
overtemperature faults.
The A4940 is supplied in a 24-pin TSSOP power package with
an exposed pad for enhanced thermal dissipation (package
type LP). It is lead (Pb) free, with 100% matte tin leadframe
plating (suffix –T).
Not to scale
Typical Application
VBAT
FAULT
AHI
BHI
A4940
M
ALO
BLO
A4940-DS
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Selection Guide
Part Number
A4940KLPTR-T
Packing
4000 pieces per reel
Absolute Maximum Ratings*
Characteristic
Symbol
Notes
Rating
Unit
–0.3 to 50
V
Load Supply Voltage
VBB
Logic Supply Voltage
VDD
–0.3 to 7
V
VI
–0.3 to 6.5
V
VO
–0.3 to 6.5
V
VVREG
–0.3 to 16
V
V
Logic Inputs
Logic Outputs
Pin VREG
VCPX
–0.3 to 16
Pin RDEAD
VRDEAD
–0.3 to 6.5
V
Pins SA, SB
VSX
–5 to 55
V
Pins GHA, GHB
VGHX
VSX to VSX + 15
V
Pins GLA, GLB
VGLX
–5 to 16
V
Pins CA, CB
VCX
Pins CP1, CP2
–0.3 to VSX+15
V
ESD Rating, Human Body Model
AEC Q100-002, all pins
2000
V
ESD Rating, Charged Device Model
AEC Q100-011, all pins
1000
V
–40 to 150
°C
150
°C
175
°C
–55 to 150
°C
Ambient Operating Temperature
Range
Continuous Junction Temperature
TA
Range K
TJ(max)
Transient Junction Temperature
TJt
Storage Temperature Range
Tstg
Overtemperature event not exceeding
10 s, lifetime duration not exceeding 10 hr,
guaranteed by design characterization
*With respect to ground
Thermal Characteristics may require derating at maximum conditions, see application information
Characteristic
Symbol
Package Thermal Resistance, Junction to Ambient
RθJA
Package Thermal Resistance, Junction to Pad
RθJP
Test Conditions*
On 4-layer PCB based on JEDEC standard
On 2-layer PCB with 3.8
in.2
of copper area each side
Value
Unit
28
ºC/W
100
ºC/W
2
ºC/W
*Additional thermal information available on the Allegro website
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
2
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Functional Block Diagram
Battery +
CP
VBB
CP2
VDD
FAULT
CP1
Charge
Pump
Regulator
VREG
CREG
VBAT
Diagnostics &
Protection
Bootstrap
Monitor
CA
CBOOTA
GHA
High
Side
RGHA
RGHB
SA
AHI
Low
Side
ALO
RGLB
GLA
RGLA
GND
Control
Logic
Bootstrap
Monitor
BHI
CB
CBOOTB
High
Side
BLO
GHB
SB
RESET
Low
Side
GLB
GND
RDEAD
AGND
GND
Thermal Pad
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
3
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS Valid at TJ = –40°C to 150°C, VBB = 7 to 50 V, VDD = 3 to 5.5 V; unless otherwise noted
Characteristics
Symbol
Test Conditions
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
Supply and Reference
VBB Functional Operating Range1
VBB
5.5
–
50
V
VDD Range
VDD
3
–
5.5
V
VBB Quiescent Current
VDD Quiescent Current
IBBQ
RESET = high, GHx, GLx = low, VBB = 12 V
–
1
2
mA
IBBS
RESET= low, VBB = 12 V
–
–
10
μA
IVDDQ
RESET = high, outputs low
–
2
4
mA
IVDDS
RESET = low
–
–
10
μA
12.65
13
13.9
V
7.5 V < VBB ≤ 9 V, IREG = 0 to 6 mA
12.65
13
13.9
V
6 V < VBB ≤ 7.5 V, IREG = 0 to 5 mA
2 × VBB
– 2.5
–
–
V
8.5
9.5
–
V
VBB > 9 V, IREG = 0 to 8 mA
VREG Output Voltage
VREG
5.5 V < VBB ≤ 6 V, IREG < 4 mA
Bootstrap Diode Forward Voltage
Bootstrap Diode Resistance
Bootstrap Diode Current Limit
VfBOOT
rD
ID = 10 mA
0.4
0.7
1.0
V
ID = 100 mA
1.5
2.2
2.8
V
6
10
20
Ω
250
500
750
mA
–
35
–
ns
rD(100mA) =
(VfBOOT(150mA) – VfBOOT(50mA)) / 100 mA
IDBOOT
Gate Output Drive
Turn-On Time
tr
CLOAD = 1 nF, 20% to 80% points
Turn-Off Time
tf
CLOAD = 1 nF, 80% to 20% points
–
20
–
ns
TJ = 25°C, IGHX = –150 mA
8
11
16
Ω
TJ = 150°C, IGHX = –150 mA
13
18.5
24
Ω
TJ = 25°C, IGLX = –150 mA
3
6
8
Ω
6
9
12
Ω
VCX – 0.2
–
–
V
Pull-up On Resistance
Pull-down On Resistance
GHx Output Voltage
RDS(on)UP
RDS(on)DN
VGH
TJ = 150°C, IGLX = –150 mA
Bootstrap capacitor fully charged
GLx Output Voltage
VGL
VREG – 0.2
–
–
V
Turn-Off Propagation Delay2
tp(off)
Input change to unloaded gate output change
60
90
150
ns
Turn-On Propagation Delay2
tp(on)
Input change to unloaded gate output change
60
90
150
ns
Propagation Delay Matching - Phase to
Phase
ΔtPP
Same phase change
–
10
–
ns
Propagation Delay Matching - On to Off
ΔtOO
Single phase
–
10
–
ns
RDEAD tied to GND
–
0
–
ns
RDEAD = 3 kΩ
Dead Time2
tDEAD
–
180
–
ns
815
960
1150
ns
RDEAD = 240 kΩ
–
3.5
–
μs
RDEAD tied to VDD
–
6
–
μs
RDEAD = 30 kΩ
Continued on the next page…
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
4
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued) Valid at TJ = –40°C to 150°C, VBB = 7 to 50 V, VDD = 3 to 5.5 V; unless otherwise noted
Characteristics
Symbol
Test Conditions
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
Logic Inputs and Outputs
FAULT Output (Open drain)
VOL
IFAULTOL = 1 mA, fault present
–
–
0.4
V
FAULT Output Leakage Current3
IOH
VFAULTO = 5 V, fault not present
–1
–
1
μA
RDEAD Current3
IDEAD
–200
–
–70
μA
Input Low Voltage
VIL
–
–
0.3 × VDD
V
VIH
0.7 × VDD
–
–
V
VIHYS
300
500
–
mV
–1
–
1
μA
50
Input High Voltage
Input Hysteresis
Input Current (Except RESET)3
RDEAD = GND
IIN
0 V < VIN < VDD
Input Pull-down Resistor (RESET)
RPD
–
RESET Pulse Time
tRES
0.1
–
kΩ
3.5
μs
V
Protection
VREGUVON
VREG Undervoltage Lockout
VREG rising
7.5
8
8.5
VREGUVOFF VREG falling
6.6
7.1
7.6
V
59
–
69
%VREG
Bootstrap Undervoltage
VBOOTUV
Bootstrap Undervoltage Hysteresis
VBOOT falling, VCX – VSX
VBOOTUVHYS
VDD Undervoltage Turn-Off
–
20
–
%VREG
VDD falling
2.45
2.7
2.85
V
50
100
150
mV
TJF
Temperature increasing
150
170
–
ºC
TJFHYS
Recovery = TJF – TJFHYS
–
15
–
ºC
VDDUV
VDD Undervoltage Hysteresis
VDDUVHYS
Overtemperature Flag
Overtemperature Hysteresis
1Function
is correct, but parameters are not guaranteed below the general limit (7 V).
2See Gate Drive Timing.
3For input and output current specifications, negative current is defined as coming out of (sourcing) the specified device pin.
Gate Drive Timing Diagrams
xHI
xHI
xHI
xLO
xLO
xLO
tp(on)
tp(off)
GHx
GLx
tDEAD
tDEAD
tp(off)
GHx
GHx
GLx
GLx
tp(off)
Complementary
tp(on)
High side only
tp(off)
Low side only
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
5
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Functional Description
The A4940 is a full-bridge MOSFET driver (pre-driver) requiring an unregulated supply of 7 to 50 V and a logic supply from
3 to 5.5 V.
The four gate drives are capable of driving a wide range of
N-channel power MOSFETs, and are configured as two highside drives and two low-side drives. The A4940 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 functional operation is guaranteed at supply
voltages down to 5.5 V, but with a reduced gate drive voltage.
The A4940 provides the interface between the logic level outputs
of a microcontroller and the high current, high voltage gate drive
for N-channel power MOSFETs in a full-bridge configuration.
Typically, the power full-bridge will be used for brush DC motor
control or other high current inductor loads. Each MOSFET in
the bridge is controlled by an independent logic level input compatible with 3.3 or 5 V logic outputs. Cross-conduction (shootthrough) in the external bridge is avoided by an adjustable dead
time.
A low power sleep mode allows the A4940, the power bridge, and
the load to remain connected to a vehicle battery supply without
the need for an additional supply switch.
The A4940 provides a single fault flag to indicate undervoltage
and overtemperature conditions.
Power Supplies
Two power supply connections are required, one for the logic
interface, and one for the analog and output drive sections.
The logic supply, connected to VDD, allows the flexibility of 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 pins.
The A4940 operates 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.
Gate Drives
The A4940 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
MOSFET during switching. The charge and discharge rate can be
controlled using an external resistor in series with the connection
to the gate of the MOSFET.
Gate Drive Voltage Regulation The gate drives are powered
by an internal regulator, which limits the supply to the drives and
therefore the maximum gate voltage. When the VBB supply is
greater than about 16 V, the regulator is a simple linear regulator.
Below 16 V, the regulated supply is maintained by a charge pump
boost converter, which requires a pump capacitor connected
between the CP1 and CP2 pins. This capacitor must have a minimum value of 220 nF, and is typically 470 nF.
The regulated voltage, 13 V typical, is available on the VREG
pin. A sufficiently large storage capacitor must be connected to
this pin to provide the transient charging current to the low-side
drives and the bootstrap capacitors.
GLA and GLB Pins These are the low-side gate drive outputs
for the 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 providing some control of the di/dt
and dv/dt of the SA and SB outputs. GLx going high turns on the
upper half of the drive, sourcing current to the gate of the lowside MOSFET in the external power bridge, turning it on. GLx
going low turns on the lower half of the drive, sinking current
from the external MOSFET gate circuit to GND pin, turning off
the MOSFET.
SA and SB Pins Directly connected to the motor, 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
drives. The discharge current from the high-side MOSFET gate
capacitance flows through these connections, which should have
low impedance circuit connections to the MOSFET bridge.
GHA and GHB Pins These terminals are the high-side gate
drive outputs for the 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 SA and SB outputs. GHx going high turns
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
6
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
on the upper half of the drive, sourcing current to the gate of the
high-side MOSFET in the external motor-driving bridge, turning
it on. GHx going low turns on the lower half of the drive, sinking
current from the external MOSFET gate circuit to the corresponding Sx pin, turning off the MOSFET.
CA and CB Pins These are the high-side connections for the
bootstrap capacitors and are the positive supply for the high-side
gate drives. The bootstrap capacitors are charged to approximately VREG when the associated output Sx terminal is low.
When the Sx output swings high, the charge on the bootstrap
capacitor causes the voltage at the corresponding Cx terminal to
rise with the output to provide the boosted gate voltage needed
for the high-side MOSFETs.
RDEAD Pin This pin controls internal generation of dead time
during MOSFET switching. Cross-conduction is prevented
by the gate drive circuits, which introduce a dead time, tDEAD,
between switching one MOSFET off and the complementary
MOSFET on.
• When an external resistor greater than 3 kΩ is connected between RDEAD and AGND, the dead time is derived from the
resistor value.
• When RDEAD is connected directly to VDD, tDEAD defaults to
a value of 6 μs typical.
Logic Control Inputs
Four low voltage-level digital inputs provide control for the gate
drives. These logic inputs all have a typical hysteresis of 500 mV
to improve noise performance. They provide individual direct
control over each power MOSFET, subject to cross-conduction
prevention, and can be used together to provide fast decay or
slow decay with high-side or low-side recirculation.
AHI, ALO, BHI and BLO Pins These directly control the gate
drives. The xHI inputs control the high-side drives and the xLO
inputs control the low-side drives. Internal lockout logic ensures
that the high-side output drive and low-side output drive cannot
be active simultaneously. Table 1 shows the logic truth table.
RESET Pin This is an active-low input, and when active it
allows the A4940 to enter sleep mode. When RESET is held low,
the regulator and all internal circuitry are disabled and the A4940
enters sleep mode. Before fully entering sleep mode, there is a
short delay while the regulator decoupling and storage capacitors
discharge. This typically takes a few milliseconds, depending on
the application conditions and component values.
During sleep mode, current consumption from the VBB supply
is reduced to a minimal level. In addition, latched faults and the
corresponding fault flags are cleared. When the A4940 is 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 3 ms
under nominal conditions.
RESET can be used also to clear latched fault flags without entering sleep mode. To do so, hold RESET low for the reset pulse
time, tRES . This clears the latched bootstrap capacitor undervoltage fault that disables the outputs.
Note that the A4940 can be configured to start without any external logic input. To do so, pull up the RESET pin to VBB by means
of an external resistor. The resistor value should be between
20 and 33 kΩ.
Diagnostics
Several diagnostic features are integrated into the A4940 to
provide indication of fault conditions. In addition to system wide
faults such as undervoltage and overtemperature, the A4940 integrates individual bootstrap voltage monitors for each bootstrap
capacitor.
Table 1. Input Logic
Pin Setting
Mode of Operation
RESET
xHI
xLO
GHx
GLx
Sx
H
H
L
H
L
H
High side MOSFET conducting
H
L
H
L
H
L
Low Side MOSFET conducting
H
H
H
L
H
L
Low Side MOSFET conducting – cross-conduction prevention
H
L
L
L
L
Z
High side and low side off
L
x
x
Z
Z
Z
All gate drives inactive, all MOSFETs off
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
7
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
FAULT Pin This is an open drain output fault flag, which indicates a fault condition by its state, as shown in table 2. It must be
pulled to VDD with an external resistor, typically 10 to 47 kΩ.
Fault States
Overtemperature If the junction temperature exceeds the
over-temperature threshold, 170°C typical, the A4940 will enter
the overtemperature fault state and FAULT will go low. The
overtemperature fault state, and FAULT, will only be cleared
when the temperature drops below the recovery level defined by
TJF – TJFHYS.
No circuitry will be disabled. External control circuits must take
action to limit the power dissipation in some way so as to prevent
overtemperature damage to the A4940 chip and unpredictable
device operation.
VREG Undervoltage VREG supplies the low-side gate driver
and the bootstrap charge current. It is critical to ensure that the
voltages are sufficiently high before enabling any of the outputs.
If the voltage at VREG, VREG , drops below the falling VREG
undervoltage lockout threshold, VREGUVOFF, then the A4940
will enter the VREG undervoltage fault state. In this fault state
FAULT will be low, and the outputs will be disabled. The VREG
undervoltage fault state and the fault flags will be cleared when
VREG rises above the rising VREG undervoltage lockout threshold, VREGUVON.
The VREG undervoltage monitor circuit is active during powerup, and the A4940 remains in the VREG undervoltage fault state
until VREG is greater than the rising VREG undervoltage lockout
threshold, VREGUVON.
Bootstrap Capacitor Undervoltage The A4940 monitors the
voltage across the individual bootstrap capacitors to ensure they
have sufficient charge to supply the current pulse for the high-
side drive. Before a high-side drive can be turned on, the voltage
across the associated bootstrap capacitor must be higher than the
turn-on voltage limit. If this is not the case, then the A4940 will
start a bootstrap charge cycle by activating the complementary
low-side drive. Under normal circumstances, this will charge the
bootstrap capacitor above the turn-on voltage in a few microseconds and the high-side drive will then be enabled.
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 will be initiated.
In either case, if there is a fault that prevents the bootstrap capacitor charging, then the charge cycle will timeout, FAULT will be
low, and the outputs will be disabled. The bootstrap undervoltage
fault state remains latched until RESET is set low.
VDD Undervoltage The logic supply at VDD is monitored
to ensure correct logical operation. If the voltage at VDD, VDD,
drops below the falling VDD undervoltage lockout threshold,
VDDUVOFF , then the A4940 will enter the VDD undervoltage
fault state. In this fault state, FAULT will be low, and the outputs
will be disabled. In addition, because the state of other reported
faults cannot be guaranteed, all fault states are reset and replaced
by a VDD undervoltage fault state. For example, a VDD undervoltage will reset an existing boostrap undervoltage fault condition and replace it with a VDD undervoltage fault. The VDD
undervoltage fault state and the fault flag will be cleared when
VDD rises above the rising VDD undervoltage lockout threshold
defined by VDDUVOFF +VDDUVHYS.
The VDD undervoltage monitor circuit is active during power-up,
and the A4940 remains in the VDD undervoltage fault state until
VDD is greater than the rising VDD undervoltage lockout threshold, VDDUVOFF +VDDUVHYS.
Table 2. Fault Definitions
FAULT Pin Setting
Fault Description
Disable Outputs*
Fault Latched
No
–
High
No Fault
Low
Overtemperature
No
No
Low
VDD undervoltage
Yes
No
Low
VREG undervoltage
Yes
No
Low
Bootstrap undervoltage
Yes
Yes
*Yes indicates all gate drives low, and all MOSFETs off.
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
8
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Application Information
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,
tDEAD , between a high-side 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 A4940, the dead time for both phases is set
by a single dead-time resistor, RDEAD, between the RDEAD and
AGND pins.
For RDEAD between 3 and 240 kΩ at 25°C, the value of tDEAD
(ns), can be approximated by:
t DEAD ≈ 50 +
7200
1.2 + ( 200 / RDEAD )
where RDEAD is in kΩ. Figure 1 illustrates the relationship of
tDEAD and RDEAD , with the greatest accuracy obtained for values
of RDEAD between 6 and 60 kΩ.
The IDEAD current can be estimated by:
IDEAD ≈
1.2
RDEAD
Alternatively, the dead time in the A4940 can be disabled by
connecting the RDEAD pin directly to GND. In this case the
required dead time must be supplied by the external controller.
The choice of power MOSFET and external series gate resistance
determine the selection of the dead-time resistor, RDEAD. The
dead time should be long enough to ensure that one MOSFET
in a phase has stopped conducting before the complementary
MOSFET starts conducting. This should also take into account
the tolerance and variation of the MOSFET gate capacitance, the
series gate resistance, and the on-resistance of the A4940 internal
drives.
Dead time will be present only if the on-command for one
MOSFET occurs within tDEAD after the off-command for its
complementary MOSFET. 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. (Refer to the
Gate Drive Timing diagrams.)
2.5
Braking
The A4940 can be used to perform dynamic braking by forcing all low-side MOSFETs on and all high-side MOSFETs off
(ALO=BLO=1, AHI=BHI=0) or, conversely, by forcing all lowside off and all high-side on (ALO=BLO=0, AHI= BHI=1). This
effectively short-circuits the back EMF of the motor, creating a
breaking torque.
2.0
During braking, the load current can be approximated by:
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
tDEAD (μs)
The maximum dead time of 6 μs typical can be set by connecting
the RDEAD pin directly to VDD.
1.5
IBRAKE ≈
1.0
0.5
0
0
50
100
150
200
250
RDEAD (kΩ)
300
Figure 1. Dead time versus values of RDEAD (full range).
350
400
Vbemf
RL
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 maximum ratings of the power MOSFETs are not exceeded. Dynamic braking
is equivalent to slow decay with synchronous rectification.
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
9
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Bootstrap Capacitor Selection
The bootstrap capacitors, CBOOTx, must be correctly selected
to ensure proper operation of the A4940. If the capacitances are
too high, time will be wasted charging the capacitor, resulting in
a limit on the maximum duty cycle and the PWM frequency. If
the capacitances are too low, there can be a large voltage drop at
the time the charge is transferred from CBOOTx to the MOSFET
gate, due to charge sharing.
To keep this voltage drop small, the charge in the bootstrap
capacitor, QBOOT, should be much larger than the charge required
by the gate of the MOSFET, QGATE. A factor of 20 is a reasonable value, and the following formula can be used to calculate the
value for CBOOT:
QBOOT = CBOOT
VBOOT
= QGATE
20
QGATE
20
CBOOT =
VBOOT
where VBOOT is the voltage across the bootstrap capacitor.
The voltage drop across the bootstrap capacitor as the MOSFET
is being turned on, ΔV, can be approximated by:
∆V ≈
QGATE
CBOOT
So for a factor of 20, ΔV would be approximately 5% of VBOOT .
The maximum voltage across the bootstrap capacitor under
normal operating conditions is VREG(max). 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 (μs), is
approximated by:
tCHARGE ≈
CBOOT ∆V
100
where CBOOT is the value of the bootstrap capacitor, in nF, and
ΔV is the required voltage of the bootstrap capacitor.
At power-up and when the drives have been disabled for a long
time, the bootstrap capacitor can be completely discharged. In
this case ΔV can be considered to be the full high-side drive
voltage, 12 V. Otherwise, ΔV is the amount of voltage dropped
during the charge transfer, which should be 400 mV or less.
The capacitor is charged whenever the Sx pin is pulled low and
current flows from VREG through the internal bootstrap diode
circuit to CBOOT.
Bootstrap Charge Management
The A4940 provides automatic bootstrap capacitor charge
management. The bootstrap capacitor voltage for each phase
is continuously checked to ensure that it is above the bootstrap
under-voltage threshold, VBOOTUV. If the bootstrap capacitor
voltage drops below this threshold, when the corresponding
high-side is active, the A4940 will turn on the necessary low-side
MOSFET, and continue charging until the bootstrap capacitor
exceeds the undervoltage threshold plus the hysteresis, VBOOTUV
+ VBOOTUVHYS .
If the bootstrap capacitor voltage is below the threshold, when the
corresponding high-side is commanded to turn on, the A4940 will
not attempt to turn on the high-side MOSFET, but will turn on the
necessary low-side MOSFET to charge the bootstrap capacitor
until it exceeds the undervoltage threshold plus the hysteresis.
The minimum charge time is typically 7 μs, but may be longer
for very large values of bootstrap capacitor (>1000 nF). If the
bootstrap capacitor voltage does not reach the threshold within
approximately 200 μs, an undervoltage fault will be flagged.
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 gatedrive 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, and must be supplied by an external capacitor connected to the VREG pin.
The turn-on current for the high-side MOSFET is similar in value
to that for 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 requires 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.
A value of 20 × CBOOT is a reasonable value. The maximum
working voltage will never exceed VREG, so the capacitor can be
rated as low as 15 V. This capacitor should be placed as close as
possible to the VREG pin.
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
10
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Supply Decoupling
Because this is a switching circuit, there are current spikes from
all supplies at the switching points. As with all such circuits, the
power supply connections should be decoupled with a ceramic
capacitor, typically 100 nF, between the supply pin and ground.
These capacitors should be connected as close as possible to the
device supply pins, VDD and VBB, and the ground pin, GND.
Power Dissipation
In applications where a high ambient temperature is expected the
on-chip power dissipation may become a critical factor. Careful
attention should be paid to ensure the operating conditions allow
the A4940 to remain in a safe range of junction temperature.
The power consumed by the A4940, PD, can be estimated by :
given
PBIAS = VBB × IBB
for VBB < 15 V
PCPUMP = (VBB – VREG) × Iav
for VBB > 15 V
• The A4940 ground, GND, and the high-current return of the external MOSFETs should return separately to the negative side of
the motor supply filtering capacitor. This minimizes the effect
of switching noise on the device logic and analog reference.
• The exposed thermal pad should be connected to the GND pin
and may form part of the Controller Supply ground (see figure 2).
• 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 use of small (100 nF) ceramic decoupling capacitors across the sources and drains of the power MOSFETs to
limit fast transient voltage spikes caused by the inductance of
the circuit trace.
PD = PBIAS +PCPUMP + PSWITCHING
PCPUMP = [(2 × VBB) – VREG) × Iav
are recommendations regarding some of these considerations:
• The ground connection to RDEAD should be connected independently directly to the AGND pin. This sensitive component
should never be connected directly to the supply common or to
a common ground plane. It must be referenced directly to the
AGND pin.
Iav = QGATE × VREG × N × fPWM
PSWITCHING = QGATE × VREG × N × fPWM × Ratio
Ratio = 10 / (RGATE + 10)
where N is the quantity of MOSFETs switching during a PWM
cycle. N = 1 for slow decay with diode recirculation, N = 2 for slow
decay with synchronous rectification or fast decay with diode recirculation, and N = 4 for fast decay with synchronous rectification.
Layout Recommendations
Careful consideration must be given to PCB layout when designing
high frequency, fast switching, high current circuits. The following
• Supply decoupling for VBB, VREG, and VDD should be connected to the Controller Supply ground which is independently
connected close to the GND pin. The decoupling capacitors should
also be connected as close as possible to the relevant supply pin.
Note that the above are only recommendations. Each application
is different and may encounter different sensitivities. A driver
running a few amps will be less susceptible than one running with
150 A and each design should be tested at the maximum current
to ensure any parasitic effects are eliminated.
Optional reverse battery protection
VBB
GHB
VREG
GHA
A4940
VDD
SA
SB
RDEAD
RDEAD
+ Supply
Motor
GLA
GLB
AGND GND
Power Ground
Supply
Common
Controller Supply Ground
Figure 2. Supply routing suggestions
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
11
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Input and Output Structures
CP1
CP2
VREG
VBB
VDD
Cx
20V
18V
19V
18V
GHx
18V
18V
18V
18V
Sx
(B) Supply protection structures
VREG
GLx
ESD
18V
10 kΩ
1 kΩ
RESET
FAULT
GND
6V
50 Ω 8.5V
(A) Gate drive outputs
(C) FAULT outputs
ESD
AHI
ALO
BHI
BLO
ESD
6V
18V
6V
50 kΩ
(D) RESET input
ESD
1.2V
3 kΩ
100 Ω
RDEAD
8.5V
(E) Logic inputs: no pull-down resistor
8.5V
(F) RDEAD
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
12
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Pin-out Diagram
24 FAULT
RESET 1
GND 2
23 RDEAD
GLB 3
22 AGND
21 VDD
SB 4
20 AHI
GHB 5
CB 6
PAD
VREG 7
19 ALO
18 BHI
CA 8
17 BLO
GHA 9
16 GND
SA 10
15 GND
GLA 11
14 CP1
VBB 12
13 CP2
Terminal List
Number
Name
AGND
22
Ground Reference
Function
AHI
20
Control Input A High Side
ALO
19
Control Input A Low Side
BHI
18
Control Input B High Side
BLO
17
Control Input B Low Side
CA
8
Bootstrap Capacitor A
CB
6
Bootstrap Capacitor B
CP1
14
Pump Capacitor
CP2
13
Pump Capacitor
FAULT
24
Fault Output
GHA
9
High-side Gate Drive A
GHB
5
High-side Gate Drive B
GLA
11
Low-side Gate Drive A
GLB
3
Low-side Gate Drive B
GND
2,15,16
PAD
–
Exposed pad for thermal dissipation, connect to GND
RDEAD
23
Dead time setting input
RESET
1
Reset Input
SA
10
Load Connection A
SB
4
Load Connection B
Ground
VBB
12
Main Supply
VDD
21
Logic Supply
VREG
7
Regulated 13 V
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
13
A4940
Automotive Full Bridge MOSFET Driver
Package LP 24-Pin TSSOP with Exposed Thermal Pad
7.80±0.10
24
0.65
0.45
8º
0º
0.20
0.09
B
3 NOM
4.40±0.10
3.00
6.40±0.20
6.10
0.60 ±0.15
A
1
2
1.00 REF
4.32 NOM
0.25 BSC
24X
SEATING
PLANE
0.10 C
0.30
0.19
0.65 BSC
SEATING PLANE
GAUGE PLANE
C
1.65
4.32
C
PCB Layout Reference View
For Reference Only; not for tooling use (reference MO-153 ADT)
Dimensions in millimeters
Dimensions exclusive of mold flash, gate burrs, and dambar protrusions
Exact case and lead configuration at supplier discretion within limits shown
1.20 MAX
0.15
0.00
A Terminal #1 mark area
B
Exposed thermal pad (bottom surface); dimensions may vary with device
C Reference land pattern layout (reference IPC7351
TSOP65P640X120-25M); all pads a minimum of 0.20 mm from all
adjacent pads; 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)
Copyright ©2009, Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
The products described here are manufactured under one or more U.S. patents or U.S. patents pending.
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. 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 life support devices or systems, if a failure of an Allegro product can reasonably be expected to cause the
failure of that life support device or system, or to affect the safety or effectiveness of that device or system.
The information included herein is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. 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, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
14