Motor control plug-in for MPLAB X

19 April 2017 Design Automation

Microchip has rolled out an advanced motor control software plug-in for its MPLAB X integrated development environment (IDE) with auto-tuning and self-commissioning capability. The plug-in, called motorBench Development Suite, is a graphical user interface (GUI)-based tool with automatic tuning of feedback control gains and offline accurate measurement of critical motor parameters such as resistance, inductances and the back electromagnetic force (EMF) constant.

This plug-in collects all the information relevant to the motor control system and auto-tunes the control algorithm gains. The software then uses this information to generate MPLAB X IDE project code ready to run on Microchip’s dsPIC33EP family of digital signal controllers (DSCs). The generated code can then be reviewed and edited as needed and Flashed as motor control firmware.

motorBench automates the time-consuming and complicated process of tuning the control loops for speed and torque to ensure that permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) spin reliably. It is currently available using Microchip’s dsPICDEM MCLV-2 development board (DM330021-2) with a dsPIC33EP256MC506 external op-amp motor control plug-in-module (PIM) (MA330031-2) and a 24 V 3-phase brushless DC motor with encoder (AC300022).

For more information contact Shane Padayachee, Avnet South Africa, +27 (0)11 319 8600, shane.padayachee@avnet.com, www.avnet.co.za

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