Global developer of motor and motion control technologies Trinamic Motion Control has announced its latest single-axis stepper motor control and driver IC.
The TMC2100, with integrated MOSFETs to drive RMS motor current to 1.2A, is distinguished by the extreme simplicity of its setup and operation. Configuring just seven pins on the IC enables the parameterization and feature selection for typical motor applications, without any required intervention by a host CPU.
"Developers are under constant pressure to reduce design cycles and deliver products to market," explained Trinamic CEO and founder Michael Randt. "Our new TMC2100 was specifically designed to address this overriding commercial requirement. Eliminating the need for many external components and for CPU software coding to setup and parameterize the motor drive means designers can get their systems ready for deployment with seven quick decisions implemented directly on the PCB."
The TMC2100 offers up to 256 micro-steps per full step to maximize rotational precision. The device also incorporates Trinamic's patented stealthChop IP, which employs voltage mode PWM technology to almost completely eliminate motor noise at low-speed and standstill. Noise reduction is especially welcome in office and lab applications, where motors work in close proximity to human operators.
Thanks to the TMC2100's extreme ease-of-use, the devices have already found rapid acceptance amongst early adopters in the open-source 3D printer "maker" community. Low-cost TMC2100 breakout boards -- "SilentStepStick", compatible with the popular StepStick motor drives used for 3D printers -- have hit the market to much positive acclaim for their near-silent operation.
The TMC2100 is capable of complete standalone operation, with motion controlled through Step, Direction and Enable pins. A sister IC, the TMC2130, offers additional flexibility and features, including full diagnostics linked through a standard SPI interface.
Both devices are available today in a QFN36 (5x6mm) package. The devices are priced at USD 2.30/ea. in volumes of 1000. An evaluation kit, reference source code, reference layout and free, intuitive desktop development and evaluation software are also available.
