A mixed-signal control processor targets uses in motor control and power inverters by integrating a dual 16-bit A/D converter, with up to 14 bits of accuracy, and a 240-MHz floating-point ARM Cortex-M4 processor core.
The processor includes a pulse-width modulator that handles one or two motors or power control schemes, an advanced analog front-end timer, analog/digital converter, and Sinc3 filters for current sampling and and over-current tripping. The analog/digital converters are 16-bit (14-bit accuracy) devices that sample simultaneously at a rate of 380 nsec/sample. The full sinc filter will interface directly with isolated sigma-delta modulators used in shunt-based current sensing system architectures. The on-chip sinc filter eliminates the need to implement that function in an FPGA.
A development board is available for prototyping motor controller designs. It includes shunt and isolated current feedback signals, resolver and encoder position feedback inputs, digital isolation of PWM drive and serial analog/digital conversion signals, and a universal ac input with power factor-correction control. For use as a solar panel inverter, the chip can handle harmonic analysis of power waveforms for measuring spectral purity of the generated power and can perform power factor correction. Development kits for solar applications are available as well.
Analog Devices Inc.,One Technology Way, Norwood, MA 02062-9106, www.analog.com