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Motors for a Wide Variety of Applications
Nowadays, we can find motors in all sorts of devices around us, in household appliances, automobiles or industrial equipment that support our lives.
A great variety of motors have been developed and commercialized over its long history. One of those is the DC motor, a motor powered by direct current. DC motors such as brushed DC motors, stepping motors and BLDC motors (brushless DC motors) can easily be controlled by microcontrollers and controller ICs. However, what goes under the name of DC motor varies widely in DC motor characteristics, construction and control methods. Thus, it is essential to select a motor that suits the application it is used for, for example, a stepping motor would be ideal for applications involving frequent stops at a variety of angles.
BLDC Motors and Hall Effect ICs
In the following, we would like to focus on one type of DC motor, the BLDC motor.
A BLDC motor represents a later technical development of the brushed DC motor where the brushes have been removed and has greater efficiency, longer life and greater torque. They are widely used in household appliances, industrial equipment and automotive devices, mainly because of their low-noise characteristics to prevent noise pollution and power-saving features thanks to high efficiency.
Hall sensors such as Hall effect ICs or Hall elements are used for rotation control in BLDC motors. In BLDC motors, which are often called Hall motors, Hall effect ICs are used to detect rotor position to enable skillful control of when current is to be passed to the stator coils. For information on how Hall effect ICs are used in a BLDC motor and the characteristics they require to do their work, please refer to "Role of Hall Effect IC in a BLDC Motor?".
A Hall effect IC must quickly and accurately detect rotor rotation position to perform rotation control of a BLDC motor. Although efficient rotation of the rotor enables a substantial lowering of noise, heat and current consumption, a number of factors can detrimentally lower that efficiency. Specifically, Hall effect IC misalignment and temperature fluctuations are some of those factors.
What is the best way to maintain the efficiency of a BLDC motor and to make full use of its potential?
BLDC Motors and ZCLTM Hall Effect ICs
A wide variety of rotor design methods have been proposed for BLDC motors to reduce torque fluctuations and to lower the amount of rare metals required. However, the placement of magnets inside the rotor has made it difficult for Hall effect ICs to directly detect the magnetic flux of the rotor, or made it necessary to install them at an angle.
ABLIC’s ZCLTM Hall effect ICs provide a solution to such problems in developing BLDC motors.
ZCL (= Zero Crossing Latch) Hall effect ICs are Hall effect latch ICs that employ a world first detection method for changing the output signal at the point (= zero crossing point) where polarity changes. This Hall effect IC is specially designed for control of BLDC motors and provides stable detection not thrown off by changes in magnetic flux density.
Let’s Compare Bipolar Hall Effect Latch ICs with ZCLTM Hall Effect ICs
(Play time： 1 min. 36 sec.)
Hall effect ICs used for control of BLDC motor rotation are mostly bipolar Hall effect latch ICs. As mentioned above, ZCLTM Hall effect ICs can detect the point where the magnetic poles switch, so unlike bipolar Hall effect latch ICs there is no detection delay and they are more efficient than such Hall effect ICs. A BLDC motor sometimes provides a post-assembly learning process (calibration process) in the motor manufacturing process to absorb design and manufacture variations and tolerances. However, use of ZCLTM Hall effect ICs can reduce the load of the calibration process.
By leveraging these features of the ZCLTM Hall effect IC, it became possible to establish a positional relationship between the rotor and the Hall effect IC, which had previously been thought impossible to achieve. For more information, please be sure to read "Our ZCL Hall Effect IC Enables A Compact BLDC Design Never Thought Possible Before!".
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In progress: Comparing Operation and Operating Principles of Bipolar Hall Effect Latch ICs and ZCLTM Hall Effect ICs
In progress: Comparing Bipolar Hall effect lacth ICs and ZCLTM Hall Effect ICs on Motors
Format for Comparing Hall Effect ICs
Hall Effect ICs ABLIC Recommends
ABLIC offers a wide product lineup of Hall effect ICs recommended for small, large, high-speed, high-efficiency, automotive and virtually every other type of BLDC motor both for consumer and automotive use.
They have been used by our customers in a wide range of applications. ABLIC Hall effect ICs are highly recommended.