Toshiba Debuts Motor Driver IC Using New Proprietary BiCD Process Technology; Integration of a Dedicated Decoder Cuts Motor Vibration in Industrial and Information Equipment.

Business Editors and High-Tech Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2001

Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC), with its parent company Toshiba Corp. (Toshiba), today introduced a motor driver IC that uses a new BiCD(a) process, integrating Bipolar, Complimentary MOS (CMOS) and Double-diffused MOS (DMOS) devices on a single chip.

The adoption of the high voltage BiCD process and built-in field effect transistor (FET) output enables the new IC to achieve low power consumption (on-resistance: 0.5ohm) with a maximum voltage of 40 volts (V) and an electric current of 1.5 amps (A). These features reduce the power consumption by a third of what Toshiba's current Bipolar motor ICs offer.

"Toshiba's new motor driver IC provides greater flexibility in circuit design with the adoption of the BiCD process which enables the reduction in power consumption," said Malcolm Wood, senior business development manager, Analog and Peripheral ICs, TAEC. "By adding the new motor driver IC, we are expanding our current line-up to meet market demand for low-power, high-voltage solutions."

Until now, conventional micro-step motor driver ICs required a microcomputer to process data and achieve smooth motor control. Toshiba's new IC replaces this requirement with a newly developed, micro-step decoder that enables the device to rely on the clock signal to achieve smooth motor control by generating the micro-step waveform from the clock signal.

In addition, product miniaturization is enhanced by the integration of the stepping motor control circuit and driver circuit in a single small package.

The new motor driver IC, designated TB62209F, integrates Toshiba's proprietary Selectable Mixed Decay Mode (SMDM), which offers enhanced accuracy in reproducing the waveform of output electric current, and has the ability to change according to the application. In addition, the employment of a four-bit, micro-step drive(b) with an embedded decoding circuit further decreases motor vibration, making the new IC ideal for industrial applications and information equipment, including printers and facsimile machines.

Toshiba's TB62209F motor driver IC integrates protection circuits for excessive high temperature, overcurrent and monitoring power supply (VDD, VM). A caution output pin warns of irregularities, particularly at excessively high temperatures.

Toshiba's TB62209F is housed in a 36-pin Heatsink Small Outline Package (HSOP) with a 0.65 millimeter (mm) pitch.

Product Specifications

                    Part Number  TB62209F
           Format of Data Input  Clock-in format (integrating a
                                 decoder)
                        Voltage  Up to 40V (VM/ output)
               Electric Current  Up to 1.5A
Output Transistor On Resistance  0.5 ohm (Ta=25 degree centigrade,
                                 Typ.)
                        Package  36-pin HSOP (0.65mm pin pitch)

Pricing and Availability

Samples of the TB62209F will be available in May 2001, with mass production starting in June. Sample pricing is $3.70 each.

About TAEC

TAEC, recognized as one of the largest suppliers of semiconductor, electronic component, and storage solutions, is the North American engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and sales arm of Japan's Toshiba Semiconductor Co. and Toshiba Display Devices and Components Co.

The Toshiba Semiconductor Co. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of semiconductor products including LSIs, microprocessors and controllers, and advanced memory products, in addition to discrete and analog peripheral components.

TAEC is also responsible for sales and marketing of other major electronic components including liquid crystal displays, color display and picture tubes, lithium-ion and other secondary batteries. For additional information, visit TAEC's Web site at chips.toshiba.com.

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(a) BiCD -- Integration of Bipolar transistors, CMOS FET and high-voltage and huge-electric-current DMOS.

(b) Micro-step drive -- The drive of a stepping motor is electrically divided into several steps and the motor is driven by a pseudo-sine wave to attain low noise and vibration.