TI’s new Stellaris® microcontroller motor control kit spins and tunes 3-phase brushless motors in minutes

Adding to its growing portfolio of motor control solutions, Texas Instruments has announced a new motor control kit for spinning three-phase brushless motors with a Stellaris® Cortex™-M3 microcontroller (MCU). The new DK-LM3S-DRV8312 features a 32-bit Stellaris LM3S818 microcontroller and DRV8312 motor driver to spin sub-50V, 6.5A 3-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motors in minutes. The easy-to-use kit is a low-cost solution for high-volume motor control applications, including low-voltage fans, blowers, pumps, tools, and compressors.

The Stellaris LM3S818 controlCARD module included in the kit has the required firmware pre-programmed in flash memory to run TI’s new InstaSPIN-BLDC™ solution out-of-the-box, along with other customer-developed applications, when plugged into the DRV8312 motor driver baseboard. The InstaSPIN-BLDC solution is an innovative and free back-electromagnetic field (EMF) technique that spins any motor in seconds without knowledge of any motor parameters. Unlike traditional back-EMF zero crossing techniques, InstaSPIN-BLDC extends sensorless operation down to lower speeds and exhibits high immunity to miscommutation caused by rapid speed changes. Reliable motor start-up has been demonstrated over a wide range of conditions, including at full torque.

For more information on this kit and other Stellaris motor control solutions, visit www.ti.com//motor_drive_and_control_solutions/stellaris.

TI delivers leading analog integration, best-in-class low power and floating-point performance in new Stellaris^® ARM^®  Cortex™-M4F microcontrollers.

Continuing to empower developers with leading ARM^®-based embedded processing solutions, Texas Instruments now has a new low power, floating-point Stellaris^® Cortex™-M4F microcontroller generation. All of the new LM4Fx Stellaris microcontrollers provide floating point for performance headroom and best-in-class power consumption to address portability and power budgets. Developers can also select from a variety of high-performance analog, memory and connectivity options to best satisfy design parameters across a broad range of applications, such as industrial automation, motion control, health and fitness and more. The new Stellaris MCUs are the first Cortex-M-based microcontrollers to be built on 65 nanometer (nm) technology, paving the roadmap to higher speeds, larger memory and even lower power. For more information on Stellaris Cortex-M4F microcontrollers, visit www.ti.com/cortexm4f. For more information on how to get started with the LM4F232 Evaluation Kit, visit www.ti.com/ek-lm4f232.

Developers can immediately access production quantities of TI´s leading Stellaris^®  Cortex™-M microcontrollers with options up to 512KB flash and 12-bit ADCs

Texas Instruments Incorporated announced the availability of production quantities of its fourth generation Stellaris^®  Cortex™-M microcontrollers (MCUs). The expanded Stellaris microcontroller platform now provides developers with up to 512KB flash, dual 12-bit ADCs and support for enhanced connectivity with 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, CAN, USB (Host/Device/OTG), I²S, I²C and UART. In addition to these features, developers have continued access to TI's comprehensive StellarisWare^® software to speed development of applications.

Stellaris Cortex-M platform of microcontrollers features and benefits:

• Up to 512KB of flash memory, supporting up to 80MHz operation (0-Wait State at 50MHz and prefetch buffer for speeds above 50MHz)
• High SRAM-to-flash ratio to more efficiently enable networking protocol stacks
• Enhanced peripherals containing dual 10-bit or 12-bit ADCs enable developers to create higher-precision products
• Extensive in-ROM software and integrated precision oscillator
• Flexible external peripheral interface for high-speed chip-to-chip interconnect
• Ultra-fast general purpose IOs for high-speed off-chip control
• Pin compatible across generations, from 16KB to 512KB flash devices

Pricing and availability

Stellaris Cortex-M microcontrollers start at USD $2.00 for 1K quantities and are immediately available for order in production quantities. Engineers wanting to develop with devices 384K to 512K flash can get started with the LM3S9D96 Development Kit (DK-LM3S9D96), priced at USD $425. Evaluation kits are also available for USD $99 for both 256K and 512K flash devices.

TI´s new development kit helps engineers quickly and easily design Bluetooth^® technology-enabled applications based on Stellaris^® microcontrollers

The kit includes the high-throughput, power-efficient CC2560 Bluetooth solution and proven Bluetooth stack within StellarisWare^® software. The performance and integration of Stellaris MCUs pair with TI's leading Bluetooth solution to help developers address the demand for more streaming audio, remote control and data transfer in industrial and consumer applications. With this offering, TI further expands its broad portfolio of complete microcontroller and wireless technology solutions, which includes 16- and 32-bit MCUs backed by ZigBee^®, low-power wireless, RFID, and Bluetooth hardware and software. For more information, just click here or for a video demonstration, click here.

TI´s updated Stellaris^® EVALBOT opens the door for more flexibility and fun with microcontrollers and robotics

New mini-robot evaluation platform for TI's Stellaris ARM^®  Cortex&rad;-M3 microcontrollers provides more tool and software options to facilitate experimentation and development

Arming developers with more software and tool options, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) just announced its newest member of the Stellaris microcontroller (MCU) Robotic Evaluation Platform (EVALBOT). The new mini-robot platform within TI’s embedded processing portfolio provides developers the flexibility to choose from a variety of software tool chains so they can fully access the features of the Stellaris Cortex-M3 MCU in their preferred environment. The updated Stellaris EVALBOT is also preloaded with a StellarisWare^® application, and the kits now include more example projects in source code, including a demo that enables developers to more easily experiment with the kit’s expansion port that supports TI wireless evaluation modules. With EVALBOT, developers can experience the Stellaris MCU in a real-world application that leverages the processor's integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, USB On-The-Go, CAN, and motion control capabilities. For more information, go to www.ti.com/evalbot or here for the new video overview.

TI´s free IQmath Library brings ease-of-use and precision benefits of floating point to developers leveraging C2000™ and Stellaris^®  MCUs

Delivering floating-point benefits to developers using fixed-point microcontrollers (MCUs), Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today announced that its free IQmath Library now supports both the 32-bit C2000 and Stellaris MCU platforms.

TI´s IQmath Library is a proven, optimized collection of high-precision mathematical functions that allows programmers to seamlessly port floating-point algorithms into fixed-point code. Developers can use the software to achieve execution speeds considerably faster than equivalent code written in standard ANSI C language, which is important to computationally intensive applications such as motor control, digital power, security and human-machine interfaces. The IQmath Library also significantly speeds development and addresses the limitations of fixed-point math by eliminating time-consuming scaling and saturation burdens. For more information or to view the video demo, go to www.ti.com/iqmath.

Three New Stellaris^® Development Kits Accelerate Design of Wireless Networking Applications

Complete portfolio of TI 16 and 32-bit MCUs plus RFID, low-power RF and ZigBee^®  solutions drives intelligence and advancing functionality in applications such as metering, home automation and security.

Merging the performance and ease-of-use of Stellaris^® ARM^® Cortex™-M3-based microcontrollers (MCU) with leading wireless connectivity solutions, Texas Instruments launched three new wireless kits. The kits serve as modular extensions to TI´s Stellaris DK-LM3S9B96 development kit to give engineers complete software and reference design solutions for adding RFID, low-power RF and ZigBee capabilities to designs. With this offering, TI is building on its broad portfolio of 16-bit, ultra-low-power MSP430™-based-wireless connectivity solutions, now providing 32-bit Stellaris MCU performance for execution of additional advanced connectivity and control functions. For more information, go to www.ti.com/stellariswireless.

When coupled with the DK-LM3S9B96 development board, each kit includes all of the hardware and software needed to jumpstart design, and the quickstart application included in each kit allows developers to immediately evaluate working networks in 10 minutes or less. The performance and integration of Stellaris MCUs paired with TI´s leading wireless solutions will help developers address the demand for extensible functionality in wireless networking applications, such as pre-pay options in smart metering, remote monitoring for home automation and backup systems for security, alarm and plant engineering.

To get started with the Stellaris development kits for wireless connectivity, click on the options:

• Stellaris 13.56 MHz RFID Wireless Kit (DK-EM2-7960R
• Stellaris 2.4 GHz SimpliciTI™ Wireless Kit (DK-EM2-2500S)
• Stellaris Zigbee Networking Kit (DK-EM2-2520Z)
• Stellaris LM3S9B96 EM2 Expansion Board

 

Stellaris Family: New Parts, New Package, New Prices

The newly expanded and lower-cost Stellaris® MCU family brings additional memory, connectivity, and package options to the world’s largest ARM MCU portfolio.

New Parts

Texas Instruments has announced 29 brand-new Stellaris MCUs based on the ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller, offering new memory options and pin-compatibility within the largest ARM microcontroller portfolio in the world. New Stellaris MCUs include unique IP for motion control applications, intelligent analog functionality, and expanded advanced connectivity options to provide a broad range of price/performance solutions for industrial applications. New parts are available in the following series:

• Learn more about the 9000 Series
• Learn more about the 5000 Series
• Learn more about the 3000 Series
• Learn more about the 1000 Series

New Package

With this announcement, Texas Instruments also announces the availability of a brand new package option available in the Stellaris MCU family: the ultra-tiny 48QFN. Measuring just 7mm x 7mm and available for all Stellaris LM3SX00 Series MCUs, the 48-QFN is ideal for small form-factor embedded applications.

• Browse options in our Product Selector Guide

New Prices

Since the Stellaris MCU family has officially integrated into TI’s manufacturing leadership and economies of scale, TI is passing the cost savings directly to its customers. This translates to an immediate price reduction averaging 13% across the Stellaris family!

Texas Instruments announces the Stellaris® Single-Board Computer Intelligent Display Reference Design Kit

Stellaris IDM-SBC offers an Ethernet, USB, and CAN-connected QVGA touch-screen user interface for control, automation, and instrumentation applications

Introducing the new Stellaris Intelligent 3.5-inch Landscape Display Single-Board Computer Reference Design Kit (RDK-IDM-SBC), featuring fully integrated 10/100 Ethernet (MAC+PHY), USB Host, and CAN interfaces. Based on the feature-rich Stellaris LM3S9B92 microcontroller, the new intelligent display reference design combines a 3.5-inch QVGA landscape-oriented touch-screen user interface with several serial, digital, and analog connectivity options for easy implementation as a Human Machine Interface (HMI) touch display panel in an embedded control device. Software development for the RDK-IDM-SBC is simplified by using Texas Instrument's comprehensive StellarisWare® Graphics Library, USB Library, Peripheral Driver Library, and ARM development tools from ARM tools partners. Stellaris IDMs are the first display modules available with the efficient performance and robust integration of an ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller, positioning the modules into building access controllers and security systems, intelligent white goods and home appliances, thin clients, and factory automation applications.

• Learn more about the RDK-IDM-SBC