Microchip Technology PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board User’s Guide

PICDEM™ MC LV

Development Board

User’s Guide

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B

Note the following details of the code protection feature on Microchip devices:

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Sheets. Most likely, the person doing so is engaged in theft of intellectual property.

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Code protection is constantly evolving. We at Microchip are committed to continuously improving the code protection features of our
products. Attempts to break Microchip’s code protection feature may be a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If such acts
allow unauthorized access to your software or other copyrighted work, you may have a right to sue for relief under that Act.

Information contained in this publication regarding device
applications and the like is provided only for your convenience
and may be superseded by updates. It is your responsibility to
ensure that your application meets with your specifications.
MICROCHIP MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WAR­RANTIES OF ANY KIND WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
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Trademarks

The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, Accuron,
dsPIC, K

EELOQ, microID, MPLAB, PIC, PICmicro, PICSTART,

PRO MATE, PowerSmart, rfPIC and SmartShunt are
registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated
in the U.S.A. and other countries.

AmpLab, FilterLab, Migratable Memory, MXDEV, MXLAB,
PICMASTER, SEEVAL, SmartSensor and The Embedded
Control Solutions Company are registered trademarks of
Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A.

Analog-for-the-Digital Age, Application Maestro, dsPICDEM,
dsPICDEM.net, dsPICworks, ECAN, ECONOMONITOR,
FanSense, FlexROM, fuzzyLAB, In-Circuit Serial
Programming, ICSP, ICEPIC, Linear Active Thermistor,
MPASM, MPLIB, MPLINK, MPSIM, PICkit, PICDEM,
PICDEM.net, PICLAB, PICtail, PowerCal, PowerInfo,
PowerMate, PowerTool, Real ICE, rfLAB, rfPICDEM, Select
Mode, Smart Serial, SmartTel, Total Endurance, UNI/O,
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Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries.

SQTP is a service mark of Microchip Technology Incorporated
in the U.S.A.

All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their
respective companies.

© 2006, Microchip Technology Incorporated, Printed in the
U.S.A., All Rights Reserved.

Printed on recycled paper.

Microchip received ISO/TS-16949:2002 quality system certification for
its worldwide headquarters, design and wafer fabrication facilities in
Chandler and Tempe, Arizona and Mountain View, California in
October 2003. The Company’s quality system processes and
procedures are for its PICmicro
devices, Serial EEPROMs, microperipherals, nonvolatile memory and
analog products. In addition, Microchip’s quality system for the design
and manufacture of development systems is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

®

8-bit MCUs, KEEL

®

OQ

code hopping

DS51554B-page ii © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Tabl e of Conten ts

Preface ........................................................................................................................... 1

Chapter 1. Introduction to the PICDEM MC LV Development Board

1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7

1.2 Highlights ........................................................................................................ 7

1.3 Motor Control Kit ............................................................................................ 7

1.4 Overview of the PICDEM MC LV Development Board ................................... 7

1.5 Board Connectors .......................................................................................... 8

Chapter 2. System Level Architecture of the Board

2.1 Highlights ...................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Board Block Diagram ................................................................................... 11

2.3 Control Section ............................................................................................. 12

2.4 Power Inverter Section ................................................................................. 13

2.5 Power Supply ............................................................................................... 14

Chapter 3. Getting Started with PIC18FXX31 MCUs

3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 15

3.2 Highlights ...................................................................................................... 15

3.3 PICDEM MC LV Development Board Setup ................................................ 15

Chapter 4. Using the Microchip Motor Control GUI

4.1 Highlights ...................................................................................................... 17

4.2 Software Overview ....................................................................................... 17

4.3 Starting the Program .................................................................................... 17

4.4 The Main Window (Control Panel) ............................................................... 18

4.5 The Setup Window ....................................................................................... 20

Chapter 5. Creating Motor Control Firmware Projects

5.1 Highlights ...................................................................................................... 23

5.2 Included Applications ................................................................................... 23

5.3 Beyond the Included Applications: Creating New Projects .......................... 23

Chapter 6. Getting Started with dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers

6.1 Highlights ...................................................................................................... 25

6.2 Initial Setup ................................................................................................... 25

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page iii

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

Chapter 7. Using dsPIC DSCs to Run a Sensorless BLDC Motor

7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 27

7.2 Highlights ...................................................................................................... 27

7.3 Sensorless Control of a BLDC Motor ........................................................... 27

7.4 Using the PICDEM MC LV Development Board for

Higher Motor Voltage .............................................................................. 29

7.5 Using the PICDEM MC LV Development Board for

Lower Motor Voltage .............................................................................. 29

Chapter 8. Troubleshooting

8.1 Highlights ...................................................................................................... 31

8.2 Common Problems ....................................................................................... 31

Appendix A. Circuit Schematics of the Board ..........................................................33

Appendix B. Electrical Specifications .......................................................................35

Appendix C. Jumper Settings ....................................................................................37

Index .............................................................................................................................39

Worldwide Sales and Service .....................................................................................42

DS51554B-page iv © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Preface

NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS

All documentation becomes dated, and this manual is no exception. Microchip tools and
documentation are constantly evolving to meet customer needs, so some actual dialogs
and/or tool descriptions may differ from those in this document. Please refer to our web site
(www.microchip.com) to obtain the latest documentation available.

Documents are identified with a “DS” number. This number is located on the bottom of each
page, in front of the page number. The numbering convention for the DS number is
“DSXXXXXA”, where “XXXXX” is the document number and “A” is the revision level of the
document.

For the most up-to-date information on development tools, see the MPLAB
Select the Help menu, and then Topics to open a list of available on-line help files.

INTRODUCTION

®

IDE on-line help.

This chapter contains general information that will be useful to know before using the
PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board. Items discussed in this chapter include:

• Document Layout

• Conventions Used in this Guide

• The Microchip Web Site

• Recommended Reading

• Development Systems Customer Change Notification Service

• Warranty Registration

• Customer Support

• Document Revision History

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 1

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

DOCUMENT LAYOUT

This document describes how to use the PICDEM MC LV Development Board as a
development system for Microchip Technology’s PIC18F2331/2431 Microcontrollers
(MCUs) and dsPIC30F2010/3010 Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs). The manual layout
is as follows:

• Chapter 1. Introduction to the PICDEM MC LV Development Board – What the
PICDEM MC LV Development Board is, what makes it a desirable development
tool for motor control and what features are available. This chapter also
includes instructions on how to connect and begin to use the PICDEM MC LV
Development Board.

• Chapter 2. System Level Architecture of the Board – Provides a block diagram
of the board and description of each section.

• Chapter 3. Getting Started with PIC18FXX31 MCUs – Provides instructions on
how to set up the PICDEM MC LV Development Board using the PIC18FXX31
family devices.

• Chapter 4. Using the Microchip Motor Control GUI – Provides a detailed
description of PC-based Motor Control GUI and how to use its programmable
features.

• Chapter 5. Creating Motor Control Firmware Projects – Discusses the basic
steps for creating custom applications or modifying existing applications.

• Chapter 6. Getting Started with dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers – Describes
how to set up and use the PICDEM MC LV Development Board using the dsPIC
family.

• Chapter 7. Using dsPIC DSCs to Run a Sensorless BLDC Motor – Describes
how to run a BLDC motor, without a Hall effect sensor, using dsPIC devices.

• Chapter 8. Troubleshooting – Provides information on solving common
problems.

• Appendix A. Circuit Schematics of the Board – Provides detailed circuit
schematics of the PICDEM MC LV Development Board.

• Appendix B. Electrical Specifications – Lists the DC input and output ratings for
the PICDEM MC LV Development Board.

• Appendix C. Jumper Settings – Provides a detailed list of sensored and
sensorless jumper settings for PIC18F MCUs and dsPIC30F DSCs.

®

DS51554B-page 2 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS GUIDE

This manual uses the following documentation conventions:

DOCUMENTATION CONVENTIONS

Description Represents Examples

Arial font:

Italic characters and quotes Referenced books

Initial caps A window the Output window

Quotes A field name in a window or

Underlined, italic text with
right angle bracket

Bold characters A dialog button Click OK

Text in angle brackets < > A key on the keyboard Press <Enter>, <F1>

Courier font:

Plain Courier Sample source code #define START

Italic Courier A variable argument file.o, where file can be

Square brackets [ ] Optional arguments MPASMWIN [main.asm]

Curly brackets and pipe
character { | }

0xnnn A hexidecimal number where

Ellipses... Replaces repeated text var_name [,

Preface

“MPLAB® IDE User’s Guide”

Emphasized text ...is the

A dialog the Settings dialog
A menu selection select Enable Programmer

“Save project before build”

dialog
A menu path

A tab Click the Power tab

Filenames autoexec.bat

File paths c:\autoexec.bat
Keywords _asm, _endasm, static

Command-line options -Opa+, -Opa-

Bit values 0, 1
Constants 0xFF, ‘A’

Choice of mutually exclusive
arguments; an OR selection

‘n’ is a hexidecimal digit

Represents code supplied by
user

File>Save

any valid filename

errorlevel {0|1}

0xFFF

var_name...]

void main (void)
{ ...
}

only

compiler...

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 3

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

THE MICROCHIP WEB SITE

Microchip provides online support via our web site at www.microchip.com. This
web site is used as a means to make files and information easily available to
customers. Accessible by using your favorite Internet browser, the web site contains
the following information:

• Product Support – Data sheets and errata, application notes and sample
programs, design resources, user’s guides and hardware support documents,
latest software releases and archived software

• General Technical Support – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), technical
support requests, online discussion groups, Microchip consultant program
member listing

• Business of Microchip – Product selector and ordering guides, latest Microchip
press releases, listing of seminars and events, listings of Microchip sales offices,
distributors and factory representatives

RECOMMENDED READING

This user’s guide describes how to use the PICDEM MC LV Development Board. The
device-specific data sheets contain current information on programming the specific
microcontroller or digital signal controller devices. Other useful documents are listed
below. The following Microchip documents are available and recommended as
supplemental reference resources.

MPLAB

Comprehensive guide that describes installation and features of Microchip’s MPLAB
Integrated Development Environment (IDE), as well as the editor and simulator
functions in the MPLAB IDE environment.

Readme for PICDEM MC LV Development Board

For the latest information on using the PICDEM MC LV Development Board, read the
Readme for PICDEM MC LV.txt file (an ASCII text file) in the Readme subdirectory
of the MPLAB IDE installation directory. The Readme file contains update information
and known issues that may not be included in this user’s guide.

Readme Files

For the latest information on using other tools, read the tool-specific Readme files in the
Readme subdirectory of the MPLAB IDE installation directory. The Readme files contain
updated information and known issues that may not be included in this user’s guide.

MPASM™ Assembler, MPLINK™ Object Linker, MPLIB™ Object Librarian User’s
Guide (DS33014)

This user’s guide describes how to use the Microchip MPASM Assembler, the MPLINK
Object Linker and the MPLIB Object Librarian.

Microchip Technical Library CD-ROM (DS00161)

This CD-ROM contains comprehensive application notes, data sheets and technical
briefs for all Microchip products. To obtain this CD, or to download individual
documents, visit the Microchip web site (www.microchip.com).

Embedded Control Handbook Update 2000 (DS00711)

This handbook consists of several documents that contain information about
microcontroller applications. To obtain these documents, visit the Microchip web site
(www.microchip.com).

®

IDE Simulator, Editor User’s Guide (DS51025)

DS51554B-page 4 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Preface

PICmicro® Mid-Range MCU Family Reference Manual (DS33023) and
PICmicro

These manuals explain the general details and operation of the mid-range and
advanced MCU family architecture and peripheral modules. They are designed to
complement the device data sheets.

PIC18F2331/2431/4331/4431 Data Sheet (DS39616)

This is the definitive reference for Microchip’s 28/40/44-pin enhanced Flash micro­controllers with nanoWatt technology, high-performance PWM and A/D, that are at the
heart of the PICDEM MC LV Development Board.

dsPIC30F2010 Data Sheet (DS70118)

This is the definitive reference for Microchip’s 28-pin, high-performance digital signal
controllers.

®

18C MCU Family Reference Manual (DS39500)

DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS CUSTOMER CHANGE NOTIFICATION SERVICE

Microchip’s customer notification service helps keep customers current on Microchip
products. Subscribers will receive e-mail notification whenever there are changes,
updates, revisions or errata related to a specified product family or development tool of
interest.

To register, access the Microchip web site at www.microchip.com, click on Customer
Change Notification and follow the registration instructions.

The Development Systems product group categories are:

• Compilers – The latest information on Microchip C compilers and other language
tools. These include the MPLAB C18 and MPLAB C30 C Compilers; MPASM™
and MPLAB ASM30 Assemblers; MPLINK™ and MPLAB LINK30 Object Linkers;
and MPLIB™ and MPLAB LIB30 Object Librarians.

• Emulators – The latest information on Microchip in-circuit emulators.This
includes the MPLAB ICE 2000 and MPLAB ICE 4000.

• In-Circuit Debuggers – The latest information on the Microchip in-circuit
debugger, MPLAB ICD 2.

• MPLAB
Integrated Development Environment for development systems tools. This list is
focused on the MPLAB IDE, MPLAB SIM Simulator, MPLAB IDE Project Manager
and general editing and debugging features.

• Programmers – The latest information on Microchip programmers. These include
the MPLAB PM3 and PRO MATE
Plus and PICkit™ 1 Development Programmers.

®

IDE – The latest information on Microchip MPLAB IDE, the Windows®

®

II Device Programmers and the PICSTART®

WARRANTY REGISTRATION

Please complete the enclosed Warranty Registration Card and mail it promptly.
Sending in the Warranty Registration Card entitles users to receive new product
updates. Interim software releases are available at the Microchip web site.

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 5

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Users of Microchip products can receive assistance through several channels:

• Distributor or Representative

• Local Sales Office

• Field Application Engineer (FAE)

• Technical Support

• Development Systems Information Line

Customers should contact their distributor, representative or field application engineer
(FAE) for support. Local sales offices are also available to help customers. A listing of
sales offices and locations is included in the back of this document.

Technical support is available through the web site at: http://support.microchip.com

In addition, there is a Development Systems Information Line which lists the latest ver­sions of Microchip’s development systems software products. This line also provides
information on how customers can receive currently available upgrade kits.

The Development Systems Information Line numbers are:

1-800-755-2345 – United States and most of Canada

1-480-792-7302 – Other International Locations

DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY

Revision A (May 2005)

• Initial Release of this Document.

DS51554B-page 6 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Chapter 1. Introduction to the PICDEM MC LV

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board is targeted to control Brushless DC (BLDC)
motors in sensor or in sensorless operation. This flexible and low-cost board can be
configured in different ways to use with Microchip’s specialized motor control micro­controllers and digital signal controllers. This low-cost board has the facility to use
either the PIC18F2331/2431 or the dsPIC30F2010/3010 devices for control. Low pin
count motor control parts, such as the PIC18F1230/1330, can also be configured with
daughter boards.

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board is a compact board containing a 3-phase
voltage source inverter bridge and control circuitry around the microcontroller. The board
comes with a free, ready to use MC-GUI (Motor Control – Graphical User Interface) from
Microchip. Using the MC-GUI, the user can easily set and/or change motor parameters.
This greatly helps the user in developing customized drive solutions.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Development Board

1.2 HIGHLIGHTS

This items discussed in this chapter are:

• Motor Control Kit

• Overview of the PICDEM MC LV Development Board

• Board Connectors

1.3 MOTOR CONTROL KIT

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board contains the following items. Before
proceeding, make sure that you have each of these items:

• PICDEM MC LV Development Board

• The PICDEM MC LV Development Board CD-ROM with the following applications:

- PICDEM MC LV Graphical User Interface (MC-GUI)

-

“PICDEM MC LV Development Board User’s Guide”

- Firmware examples using the PIC18F MCUs and dsPIC30F DSCs

(this document)

1.4 OVERVIEW OF THE PICDEM MC LV DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Brushless DC motors are becoming more popular due to their advantages over other
types of motors traditionally used. To learn more about the basics, working principles
and control of BLDC motors, refer to Microchip’s Application Note

DC (BLDC) Motor Fundamentals

(www.microchip.com). You can also visit the specialized web page,
www.microchip.com/motor, for technical details on different types of motors and their
controls using PIC

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board supports motors with terminal voltage up to
48V and current up to 4A. Refer to Appendix B. “Electrical Specifications” for
complete electrical specifications.

®

microcontrollers and dsPIC® digital signal controllers.

” (DS00885) on Microchip’s website

AN885, “Brushless

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 7

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

1.5 BOARD CONNECTORS

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board has a PIC18FXX31/dsPIC30F device-based
control section and 3-phase power inverters. The board has a power connector (J20),
motor connector (J9), ICD 2 connector (J6) and serial interface connector (J1), as
shown in Figure 1-1.

FIGURE 1-1: BOARD LAYOUT

J9

Motor

Connection

J20

Power

Supply

Connector

I

MOTOR

Test

Points

MPLAB

Connector

®

ICD 2

(J6)

DSC
dsPIC

®

MCU
PIC

®

J1

Serial

Interface

Connector

Speed

Reference

Potentiometer

DS51554B-page 8 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Switches

Status

LEDs

Introduction to the PICDEM MC LV Development Board

1.5.1 Power Connector (J20)

The power connector (J20) has the facility to connect 3 different types of connectors.
A barrel connector is mounted on the board when it is shipped. If necessary, the user
can replace it with a standard DIN connector or a screw terminal with a 5 mm pitch.

A 24V DC power supply is connected to J20. Use the recommended power supply
listed as an accessory (Part Number AC002013) on the Microchip web site
(www.microchip.com), or equivalent power supply of your own.

1.5.2 Motor Connector (J9)

The motor connector (J9) has 11 terminals. Table 1-1 shows the functionality of each
terminal.

TABLE 1-1: TERMINAL FUNCTIONALITY

Terminal Function Special Comments

M1 Motor Winding 1 Connection

M2 Motor Winding 2 Connection

M3 Motor Winding 3 Connection

G Motor Ground

NOT

HA Hall Sensor 1 Connection

HB Hall Sensor 2 Connection
HC Hall Sensor 3 Connection

+5V Hall Sensor Power

GND Hall Sensor Power Return

+ Positive DC Bus See Section 2.3.1 “Controller Sockets”

– Negative DC Bus See Section 2.3.1 “Controller Sockets”

used for sensorless control

NOT

used for sensorless control

NOT

used for sensorless control

NOT

used for sensorless control

NOT

used for sensorless control

1.5.3 ICD 2 Connector (J6)

This RJ11 connector is used for programming the part or debugging the firmware using
MPLAB
firmware that is supplied with the board.

®

ICD 2. Application-specific functionalities can be added to the existing

1.5.4 Serial Interface (RS-232) Connector (J1)

This connector is used for serial communication, based on the RS-232 protocol, with
the external world. When using the PC-based MC-GUI, this connector is used to
connect the PC and the board through the RS-232 cable.

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 9

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

NOTES:

DS51554B-page 10 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Chapter 2. System Level Architecture of the Board

2.1 HIGHLIGHTS

This items discussed in this chapter are:

• Board Block Diagram

• Control Section

• Power Inverter Section

• Power Supply

2.2 BOARD BLOCK DIAGRAM

Figure 2-1 gives a system level architecture of the PICDEM MC LV Development
Board. The board has three sections: control, power inverter and power supply.

FIGURE 2-1: BLOCK DIAGRAM

115/230V

50/60 Hz
AC Input

24V Power Supply

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

J20

J3

+5V

Regulator

+5V

I

MOTOR

REF
R14

IC1
IC2
IC3

S2

S3

®

MPLAB

J6

ICD 2

J1

RS-232

AN0

AN1
RA2
RA3
RA4
RC5

RC4

FaultA

PIC18FXX31/dsPIC30F2010

FLTA

U7:D

Comparator

PWM5

PWM4

PWM3

PWM2

PWM1

PWM0

MOTOR

I

R60

+15V

Regulator

+15V

IC1
IC2
IC3

PWM5

PWM4

PWM3

PWM2

Driver

PWM1

PWM0

U10:A

Amplifier

BEMF Signal

Conditioning

+24V

3-Phase

Inverter

Bridge

R26

0.1R,
2W

M1
M2
M3

IC1

IC2

IC3

J9

+

–

M3

M2

M1

G

+5V

HA

HB
HC

M

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 11

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

2.3 CONTROL SECTION

Microchip’s PIC18F2431/2331 and many versions of the dsPIC30F DSCs have
specialized hardware peripherals, like the power control PWM, high-speed ADC,
motion control feedback, integrated EEPROM and the power supervisory function, that
are required for efficient motor control. The CD supplied along with the PICDEM MC LV
Development Board has a variety of programs using both PIC18F and dsPIC30F
devices, working in open loop and closed loop, using Hall sensors and in sensorless
operation. Chapter 3. “Getting Started with PIC18FXX31 MCUs” explains the con­trol algorithm using PIC18F parts and Chapter 6. “Getting Started with dsPIC Digital

Signal Controllers” explains the control algorithm for dsPIC30F parts.

2.3.1 Controller Sockets

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board has two 28-pin DIP sockets, one each for the
PIC18F2331/2431 MCUs and dsPIC30F2010/3010 DSCs. They are offset to each
other and marked as the “PIC” and “dsPIC” sockets, respectively. When shipped, a
preprogrammed PIC18F2431 is mounted on the “PIC” side of U1. To use the dsPIC
device, the user has to remove the PIC18F from the socket and mount the dsPIC DSC
on the “dsPIC” side of U3.

Apart from the main controller, the control section has protection circuitry, user interface,
Hall sensor interface and Back EMF (BEMF) signal conditioning for sensorless control.

2.3.2 Overcurrent Protection Circuit

A shunt resistor (R26 = 0.1Ω) connected in the DC return path converts the combined
three-phase motor current into voltage. This voltage is passed through a low-pass filter
and amplified using an op amp circuit with a gain of 11. This amplified voltage is connected
to one of the Analog-to-Digital Converter channels (AN0). In addition to this, the amplified
voltage is compared to a voltage reference using an op amp comparator. The voltage ref­erence is set using potentiometer R60. Turning the potentiometer clockwise increases the
reference and counterclockwise reduces the reference. The range of voltage reference
varies from 0V to 3.3V. Based on the motor rated current, the reference can be set. A test
point “MOTOR” is given to monitor the motor current on an oscilloscope.

2.3.3 User Interface

On the PICDEM MC LV Development Board, there are switches, LEDs and a
potentiometer to use with the GUI interface. Table 2-1 describes each function.

TABLE 2-1: USER INTERFACE

Board Function Description Comments

Switch

S1 Used for resetting the system

S2 and S3 Various functions See Chapter 3. “Getting Started

with PIC18FXX31 MCUs” and
Chapter 6. “Getting Started with
dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers”.

LED

D1, D2, D3 Display status See Chapter 6. “Getting Started

with dsPIC Digital Signal Control­lers” and Chapter 3. “Getting
Started with PIC18FXX31 MCUs”.

PWM0-PWM5 Display status of PWM0-PWM5
Potentiometer R14 Motor speed control Turning the potentiometer clockwise

increases the speed and vice versa.

DS51554B-page 12 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

System Level Architecture of the Board

2.3.4 Hall Sensor Interface

Hall sensors on the motor are open-collector outputs. Individual pull-up resistors are
provided on the board for each Hall sensor. The Hall sensor signals, HA, HB and HC,
are connected to the input capture pins, IC1, IC2 and IC3, respectively.

2.3.5 Back EMF Signal Conditioning

When a sensorless algorithm is used to control the BLDC motor speed, Back EMF
(BEMF) signals are used. Based on zero crossing of BEMF signals, motor com­mutation is decided in the firmware. The signal conditioning circuit has mainly two
blocks: the first is a low-pass filter for each phase voltage and the second is a
comparator circuit for determining the zero crosspoint. When using the PIC18F MCU,
the jumpers are set to use both of these blocks. The output is connected to the input
capture pins, IC1, IC2 and IC3. When a dsPIC30F DSC is used, the low-pass filters are
used in the circuit. Using the on-chip Analog-to-Digital Converters, the BEMF zero
crosspoint is determined. In order to configure this, the board has 8 jumpers. Refer to

Chapter 3. “Getting Started with PIC18FXX31 MCUs” and Chapter 6. “Getting
Started with dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers” for jumper settings for the PIC18F

and dsPIC30F, respectively. Also, refer to Appendix C. “Jumper Settings” for the
complete list of jumper settings. In addition, the silk screen on the non-component side
of the board has the jumper settings printed for quick reference.

2.3.6 Temperature Measurement Circuit

A temperature sensor is placed next to the PCB heat sink near Q5. The sensor,
Microchip’s TC74, has an I
to a digital value. This value can be read using the I
does not include the temperature reading routines. The routines for the Master mode

2

I

C, using the SSP module, can be found on Microchip’s web site.

Note: When using the temperature sensor, jumpers J16 and J17 should be open.

When the temperature sensor is used, LEDs D2 and D3 are not available.

2.4 POWER INVERTER SECTION

The inverter section consists of three half-bridge gate drivers and three phase inverter
bridges using MOSFETs. Figure 2-2 shows a half-bridge gate driver and half-bridge
inverter. This circuit is repeated for each motor phase winding. PWM pairs,
PWM0-PWM1, PWM2-PWM3 and PWM4-PWM5, control three half-bridge inverters.
The DC bus is either derived from the 24V power supply connected to the input
connector J20, or from the ‘+’ and ‘–’ terminals on connector J9.

FIGURE 2-2: HALF-BRIDGE GATE DRIVER AND INVERTER

®

2

C™ interface. It measures the temperature and converts it

PWM1

PWM1

2

C protocol. The code on the CD

DC+

Q1

/dsPIC

®

Device

PIC

PWM0

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 13

Driver

IR2101

Q0

PWM0

DC-

M1

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

2.5 POWER SUPPLY

A 24V DC block power supply connected to J20 serves as the main power supply to
the board. A +15V power supply is generated for the gate drivers using a 15V regulator
(VR2). This 15V regulator is passed through a 5V regulator to drive a +5V power supply
to the MCU and the control circuit around the MCU.

2.5.1 Connecting an Alternate Power Supply

The board can support the motors up to the rated voltage of 48V. However, the input
power supply that can be connected on J20 is limited to 24V. In such cases, a provision
is made to connect a different power supply that powers the DC bus using ‘+’ and ‘–’
terminals on J9. The power jumper J3 that is next to the connector J9 should be opened
when a second power supply is connected to J9. This arrangement can also be used
if the motor has a lower rated voltage, for example, 12V.

CAUTION

When using a second power supply on ‘+’ and ‘–’ terminals on J9, make sure that
jumper J3 is removed. Failure to do this may cause the board to fail or the power
supply to fail.

DS51554B-page 14 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Chapter 3. Getting Started with PIC18FXX31 MCUs

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides instructions on how to set up the PICDEM MC LV Development
Board using the PIC18FXX31 devices.

WARNING

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board is intended to drive 3-phase BLDC motors.
Before connecting the motor, make sure that the power rating of the motor is equal
or less than the power rating of the board, as given in Appendix B. “Electrical Spec­ifications”. Also, make sure that the jumper settings are correct for the firmware

programmed into the target PIC
with this warning could lead to malfunction of the board and/or the motor and could
possibly be hazardous to the development staff.

Before beginning the start-up procedure, do a visual check of the board and the
motor to be connected for any mechanical damage. If damage is found,
power-up the board. Otherwise, you may further damage the equipment.
Immediately contact Microchip’s local office or distributor for information.

®

MCU mounted on the socket. Failure to comply

DO NOT

3.2 HIGHLIGHTS

This item discussed in this chapter is:

• PICDEM MC LV Development Board Setup

3.3 PICDEM MC LV DEVELOPMENT BOARD SETUP

The following procedure describes how to set up the PICDEM MC LV Development
Board to run with a PIC18FXX31 device.

1. Place the PICDEM MC LV Development Board on a sturdy platform.

2. Make sure the PIC18F2331 or the PIC18F2431 is mounted in the “PIC” socket on U1.

3. Connect the 24V power supply to J20.

Note:

LED D7 (red) should turn on. If it does not turn on, check the polarity of the power
supply connector. If it is correct and the LED D7 still does not turn on, disconnect
power to the board and contact Microchip’s local office or distributor.

4. Determine the algorithm you want to run the motor. The following two options are

available:

• Speed control using Hall sensors

• Sensorless control

5. Program the part with the desired algorithm. For generating a project and pro-

gramming using MPLAB

User’s Guide”

6. Disconnect the power supply and complete jumper settings and motor connec-

tions as given in the following table. The wire colors mentioned in the brackets
are for the Hurst NT Dynamo motor, available from Microchip as an accessory,
part number AC300020.

DO NOT

connect the motor wires to the board.

®

ICD 2, refer to the

(DS51331).

“MPLAB® ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 15

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

TABLE 3-1: JUMPER SETTINGS

Jumper Sensored Control Sensorless Control

J7, J11, J13 Short between 1-2 Short between 1-2

J15 Short between 2-3 Short between 2-3

J8, J12, J14 Open Short
J10, J16, J17, J19 Short Short

TABLE 3-2: MOTOR CONNECTIONS

Label on Connector J9 Sensored Control Sensorless Control

M1 Phase C (red) Phase C (red)
M2 Phase B (black) Phase A (white)

M3 Phase A (white) Phase B (black)

G Ground (green) Ground (green)
+5V Power-on Hall Sensor (red) No Connection

ND Power Return for Hall Sensors (black) No Connection

G

HA Hall S1 (white) No Connection
HB Hall S2 (brown) No Connection

HC Hall S3 (green) No Connection

7. Keep the potentiometer “REF” turned counterclockwise.

8. Connect the 24V power supply to the board on J20.

Note: Follow procedures 9 through 13 for manual operation or Stand-Alone mode

of the board. For PC operation, or operating the board using the Graphical
User Interface, skip to Chapter 4. “Using the Microchip Motor Control
GUI”.

9. Press and release switch S3 once.

10. Turn the potentiometer “REF” clockwise, the motor should rotate.

11. Each press of S3 toggles the control between Run and Stop conditions.

12. To change the direction of rotation, press S2.

13. If the motor stops and LED D1 blinks, it indicates that there was an overcurrent
Fault. Reduce the speed “REF” and press either S2 or S3 to clear the Fault and
resume operation.

DS51554B-page 16 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Chapter 4. Using the Microchip Motor Control GUI

4.1 HIGHLIGHTS

The items discussed in this chapter are:

• Software Overview

• Starting the Program

• The Main Window (Control Panel)

• The Setup Window

4.2 SOFTWARE OVERVIEW

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

The Microchip Motor Control GUI provides a convenient computer-based interface for
most PICmicro
number of electrical designs and motor control paradigms, and provides a wide range
of control functions for motor operations. Not only can users set speed and rotation
direction, but also program acceleration, deceleration and variable run patterns.

The Motor Control GUI has been designed to communicate with a range of currents
and planned Microchip motor control kits and applications. A feature of its design is to
poll the on-board control firmware on initial communication and automatically configure
its options accordingly. As such, some features discussed here may not be available in
certain situations. They are presented here for the sake of completeness.

®

device-based motor control applications. It is designed to work with a

4.3 STARTING THE PROGRAM

To run the program, select

Motor Control Demo

Control GUI shortcut on your desktop. This launches the Main window of the GUI
(Figure 4-1).

In this version of the Motor Control GUI, all of the operations are controlled through two
windows: the Main window (control panel) and the Setup window. Their operation is
described in the following sections.

from the Start menu. Alternatively, double click on the Motor

Programs>Microchip Motor Control Solutions>

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 17

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

FIGURE 4-1: THE CONTROL PANEL VIEW

4.4 THE MAIN WINDOW (CONTROL PANEL)

The control panel allows the user to control motor speed and rotation direction in a way
that is similar to Stand-Alone mode. It also allows users to access the Setup and
Pattern programming displays.

The control panel’s features include:

• Motor and Control Method Display – When the motor control firmware is

appropriately configured (such as the demonstration applications included with
the development kit), the scrolling display indicates the type of motor and control
firmware that has been programmed to the PICDEM MC LV Development Board.

• Speed/Direction Display – Displays the actual speed of the motor as determined

either by sensors, or Back EMF approximation, in both tachometer and digital
(text) formats. Below the tachometer is a direction indicator, showing the direction
of motor revolution relative to the default direction with an arrow and text. Speed
for all applications in Open-Loop mode is shown in RPM.

The full-scale value of the tachometer and the colored zones reflect average safe
and hazardous values for the type of motor selected, based on the rated and max­imum safe speeds. The full-scale value is determined by the speed limit defined in
the Setup window, plus an additional margin. The upper boundary of the green
range represents the motor’s rated speed. The upper blue boundary is set to
scale the maximum safe speed well into the red area; generally, this boundary is
halfway between the rated and full-scale speeds. The values may be changed in
the Setup window to reflect the actual performance limitations of the motor.

• Fault Display – A scrolling text display indicates the state of the Fault conditions

monitored by the PICDEM MC LV Development Board. Under normal conditions,
it will display a scrolling “No Fault” message and a green indicator. Should a Fault
condition occur, the indicator will change to blinking red; the text will also change
to red and the message will indicate the specific Fault event(s).

DS51554B-page 18 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Using the Microchip Motor Control GUI

• Speed Set Control – The user can set the target run speed for the motor with this

spin box by either direct entry or using the up/down controls. The input is specified
in RPM for all applications. Left clicking on the control, or pressing the <Enter> or
<Tab> keys after entering a speed, starts the motor running.

• Phase Current Display – Displays the current draw for the indicated motor windings

in amperes. Information is given in analog gauge and digital (text) format. The num­ber of gauges that are used at any time reflect the motor type and current sensing
configuration; for example, using one current transducer will result in one active
gauge. The example shown in Figure 4-1 is typical for 3-phase current sensing.

As with the speed display, the different color zones represent average safe and
hazardous operating ranges based on the capabilities of the development board
being used. For the PICDEM MC LV Development Board, the safe operating limit
is 6A. The actual safe operating range should be determined from the motor’s
name plate and data sheet.

• Temperature Display – This gives the approximate temperature of the inverter

power module in degrees Celsius, as both an analog thermometer and a text
value. The arrow at the left of the thermometer indicates the event temperature for
overtemperature Faults set in the controller firmware. This display is not
implemented in the current version.

• Control Buttons – A total of four active motor controls are provided. The first two

start and stop the motor, respectively. The motor’s current status disables the cor­responding button; that is, the Run is disabled and the Stop button is enabled once
the motor is running. Starting the motor by left clicking on the control, or pressing the
<Enter> or <Tab> keys on the Set Speed control also disables the Run button.

The third button, Direction, toggles the direction of rotation. The Setup button at
the extreme right launches the Setup window display (described in
Section 4.5 “The Setup Window”).

Two additional buttons, Pattern and History, are not implemented in this version
of the Motor Control GUI. They will appear shaded.

• Communication Control – This area provides user controls for the serial com-

munication link to the board, as well as a real-time status indicator. Clicking COM
Setup launches the COM Port Setting window; this allows the user to select the
serial port and baud rate settings for communicating with the board. By clicking on
Auto Connect, the Motor Control GUI will automatically attempt to communicate
with the board each time the GUI is launched, using the most recently entered
COM parameters. Once connected, COM Setup becomes unavailable.

The Connect/Abort button is used to establish or break a serial link with the
board. When a link is established, the Connect label changes to Abort and COM

Setup becomes unavailable. When the link is broken by clicking on Abort, COM
Setup becomes available for configuration.

The indicator at the extreme left shows the status of the serial link. When a link is
established, the indicator is solid green. When a connection is being established,
the indicator flashes green. Should the link fail, the indicator changes to solid red.

Located to the right is a scrolling message display; this shows the current con­nection status, the device being controlled and the current version of the motor
control firmware. A real-time clock based on system clock time is provided at the
extreme right of the display.

Note: Identification of the microcontroller and firmware happens when the Motor

Control GUI is launched and the serial link is first established. If the control­ler and/or firmware is changed, the application may not always see this
when the serial link is re-established. Always close and restart the Motor
Control GUI when changing the microcontroller or firmware.

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 19

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

4.5 THE SETUP WINDOW

FIGURE 4-2: TYPICAL SETUP WINDOW

Clicking on the Setup button in the control panel launches a second window, the Setup
window (Figure 4-2). From here, users can define the individual settings for the motor
being used. If the appropriate information is included in the firmware, most of the values
will auto-populate, or at least be limited to a smaller subset of choices. Features or
parameters that are not used will be masked or greyed out.

There are three categories that the user can modify:

• Motor Parameters, which define the actual motor and sensor hardware that are

used.

• System Parameters (control), which define the control variables.

• System Limits, which define the hardware maximum ratings.

Controls are also provided to save or recall parameters for later use or restore default
settings. Users can download settings to the connected board.

4.5.1 Motor Parameters

These parameters are generally self-explanatory. Information on the motor hardware
itself (items 1 through 6) can be found either on the motor’s nameplate or in its data
sheet. The Motor Type field is auto-populated with the motor type identified upon
connection.

DS51554B-page 20 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Using the Microchip Motor Control GUI

The configuration for motion feedback sensors is selectively enabled by selecting the
appropriate check boxes in Feedback Device. When Hall effect sensors alone are
used, the Hall Sensor Phase Angle and MFM Filter Prescaler (Motion Feedback
Module) may be configured; the other options are disabled. When optical encoders are
enabled, the Encoder PPR (Pulses Per Revolution), QEI update mode and MFM
Filter Prescaler may be configured; Hall effect configuration is unavailable. (The use
of the QEI update mode and MFM Filter Prescaler options is discussed in detail in
Section 16 “Motion Feedback Module” of the

Sheet”

For motors with integrated motion feedback sensors, information on the sensor type
and arrangement is also found in the motor data sheet. External shaft mounted
encoders should also have the required information in their data sheets.

(DS39616).

Note: The Hall effect and optical sensors are mutually exclusive; it is not possible for

some control methods to use both types at once. In these cases, checking the
appropriate box enables all configuration options. Of course, selecting the

None option in Feedback Device disables all sensor configuration options.

4.5.2 System Parameters

The System Parameters options will vary, depending on the motor control principle
being used by the firmware.

Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) systems are most often employed in closed-loop
operation, where constant speed or constant torque is required. Options 1 through 6
will only be available when a PID control algorithm is used.

Acceleration and deceleration are defined as RPS/s for most applications. For
induction motors running in open-loop applications, they are defined as Hz/s.

The Input Voltage is the actual supply voltage to the board. With the drive voltage level
established under Motor Parameters, it is used to calculate the limits on the PCPWM
duty cycle necessary to generate the drive voltage from the input voltage.

The PWM Frequency determines the resolution of the control firmware. The
drop-down combo box presents a fixed range of values depending on the firmware
application and microcontroller.

“PIC18F2331/2431/4331/4431 Data

Note: The V/F Curve control is not available in the current version of the Motor

Control GUI.

4.5.3 System Limits

The System Limits reflect the maximums of both the motor and the board being used.

Voltage Limit, or the maximum voltage delivered to the motor, is limited at the input DC

voltage level.

Current Limit is set at the lesser of the maximum current rating for the motor or the
maximum capacity of the board. For the PICDEM MC LV Development Board, this is 4.0A.

Speed Limit is set at the value given in the motor’s data sheet, or at a predetermined
speed set by the particular motor data file.

CAUTION

Not all motors may be able to run at the maximum speed defined by the Speed
Limit parameter. It should be regarded as an upper limit and not the motor’s
expected maximum speed.

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 21

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

4.5.4 Storing and Using Setting Profiles

Once the parameters for a particular motor are established, it would be nice to preserve
them for future use. Users have several options from the Setup window display to do
just that.

Clicking on the Save button allows the current settings to be stored in a file, while
clicking on Load selects and loads a file with saved settings. Both commands use the
conventional Windows
as motor data files (.mcd extension). Neither of these affects the parameters currently
in effect in the on-board firmware.

The Default button replaces all of the current settings with the default settings associ­ated with the current motor type. This may be useful for quickly starting over when a
set of parameters has been extensively modified and isn’t working.

The Download button transfers the currently displayed parameters to the on-board
firmware. It only changes the parameters and not the control firmware itself.

Note 1: Attempting to load a motor data file that does not match the currently

loaded motor and/or control method type will generate an error message.

2: Remember that downloading a profile to the PICDEM MC LV Development

Board only downloads variable values; it does not download new firmware.
Similarly, loading and saving profiles only loads or saves the motor data file
to the computer, but does not load or save the file to the on-board firmware.

®

dialogs for opening and saving files. Setting profiles are saved

DS51554B-page 22 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Chapter 5. Creating Motor Control Firmware Projects

5.1 HIGHLIGHTS

The items discussed in this chapter are:

• Included Applications

• Beyond the Included Applications: Creating New Projects

5.2 INCLUDED APPLICATIONS

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board comes with two complete firmware solutions.
One of these is the BLDC control application (installed on the board). It assumes a
3-phase BLDC motor using Hall effect sensors at 120-degree spacing application.

It is possible that this preprogrammed application will not meet the project require­ments. If so, there are additional motor control applications provided with the PICDEM
MC LV Development Board CD. The additional motor control applications include the
sensorless BLDC control (open-loop) and Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID)
control algorithms. The applications are provided as ready-to-program HEX files, and
as assembler files, with all the necessary support files to create custom projects.

5.3 BEYOND THE INCLUDED APPLICATIONS: CREATING NEW PROJECTS

Even with the provided applications, project requirements may differ. It may be
necessary to integrate motor control into your existing code, or you may have a new
approach for motor control. In either event, the PICDEM MC LV Development Board
can be used to prototype the application.

The first step is to create code in a development environment, such as Microchip’s
MPLAB
and control parameters specific to the application. The best place to get this information
is to review the existing firmware applications included on the software CD.
Motor-specific information can be found in the Readme files for the Microchip Motor
Control GUI included on the CD.

Once the necessary information is gathered, build the project and create the HEX file.
Using a device programmer, such as PRO MATE
supplied PIC18F2431 microcontroller. Alternately, load your firmware directly into the
microcontroller installed on the board through the ICD interface.

®

IDE. Add any necessary .inc or .asm files to the project and set the system

®

II, load your firmware into the

Note: The operation of the Stand-Alone and PC modes, as described in previous

chapters, is an integral part of the motor control firmware. If the program
logic differs significantly from the firmware included with the board, it is
possible that the modes cannot be used as described. The “self-test”
blinking of the monitor LEDs on power-up may also be disabled.

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 23

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

NOTES:

DS51554B-page 24 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Chapter 6. Getting S tarted with dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers

6.1 HIGHLIGHTS

This item discussed in this chapter is:

• Initial Setup

6.2 INITIAL SETUP

The following procedure describes how to set up the PICDEM MC LV Development
Board to run with a dsPIC

®

device.

WARNING

Note 1: The PICDEM MC LV Development Board is intended to drive the 3-phase

BLDC motor. Before connecting the motor, make sure that the power
rating of the motor is equal or less than the power rating of the board, as
shown in Appendix B. “Electrical Specifications”. Also, make sure the
jumper settings are correct for the firmware programmed into the target
dsPIC device mounted on the socket. Failure to comply with this warning
could lead to malfunction of the board, the motor and could be hazardous
to the development staff.

2: Before beginning the start-up procedure, complete a visual check of the

board and the motor for connectivity and mechanical damage. If damage
is found, DO NOT power-up the board. Otherwise, you may further
damage the equipment. Contact Microchip’s local office or distributor
immediately.

1. Place the PICDEM MC LV Development Board on a sturdy platform/surface.

2. Confirm that a dsPIC30F2010, dsPIC30F3010 or dsPIC30F4012 is mounted in

the “dsPIC” marked U3 socket.

3. Connect the 24V power supply to J5. DO NOT connect the motor wires to the

board. LED D7 (red) should turn on. If it does not turn on, check the polarity of
the power supply connector. If it is correct and LED D7 does not turn on,
disconnect the power to the board and contact Microchip’s local office or
distributor.

4. Two Application Notes are available for information on running BLDC Motors

using dsPIC devices:

AN957, “Sensored BLDC Motor Control Using dsPIC30F2010

AN992, “Sensorless BLDC Motor Control Using dsPIC30F2010

AN957 and AN992 have been developed using the PICDEM MC LV Development
Board

. The code available with these Application Notes can be downloaded from
the Microchip web site (www.microchip.com) and will work with the BLDC motor
provided in the application kit. To generate a project and program using MPLAB
ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger, refer to the “

User’s Guide

” (DS51331).

MPLAB® ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger

” (DS00957)

” (DS00992)

®

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 25

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

WARNING

Note 1: When programming the dsPIC device on the PICDEM MC LV Develop-

ment Board, the two DIP switches must be in the PRGM position. This
will ensure the programming pins are connected to the programmer. If the
user has generated independent code, the user must select
EMUC2/EMUD2 pins for emulation in the MPLAB Configuration menu.
These alternate pins will then be programmed and will be used for the
debugging or run phase.

2: After programming the dsPIC device, the user can disconnect the pro-

grammer from the ICD 2 plug J6 and run the device in Stand-Alone mode.
Alternatively, if the ICD 2 is being used in the Emulator mode, then the
DIP switches have to be switched to the DEBUG position. Then, the
EMUC2/EMUD2 pins will be connected to the ICD 2, and assuming the
configuration was done as described above, the user will be able to run
the firmware using the ICD 2 as an emulator.

5. Disconnect the power supply and ensure that the jumper settings and motor
connection match Table 6-1 and Table 6-2 respectively.

TABLE 6-1: JUMPER SETTINGS

Jumper Sensored Control Sensorless Control

J7, J11, J13 Open Short between 2-3

J15 Don’t care Don’t care

J8, J10, J12, J14 Open Open
J19 Short Open

J16, J17 Short Short

TABLE 6-2: MOTOR CONNECTIONS

Label on Connector J9 Sensored Control Sensorless Control

M1 Phase C (red) Phase C (red)
M2 Phase B (black) Phase A (white)

M3 Phase A (white) Phase B (black)

G Ground (green) Ground (green)
+5V Power-on Hall Sensor (red) No Connection

Return (symbol) Power Return for Hall Sensor (black) No Connection

HA Hall S1 (white) No Connection
HB Hall S2 (brown) No Connection

HC Hall S3 (green) No Connection

6. Keep the potentiometer “REF” on the 50% or center position. Turn the pot
marked “R60” to the full clockwise position.

7. Connect the 24V power supply to the board. The red LED D7 will turn on.

8. To start the motor, press S2.

9. To increase the speed of the motor, turn the potentiometer marked “REF”
clockwise.

10. If the motor stops, press S2 once to reset the process and repeat steps 9-11.

11. The debug information will be relayed via the serial port. Connect Hyperterminal
at 19200 baud to view the speed of the motor, or any Fault which occurs during
the execution of the code.

DS51554B-page 26 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Chapter 7. Using dsPIC DSCs to Run a Sensorless BLDC Motor

7.1 INTRODUCTION

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board can be used to run a BLDC motor without a
Hall effect sensor. To find out more and get a full description of the application, refer to
Application Note
(DS00992). For jumper settings and details on how to connect the motor, refer to
Chapter 6. “Getting Started with dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers”.

In this chapter, we will briefly explain how a sensorless BLDC motor application is run
using a dsPIC device and describe how to adjust some of the parameters in order to
make specific BLDC motors run. For more details on the hardware and firmware
specifications, refer to Application Notes

BLDC Contro
dsPIC30F201

web site (www.microchip.com).

7.2 HIGHLIGHTS

AN992, “Sensorless BLDC Motor Control Using dsPIC30F201

AN901, “Using the dsPIC30F for Sensorless

l”

(DS00901) and

0”

(DS00992). These Application Notes can be found on the Microchip

AN992, “Sensorless BLDC Motor Control Using

0”

This items discussed in this chapter are:

• Sensorless Control of a BLDC Motor

• Using the PICDEM MC LV Development Board for Higher Motor Voltage

• Using the PICDEM MC LV Development Board for Lower Motor Voltage

7.3 SENSORLESS CONTROL OF A BLDC MOTOR

To run a BLDC motor without sensors, it is important to sense the rotor magnet position
with reference to the windings on the stator. In order to do this properly, the Back EMF
on the unexcited winding is monitored. As the motor is spun, the voltage waveform on
the three winding phases will be seen, as shown in an idealized manner in Figure 7-1.

FIGURE 7-1: ZERO-CROSSING DETECTION

30°

0

0

0

Sector

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 27

501234501

= BEMF Zero Crossing

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

There are 6 sectors, each 60 degrees wide, which accumulate to give one 360 degree
electrical revolution of the motor. In each sector, two windings are excited: one with a
high voltage and the other with a low voltage. The third winding is not excited. As the
rotor rotates from one sector to another, a new set of windings is excited. The sequence
of excitation in each sector is provided by the motor manufacturer. The winding in each
sector that is not excited will be influenced by the Back EMF voltage. This voltage is
not high or low, but a falling or rising voltage level, going symmetrically from a
high-to-low or a low-to-high. It crosses the center, or star point voltage, at about
30 degrees before the next commutation point of the rotor. This center, or star point
voltage, is also referred to as the zero-crossing voltage. Its value is exactly half the volt­age applied to the excited windings of the motor. The dsPIC device uses its fast ADC
to sense the zero-cross point. Having sensed the zero-cross point, it can predict the
time required for the next commutation phase. The zero-cross sensing and drive of the
motor is shown in Figure 7-2.

FIGURE 7-2: HARDWARE BLOCK DIAGRAM

dsPIC30F2010

PWM3H

PWM3L

PWM2H

PWM2L

PWM1H

PWM1L

FLTA

AN0 VDC
AN1
AN2

AN3
AN4
AN5

3-Phase

Inverter

Fault

Demand

Phase Terminal Voltage Feedback

R49 R41 R34

IBUS

R36

R44

R52

VDC

BLDC

V

BUS

R63

R64

The PWM signals drive three MOSFET drivers (IR2101s), which in turn, drive the
3-phase bridge inverter connected to the 3 motor windings (see Appendix A. “Circuit
Schematics of the Board”). The motor windings are driven with 24V. This voltage is
scaled down to about 1.8V full scale when sensed by the ADC inputs of the dsPIC
device. The scaling for each winding is done by resistor pairs, R34/R36, R41/R44 and
R49/R52 (see Appendix A. “Circuit Schematics of the Board”). The bus voltage is
sensed and scaled down by resistor pair, R63/R64.

Note: All the resistor pairs should have the same value for a given motor voltage.

The resistor pairs used on the PICDEM MC LV Development Board give a
full-scale value of about 2.4V and so, the zero-cross voltage is about 1.2V.
This is based on a motor voltage of 24V.

DS51554B-page 28 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Using dsPIC DSCs to Run a Sensorless BLDC Motor

7.4 USING THE PICDEM MC LV DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR HIGHER MOTOR VOLTAGE

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board can be used to drive a motor at a voltage
higher than 24V, but not exceeding 36V. The new high voltage can be supplied to the
system at the Plus (+) and Minus (–) terminals on J9. For the sensorless algorithm to
work, the user will have to modify the resistor pairs to drive the same full-scale (2.4V)
and zero-cross (1.2V) voltages (see Section 7.3 “Sensorless Control of a BLDC
Motor”). Do not exceed the input voltage of the 15V regulator (VR2), which is typically
about 36V. Since the voltage drop across VR2 will increase substantially, make sure to
provide additional heat sinking for VR2.

7.5 USING THE PICDEM MC LV DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR LOWER MOTOR VOLTAGE

The PICDEM MC LV Development Board can be used to drive a motor at a voltage
lower than 24V, but not below 10V. This voltage can be supplied to the system at the
Plus (+) and Minus (–) terminals on J9. Since the 15V regulator will no longer be used
to drive the MOSFET drivers, J18 should be provided with a shorting jumper. This
jumper connects the Plus (+) voltage directly to the MOSFET drivers. For the sensor­less algorithm to work, the user will have to modify the resistor pairs to derive the same
full-scale (2.4V) and zero-crossing (1.2V) voltages (see Section 7.3 “Sensorless
Control of a BLDC Motor”). Make sure not to exceed the maximum input voltage of
the MOSFET drivers, U6, U8 and U9. This voltage is typically 20V.

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 29

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

NOTES:

DS51554B-page 30 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Chapter 8. Troubleshooting

8.1 HIGHLIGHTS

This item discussed in this chapter is:

• Common Problems

8.2 COMMON PROBLEMS

8.2.1 The Power LED D7 is Not Lit

Check the PICDEM MC LV Development Board for power:

• Check the power supply and make sure it is connected to the board.

• Check the power cable and make sure it is plugged into the outlet.

• Check and verify that the power source is working properly.

• If using a power supply other than the one supplied by Microchip, check the power
supply polarity.

• Disconnect the power to the board. Using an ohmmeter, check for any short
circuits between the power (V
proceed any further. Contact Microchip’s local office or distributor.

• Disconnect power and motor connections from the board. Using an ohmmeter,
check for any short circuits between the motor terminals, M1-M2, M1-M3 and
M2-M3. If a short does exist, do not proceed any further. Contact Microchip’s local
office or distributor.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

DD) and return path (VSS). If a short exists, do not

8.2.2 The Motor Control GUI Cannot Communicate with the Board

• Check the PICDEM MC LV Development Board and make sure it is receiving
power.

• Check the serial cable for proper connections to the board and the computer.

• Verify the cable is connected to the correct serial port on the computer. If
necessary, check the serial cable by swapping in another cable that is known to
be good.

• Verify, through Windows
in the Control Panel), that the selected COM port is recognized by the operating
system and is working.

• Confirm that the correct serial port is being used. Check that the COM port
selected in the terminal software is actually the physical port the serial cable is
connected to.

• Verify the baud rate; try choosing a lower rate.

• Check the monitor LEDs flash briefly on Reset or power-up of the board.

• If all other settings and connections are correct, try resetting the board and
restarting the Motor Control GUI.

®

Device Manager (accessed through the system applet

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 31

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

8.2.3 The Motor Does Not Start When S2 or S3 is Pressed

Verify the power supply and motor connections:

• Verify that the power supply is connected to the board and is in working condition.

• Verify that the controller is in the correct socket; PIC18F on the “PIC” socket and
DSC on the “dsPIC” socket.

• Make sure the jumper settings are correct for the type of control selected.

• Verify that the motor connections on J9 are making proper contact.

• Check that the speed reference potentiometer (R14) has a sufficient level. Turn
the potentiometer clockwise slowly and check for motor rotation.

• Check for overcurrent condition. If the motor has overloaded or the Fault detection
circuit detects overcurrent, check LED D1. If it is blinking continuously, reset the
system by pressing S1. Also, check for potentiometer R60 for correct current
threshold level for the selected motor type. Rotate counterclockwise to increase
the current threshold level.

8.2.4 A Fault Condition Occurs While Accelerating the Motor

Try using a lower acceleration rate:

• If the motor still causes a Fault condition, check the motor power rating. It should
be within the board power rating specified.

• Check the potentiometer R60 level. Set R60 for the correct current threshold level
for the selected motor type. Rotate counterclockwise to increase the current
threshold level.

• Check for correct socket selection and jumper selections for the type of control
used.

• If using an alternative power supply for the motor, from the control power supply,
check for its current rating. The power supply should have equal or more current
capability than the motor used.

8.2.5 A Fault Condition Occurs When the Motor is Loaded

Check the motor power rating:

• The motor power rating should be within the board power rating specified.

• Check the potentiometer R60 level. Set R60 for the correct current threshold level
for the selected motor type. Rotate counterclockwise to increase the current
threshold level.

• If using an alternative power supply for the motor, from the control power supply,
check for its current rating. The power supply should have equal or more current
capability than the motor used.

DS51554B-page 32 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Appendix A. Circuit Schematics of the Board

FIGURE A-1: CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC (SHEET 1 OF 2)

PICDEM™ MC LV

1 μF

CC

V

F

μ

1

0.1 μF

VSS

AVSS

DD

NC

V

GND

SCLK

SDA

AVDD

TC74

BUS

V

MOTOR

I

VDD

dsPIC30F3010

AVSS

VDD

1 μF

BUS

1 μF

1 μF

47 μF

OUT

V

100 μF

GND

IN

MC7815CD2T/R4

V

V

0.1 μF

MC7805CD2T/R4

0.1 μF

F

μ

0.1

47 μF

OUT

V

GND

IN

V

0.1 μF

47 μF

0.1 μF

PIC18F2431

AVSS

VDD

0.1 μF

MOTOR

I

0.1 μF

AVDD

BUS

V

REF

V

5 MHz

VSS

33 pF 33 pF

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 33

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

FIGURE A-2: CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC (SHEET 2 OF 2)

0.1 μF

MCP6544

MCP6544

MCP6544

MCP6002

MCP6544

MOTOR

33 pF

I

33 pF

0.1 μF

47 nF

47 nF

47 nF

MCP6002

47 nF

47 nF

3.3 μF

3.3 μF

1

4

5LO6VS7HO8

CC

VB

V

COM

HIN3LIN

2

1

4

5LO6VS7HO8

CC

VB

V

COM

HIN3LIN

2

3.3 μF

1

4

678

5

CC

VS

VB

LO

HO

V

COM

HIN

LIN

3

2

DS51554B-page 34 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Appendix B. Electrical Specifications

TABLE B-1: DC INPUT RATING

Parameter Min Typical Max Unit Note

Supply Voltage 15 24 — V DC input on J5

Supply Voltage 12 — 48 V DC input between ‘+’ and ‘–’ on

J9 (open jumper J3)

Standby Current — 30 — mA With 24V DC supply

Standby Power — 0.72 — Watts With 24V DC supply

TABLE B-2: OUTPUT RATING

Parameter Min Typical Max Unit Note

Voltage — 24 48 V

Current — 2.5 4 A

Power Rating — 60 120 Watt

DC Voltage is based on the DC bus

voltage

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 35

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

NOTES:

DS51554B-page 36 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Appendix C. Jumper Settings

TABLE C-1: JUMPER SETTINGS

Sensored Control

Jumper

J7 (3 pin) Short between 1-2 Short between 1-2 All Open Short between 2-3

J8 (2 pin) Open Short Open Open

J10 (2 pin) Short Short Open Open
J11 (3 pin) Short between 1-2 Short between 1-2 All Open Short between 2-3

J12 (2 pin) Open Short Open Open

J13 (3 pin) Short between 1-2 Short between 1-2 All Open Short between 2-3
J14 (2 pin) Open Short Open Open

J15 (3 pin) Short between 2-3 Short between 2-3 Don’t care Don’t care

J16 (2 pin) Short Short Short Short
J17 (2 pin) Short Short Short Short

J19 (2 pin) Short Short Short Open

Using PIC18F

MCU

Sensorless

Control Using

PIC18F MCU

Sensored

Control Using

dsPIC30F DSC

Sensorless

Control Using

dsPIC30F DSC

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 37

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

NOTES:

DS51554B-page 38 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

Index

PICDEM™ MC LV

DEVELOPMENT BOARD

B

Block Diagrams

Hardware .......................................................... 28

Board Connectors ...................................................... 8

ICD 2 (J6) ........................................................... 9

Motor (J9) ........................................................... 9

Power (J20) ........................................................ 9

RS-232 Serial Interface (J1) ............................... 9

Board Layout (figure) ................................................. 8

C

Circuit Schematics ............................................. 33–34

Control Section ........................................................ 12

Controller Section

Back EMF Signal Conditioning ......................... 13

Controller Sockets ............................................ 12

Hall Sensor Interface ........................................ 13

Overcurrent Protection Circuit........................... 12

Temperature Measurement Circuit ................... 13

User Interface ................................................... 12

Customer Change Notification Service ...................... 5

Customer Support...................................................... 6

D

Documentation

Conventions........................................................ 3

Layout ................................................................. 2

Numbering Convention....................................... 1

Updates .............................................................. 1

E

Electrical Specifications ........................................... 35

DC Input Rating ................................................ 35

Output Rating.................................................... 35

G

Getting Started with dsPIC DSCs ............................ 25

Initial Setup ....................................................... 25

Jumper Settings................................................ 26

Motor Connections............................................ 26

Getting Started with PIC18FXX31 MCUs................. 15

Jumper Settings................................................ 16

Motor Connections............................................ 16

Setup ................................................................ 15

H

Hall Effect Sensors .................................................. 23

J

Jumper Settings ....................................................... 37

M

Microchip Web Site .................................................... 4

Motor Control Applications ....................................... 23

BLDC ................................................................ 23

Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID)............... 23

Sensorless BLDC.............................................. 23

Motor Control Graphical

User Interface (MC-GUI) ...................................... 17

Motor Control GUI

Control Panel .................................................... 18

Communication Control ............................. 19

Control Buttons.......................................... 19

Fault Display.............................................. 18

Motor and Control Method

Display......................................... 18

Phase Current Display............................... 19

Speed Set Control ..................................... 19

Speed/Direction Display ............................ 18

Temperature Display ................................. 19

Setup Window................................................... 20

Motor Parameters...................................... 20

Setting Profiles........................................... 22

System Limits ............................................ 21

System Parameters ................................... 21

Starting the Program......................................... 17

Motor Control Kit ........................................................ 7

P

PICDEM MC LV Development Board

Block Diagram................................................... 11

Overview............................................................. 7

Terminal Functionality ......................................... 9

Power Control PWM (PCPWM) ............................... 21

Power Inverter Section............................................. 13

Power Supply........................................................... 14

Connecting an Alternative

Power Supply ..................................... 14

R

Recommended Reading ............................................ 4

Readme for PICDEM MC LV

Development Board.............................. 4

Revision History ......................................................... 6

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 39

PICDEM™ MC LV Development Board

S

Sensorless Control of a BLDC Motor ....................... 27

Higher Motor Voltage........................................29

Lower Motor Voltage......................................... 29

Serial Port ................................................................ 19

Software Overview................................................... 17

Stand-Alone Mode ................................................... 18

T

Troubleshooting

Common Problems ........................................... 31

W

Warranty Registration................................................. 5

Z

Zero-Crossing Detection (figure) ..............................27

DS51554B-page 40 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.

NOTES:

Index

© 2006 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51554B-page 41

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DS51554B-page 42 © 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.