DeviceCraft Revision #1 6/29/2010

H-Bridge DC Motor Driver / Speed Controller

P/N 1014 20amps
Available with power supply voltages 18v, 50v, 90v, 180v standard is 50v
Features:
• Dip Switch selectable mode of operation
• Analog Forward/Reverse input speed control (0 to 5Volt, 1 to 4v, PCM)
• Shut down feature
• On board Up/Down acceleration adjustment potentiometers
• Synchronous operation(diodes are not used for conduction except during transitions)
• High Side fast Hall effect ~6usec over current protection (> for current control)
• High Power Discrete MOSFET H-Bridge configuration
• On board regulator with a +5v regulated output for powering circuitry
• Thermistor based over temperature protection
• Ultra Quiet ~15Khz Pulse Width Modulation ~99% Duty cycle(depends on decay mode)
• Led indicators for normal and fault condition
• Coast and Brake lines
• Conservative Current specifications
• Insensitive to noise on power line.
• On voltage TVS(transient voltage suppressor)

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Applications:
• Simple DC brush motor control
• Torque controller for valves
• Microscope axis movement
• Pump controllers
• Exercise equipment
• Machine automation
• Etc.

Description
The H-Bridge portion of the circuit is based around standard design recommended by
International Rectifier Corporation. The H-Bridge DC motor controller consist of 4 power MOSFETs, 2
high side/low side MOSFET drivers, hall effect high side current sensor, step down regulator circuitry,
micro-controller, thermistor, and miscellaneous capacitors, diodes, resistors, and connectors.

Speed control is achieved by pulse width modulating the power supply voltage. The pulse width
modulator allows the motor speed to be controlled without changing the power supply voltage. The H-
Bridge configuration allows the polarity of the voltage to be reversed without reversing the power supply
leads. The reversing is fully solid state and allows the rate of direction change to be controlled. If
reversing is not needed the reversing can still be used to quickly drive the motor to a stop.

The on board re-programmable micro controller allows for various configurations. The micro-
controller controls all switching operations, monitors faults, controls acceleration, dead times, and can be
quickly reprogrammed to suit individual applications. The unit can be customized for various interfaces
such as single speed control line or forward and reverse controlled separately.

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Specifications for (P/N 1014 Standard Bi-Directional Controller with Brake and Coast)
Operating Voltage 9V to 180V (depends on MOSFETS)
Current Limit Setting ~50Amps
Over Current Response Time ~6us
Over Temperature On 80C
Over Temperature Off 70C
Startup Time ~1Sec
Ramp Rate (stop to full speed) ~0 to 4Sec
Duty Cycle 0 to ~99.9% (depends on decay
mode)
PWM switching rate ~15 Khz
Digital Input low 0 to .8V
Digital Input High 3.5 to 5V
Quiescent Current ~16mA
Note: Hall effect current sensor draws 10mA
Green LED draws 3ma
MOSFET On resistance 2milliohm 18v
25milliohm 50v
depends on MOSFETS
Reversing Delay Time 0 sec

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Input/Output Pins for Model 1014:
Pin Name Function
1 Is Current monitor output.
No current 2.5v
decreases with increasing current down to about 1.6v
increases with regenerated current
2 Ain Analog input (0v to 5v) Selects duty cycle 0-99%
or
PWM duty cycle digital input (depends on mode)

47k at input to ground and 47k to 5v

remove R16 to set default(open) input to ground rather than 2.5v

3 +5v +5v DC output

Only a small <10ma of current should be drawn from this pin for powering
potentiometers and hall effect throttles.
4 Gnd Ground output for powering potentiometers
5 Bk Brake control line.
Pull low to activate brake.
20k Pull up to 5v on board

Pulling low (0v) for more than 10sec will active shutdown mode
6 T/Coast Thermistor voltage output
Or pulling to ground will activate coast, during coast all MOSFETs are
turned off.
7 Aup Acceleration Up analog control input/output
Driving this line will override the internal acceleration potentiometer
When driving with external voltage place potentiometer in center.
Output voltage indicates the internal potentiometer setting
0v (no ramp)
5v 5second ramp time
8 F/R Digital Input Forward/Reverse selection
0v reverse
5v forward
20k Pull up to 5v on board
9 Adw Acceleration Down analog control input/output
Driving this line will override the internal acceleration potentiometer
When driving with external voltage place potentiometer in center.
Output voltage indicates the internal potentiometer setting
0v (no ramp)
5v 5second ramp time

In current mode this line with also control the maximum current.

10 5vs Shutdown able 5v output for powering Hall effect throttles, switches, and
potentiometers.

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 Illustration 1: Mode
Selection DIP switch

Mode Description Decay mode

0 Separate Forward/Reverse line Slow decay
0-5v input <.1v stop, >4.9v full speed
Opt line is brake
Tc line pull low to coast

1 Forward/Reverse on one analog input Slow decay

0-5v input 2.5v stop, <.1v full reverse, >4.9v full
forward
~.25v stop range
Opt line is brake
Tc line pull low to coast

2 Separate Forward/Reverse line Slow decay

1-4v hall effect input, <1v stop, >4v full speed
Opt line is brake
Tc line pull low to coast

3 Forward/Reverse on one analog input Slow decay

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 1-4v hall effect input <1v full reverse, 2.5v stop, >
4v full forward
~.25v stop range
Opt line is brake
Tc line pull low to coast

4 Forward/Reverse on one analog input Slow decay

0-5v input no stop bands, 0v full reverse, 2.5v
stop, 5v full forward
Opt line is brake
Tc line pull low to coast

5 Fast Decay Forward/Reverse on one analog input Fast decay

0-5v input 2.5v stop 0v full reverse 5v full forward
Opt line is brake
Tc line pull low to coast

6 Separate Forward/Reverse line Slow decay

Current control, Ain 0-5v duty cycle
Tc line pull low to coast
Opt 0-5v current adjust
Active Forward/Reverse line

7 PCM input on Ain Slow decay

1.5ms stop, 1ms full reverse, 2ms full forward
Opt line is brake
Tc line pull low to coast

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LED indicators:
1) Green LED

A) Continuously ON – normal operation

B) Off during shutdown or no power

2) Red LED.

A) Continuously ON - Brake

B) Flash 1 second interval – Over temperature active

C) Flash ¼- 1/2 second interval – Over Current active

Power Handling
Power can be increase with external heat sink or requesting lower on resistance MOSFETs.
Without external heat sink, standard configuration is able to handle 10Amps continuously.

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Acceleration
The acceleration is controllable from 0 seconds to 5seconds. A controlled acceleration reduces
wear on the motor, gears, and power source. A controlled acceleration can prevent the over current
protection circuitry from triggering during start-up or reversing. The acceleration can be controlled by
adjusting the on board potentiometer or overriding with the external pin located on the 10-pin connector.

There are 2 on board potentiometers. The top potentiometer, labeled VRup, controls the ramp up
acceleration. The bottom potentiometer, labeled VRdw, controls the down acceleration. If it is necessary
to externally control the acceleration time then the potentiometers should be set to the center position, to
avoid the external driving circuit seeing shorts to ground or +5v.

Turn the potentiometer screw left, with 10pin connector at bottom, to decrease the acceleration
time and right to increase.

In mode 6, current control, the VRdw line is used to control the maximum current. In mode 6 both
up and down acceleration is controlled with the VRup line.

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Slow/Fast Decay
A H-Bridge can be operated in various synchronous modes. Slow decay seems to be the most
popular for most applications. During slow decay the duty cycle is 0% at stop and 100% at full speed.
With fast decay 0% is full reverse, 50% is stop, and 100% is full forward or the opposite. With fast decay
large motors can experience large current draws at stop, be more demanding on the power supply
decoupling capacitor, and have a uneven variable speed control. Fast decay can more quickly reverse a
motor and the control logic maybe simpler.

In fast decay, motor current is feed back to the battery or decoupling capacitor. During fast
decay, directing the current in the motor inductor to the voltage supply causes the motor inductor to decay
much faster. Fast decay can be slightly noisier and cause excessive heating of the battery decoupling
capacitor. Fast decay may require an extra low ESR electrolytic capacitor to avoid heating. Fast decay is
best for fast small servo motor applications. Fast decay will not function for resistive loads such as a
variable heater application.

During the off cycle slow decay circulates the motor current in the lower MOSFETs. The low
voltage/low impedance appearing across the motor terminals creates a slow decay condition. During
slow decay the motor inductor current will decay much slower allowing for a smoother current waveform.
Slow decay must be used for variable power resistive load applications.

Braking
The motor controller has a brake operation for most modes. Braking is activated by pulling the
Brake line low. If braking is not need then the brake control line can be left open due to the on board
pullup resistor. During braking the pulse width modulator is disabled and both lower MOSFETs are
continuously turn on till the brake line is pulled high. Initially during braking the current in the motor series
inductor is decayed in a slow decay mode till the current dies down. After the current dies the motor
experiences a short, building up current in the opposite direction. If held low the motor will quickly come
to a stop. Pulsing the brake line can be used for regenerative braking, the required pulse width depends
on the motor characteristics, speed, and desired braking current.

Braking the motor can cause damage to the motor controller. The current buildup during braking
can be extremely large. A 24 volt 3amp dc motor with ¼ ohm of resistance will generate up to 96amps of
current.

Shutdown
Shutdown mode will reduce the idle power supply current consumption. The shutdown mode is
currently activated by pulling down the brake line for more than 10seconds. The idle current drawn during
shutdown will be reduced to less than 2.5mAmps. Shutdown can be customized for specialized
applications.

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TC/Coast
The motor controller has a TC/coast operation for most modes. This line can be used to measure
the temperature of the unit or simulate a over temperature condition. During a over temperature condition
the pulse width modulator is disabled and all MOSFETs in the H-Bridge are turned off. Turning off all
MOSFETs initiates a coast where the motor experiences a open circuit condition. When the H-Bridge is
disabled the motor current will decay in a fast decay mode where the current in the motor inductor is
directed to the power supply and decoupling capacitor, i.e. regeneration. After the motor current decays
down to zero the motor will spin freeely. The regeneration only lasts for milliseconds and depends on
motor speed and motor inductance.

The TC/Coast line can also be used to measure the temperature of the device. The thermistor on
board is a 10k bead with a 20k ohm resistor to the 5v regulator. The output TC line is place at the
junction. At 25C the thermistor is 10kohms resulting in (10k/(10k+20k))*5volts=1.66v output. As the
temperature increases the thermistor will drop in resistance, at 90C the thermistor is about 1.5k resulting
in a output voltage of (1.5k/(1.5k_20k)*5v=.34v. At cold the thermistor will increase drastically in value
producing a output voltage up to 5v.

Jumper additions
There are 3 jumps on the 1014 board.

Jumper 1 (JP1)

location: located near U1

function: if installed will center the open circuit Ain line to 2.5v rather than 0v. This
prevents the motor from turning in single line modes.

Jumper 2 (JP2)

location: located in Q5 area

function: if installed will bypass the input regulator allowing the motor controller to operate
down to 9volts rather than 11volts. Install for 12 volt applications. Do not install
for applications above 15v or damage will result.

Jumper 3 (JP3)

location: above 3 position dip switch

function: install to disable shutdown mode. Shutdown will only occur if brake is active for
longer than 10seconds.

Note: Jumpers 2&3 need can be achieved by soldering in short jumper wires.

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Over Current Protection:

The H-Bridge motor driver provides for over current protection. The current is sensed with a Hall
Effect sensor located on the +V power supply line. The sensor is place strategically between the large
capacitor and the H-Bridge. The placement before the large +V capacitor would not allow for quick
capture of over current conditions. The output of the Hall Effect current sensor also is routed to the 10
pin control connector. The normal 0 ampere output of the sensor is 2.5volts. With an increase in
current the output increases. When in regeneration mode the voltage will rise above 2.5volts. The
current protection is hardware based and is always monitored. When an over current level is met, all
the MOSFET switches in the H-Bridge are shut down (coast). In a case where the motor outputs are
shorted the protection circuitry will shut down within about 6usec. The over current is monitored by
the microprocessor and will normally reset in ½ a second. The RED will flash at ¼ second intervals.

The user may need to increase the over current protection level. The over current protection may
trigger during start-up or for high current pulsed application. To increase the current a soldering iron is
required. The Hall effect device U5 senses the high side current. The current into the MOSFETs flows
from pins 1&2 to pins 3&4. A jumper wire is also soldered across the pins 1&2/3&4. To increase the
current limit, the jumper wire can be made shorter or thicker. An extra piece of wire across the jumper will
also increase the current limit.

Over Temperature Protection:

The over temperature protection trigger can also be modified. Currently the voltage is monitored
at a junction in between a 10k thermistor TC1 and a 20k standard resistor R10. To increase the
temperature limit lower the value of R10. Increasing the temperature limit can be achieved by lowering
R7 from 20k to a lower value by soldering a extra 0805 chip resistor in parallel with R7 or by replacing the
resistor with a lower value.

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Ain input filtering

There is a Ain input filter. The filter filtering is controlled by R21 and C11 and any external
potentiometer resistance. R21 is currently a 24 ohm resistor and C11 is .1uf. The modifying the C11/R21
combination will change the filter. Most voltage spikes from the motor controller which could be coupled
to the Ain line are in the <2usec range. The acceleration feature should also be factored into any filtering
scheme.

Note also R14/R15 is installed to set the open circuit voltage, appearing after the filter.
Modifying the input resistance R1 and divider R15/R14 can also useful for setting an maximum speed
control.

Illustration 2: Ain Filtering and Offset

Digital Input Filtering

There is software based filtering on the digital input lines. Currently the Br(brake) and
F/R(forward/reverse) lines are the 2 digital inputs. Each line has a 20kohm pullup to +5v. The lines are
most susceptible to noise during the low state which triggers at about .8volts. The software samples each
line multiple times and determines if a change condition has occurred. Most noise appearing on the line
occurs during MOSFET transitions magnetically and static coupled input the high impedance inputs. The
motor and MOSFET noise is usually in the <2usec range. If long line are needed then shielding the
digital input lines may help. Adding a capacitor at inputs can also improve noise rejection.

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Regeneration

The motor controller can achieve the regeneration function. Regeneration is a difficult subject to
discuss briefly. During regeneration the motor acts as a battery in series with a large inductance, usually
of many milli Henry. The motor's internal inductance is a key factor. The inductance is used to act as a
inductor in a DC-DC converter. Current is built up in the inductor when shorted. When the short is
opened the inductor will produce a very high voltage, higher than the supply voltage. The voltage is
limited by the battery or in worst case the on board TVS.

In a large motor situation regeneration should be performed with care. Do not reverse the motor
till the motor has slowed. Settling a proper deceleration is necessary. Find a low Ain(speed setting) to
generate a smooth regenerative current the battery can handle. This method is synchronous allowing for
the least losses and is adjustable. As the motor slows the Ain(speed setting) can be reduce to increase
the regenerative current. The voltage on the brushed DC motor is proportional to the speed(RPM). As
the motor slows the motor voltage will decrease requiring the short to remaining on proportionally longer
on time than high side MOSFETs to generate the same current.

The other method of achieving regeneration is to pulsing the brake and coast lines. This method
is not synchronous since during the coast mode the diodes in the upper and lower MOSFETs will
conduct. The diode voltage drop is normally much high then the voltage when the MOSFET is ON
creating much more heat.

If the motor terminals are disconnected during regeneration the on board TVS then the motor
controller may be damaged by over voltage. TVS's(transient voltage suppressor) usually short then fuse.

Motor Outputs:
1) M+ This output receives the pulsed width control of the same voltage as the +V of the supply
when operating in the forward condition. When operating in the reverse the M+ line is tied to
ground through the low side of the power MOSFET. This line also has high current diodes to
both the +V supply and ground. The high current diodes will allow this driver to also act as a
rectifier to charge a battery. Depending on the required current the wires to this line on the
screw terminal should be made as large as possible. The motor and terminal screw terminal
will except wire down to 12AWG.

2) M- This output receive the pulsed width control of the same voltage as the +V of the supply
when operating in the reverse condition. When operating in the forward the M- line is tied to
ground through the low side of the power MOSFET. This line also has high current diodes to
both the +V supply and ground. The high current diodes will allow this driver to also act as a
rectifier to charge a battery. Depending on the required current the wires to this line on the
screw terminal should be made as large as possible.

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Power Supply Inputs:
1) V+ Input powers the motor and control circuitry. Do not reverse the V+ and ground, reversing
the power supply will damage the power MOSFETs. The power MOSFETs have an internal
diode from the source to the drain. Consider using thick solid wire of at least 20AWG.
Stranded wire should be used with care. The motor and terminal screw terminal will except
wire down to 12AWG.

2) Gnd input is the unit ground. This input is also tied to the 10 pin control connector Ground
inputs.

Wire Resistance Table

AWG Diameter Resistance per
foot

24 20 mils (thousands of inches) 26 milliohms

22 25 mils 16 milliohms
20 32 mils 10 milliohms
18 40 mils 6.2 milliohms
16 50 mils 4 milliohms
14 64 mills 2.5 milliohms
12 80 mils 1.6 milliohms

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Modes
Mode 0: Operates in the full 0-5v Ain range. The F/R line is active. Grounding the F/R line will
reverse the motor. In this mode jumper 1 should be left open or disconnected to allow for stop condition if
Ain is left open. 0V is stop 5v is full speed. Grounding the TC line will activate coast mode, simulating a
over temperature condition. The brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v. The red LED will
stay lite during braking. In mode 0 there is a buffer range of .1v near 5v and 0v to allow for full speed and
stop.

Mode 1: Operates in the full 0-5v Ain range. The F/R line is inactive. In this mode jumper 1
should be left shorted to allow for 2.5v stop condition if Ain is left open. 0V is full reverse 5v is full
forward and 2.5v is stop. Grounding the TC line will activate coast mode, simulating a over temperature
condition. The brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v. The red LED will stay lite during
braking. In mode 1 there is a buffer range of .1v near 5v, 0v, 2.5v to allow for full speed and stop.

Mode 2: Operates in the 1-4v Ain range. Many hall effect throttles on the market have an output
range of 1v to 4v. The F/R line is active. Grounding the F/R line will reverse the motor. In this mode
jumper 1 should be left open or disconnected to allow for stop condition if Ain is left open. Below 1V is
stop above 4v is full speed. Grounding the TC line will activate coast mode, simulating a over
temperature condition. The brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v. The red LED will stay lite
during braking.

Mode 3: Operates in the 1-4v Ain range. The F/R line is inactive. In this mode jumper 1
should be left shorted to allow for 2.5v stop condition if Ain is left open. Below 1V is full reverse 5v is full
forward and 2.5v is stop. Grounding the TC line will activate coast mode, simulating a over temperature
condition. The brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v. The red LED will stay lite during
braking.

Mode 4: Operates in the full 0-5v Ain range for forward and reverse. This mode uses slow decay.
F/R line is inactive. In this mode jumper 1 should be left shorted to allow for 2.5v stop condition if Ain is
left open. 0V is full reverse 5v is full forward and 2.5v is stop. Grounding the TC line will activate coast
mode, simulating a over temperature condition. The brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v.
The red LED will stay lite during braking. There is no Ain voltage buffer In mode 4.

Mode 5: Operates in the full 0-5v Ain range for forward and reverse. This mode uses fast decay.
F/R line is inactive. In this mode jumper 1 should be left shorted to allow for 2.5v stop condition if Ain is
left open. 0V is full reverse 5v is full forward and 2.5v is stop. Grounding the TC line will activate coast
mode, simulating a over temperature condition. The brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v.
The red LED will stay lite during braking. There is no Ain voltage buffer In mode 5.

Mode 6: Operates in the full 0-5v Ain range. This mode uses slow decay. F/R line is active. In
this mode jumper 1 should be left open to allow for 0v stop condition if Ain is left open. 0V is stop 5v is
full forward. Grounding the TC line will activate coast mode, simulating a over temperature condition.
The brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v. The red LED will stay lite during braking.

The Adw line in mode 6 is used to control the maximum current delivered to the motor.
0V is stop and 5v is full current. There is no buffer zone for the current setting. The current setting
depends on the output voltage of the hall effect sensor U5. The current is also effected by any current
increasing jumper across U5. Cut the jumper if desired. The current can be controlled by adjusting Vrdw
or externally on the Adw line. If a external voltage is desired then the Vrdw trim potentiometer should be
placed in the center position.

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 The settling time, for the current, is controlled by C6(next to U5) and the R13(4.7k) C10(next ti
U1) combination. Increase the value of C5 from 10nf to .1uf or larger to slow settling and allow for a
smoother control loop. The VRup potentiometer will also control the settling time, if too short then the
current may not settle. U5 can also be replace with a 5amp version for tighter low current control.

This mode is useful for controlling the amount of torque delivered to a motor.

Mode 7: This mode excepts PCM(pulse code modulation) digital signals on the Ain line. PCM is typically
used for RC receivers. This mode uses slow decay. F/R line is inactive. In this mode jumper 1 should
be left open to allow for 0v if Ain is left open, although should not effect operation in either case.

A 1000us pulse is full reverse. A 2000us pulse is full forward. A 1500us pulse is stop. There is
about a 300us buffer zone at the low and high ends to allow for full speed forward and reverse. Above
and below the 300us buffer range the controller will not respond.

Grounding the TC line will activate coast mode, simulating a over temperature condition. The
brake line is active, when the Br line is below ~.8v. The red LED will stay lite during braking.

If no signal is present on the Ain line for more than ~3 seconds the controller will stop.

Dimensions
Printed Circuits Dimensions: 1.8” wide x 3.50” length

Heat Sink Dimensions: 2.5” wide x 3.5” long x .125” thick

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Illustration 3: Hookup diagrams for complex and simple