Melexis launches 3-core automotive LIN motor driver
Melexis has introduced the MLX81350, its fourth-generation, automotive LIN motor driver delivering up to 5 W (0.5 A) per motor. Designed for air conditioning flaps and automated air vents in electric vehicles (EVs), the MLX81350 combines quiet, efficient motor operation with simplified system integration and reliability.
Precise control of cabin airflow and temperature is increasingly critical in modern vehicles, particularly EVs, to enhance passenger comfort, improve energy efficiency, and support advanced thermal management systems. To meet these demands, vehicles often incorporate a greater number of air conditioning flap motors as well as electronic air vents. Engineers in this segment face a demanding set of requirements: reliable operation, seamless integration, and silent motor behaviour, while managing system costs.
The MLX81350, according to Melexis, meets these challenges, by delivering a well-balanced combination of performance, system integration, and cost-efficiency. This fourth-generation integrated circuit (IC) is a 0.5A smart LIN motor driver built on high-voltage SOI (silicon-on-insulator) technology. It offers flash programmability, high robustness, and function density while reducing bill-of-materials (BoM) complexity. By integrating both analog and digital circuitry, it provides a single-chip solution that is fully compliant with industry-standard LIN 2.x/SAE J2602 and ISO 17987-4 specifications for LIN slave nodes.
At the core of the MLX81350 is its evolved software architecture, designed to enhance performance and efficiency over the previous generation. Key to this advancement is improved stall detection and the addition of sensorless, closed-loop Field-Oriented Control (FOC). This enables smoother motor operation, lower current consumption, and reduced acoustic noise to better support a wide range of automotive HVAC and thermal management applications.
The MLX81350 maintains pin-to-pin compatibility with its predecessors, allowing engineers to migrate existing designs with minimal effort. Its LIN interface enables seamless communication within vehicle networks, while built-in protection and diagnostic features — including over-current, over-voltage, and temperature shutdown — ensure safe and reliable operation in demanding automotive environments. In addition, the IC offers a rich set of peripherals to support advanced motor control and system integration, including a configurable RC clock (24-40 MHz), 4 general-purpose I/Os (digital and analog), 1 high-voltage input, UART, SPI and I²C master or slave interfaces, 5× 16-bit motor PWM timers, 2× 16-bit general timers, and a 13-bit ADC with <1.2 µs conversion time across multiple channels.
The IC is designed according to ASIL B (ISO 26262) and offers flexible wake-up options via LIN, external pins, or an internal wake-up timer. It features low standby current consumption (typ. 25 µA, max. 50 µA) for energy-efficient operation, and internal voltage regulators allow direct powering from the 12 V battery, supporting an operating voltage range of 5.5 V to 28 V.
