ST introduces GaN motor-control reference design for appliances and industrial drives
ST has announced the EVSTDRVG611MC, a gallium-nitride (GaN) reference design for motor-control applications in appliances and industrial drives. The board is capable of handling over 600W without a heatsink, offering a compact footprint and flexible power range.
The reference design integrates ST’s STDRIVEG611 GaN driver ICs, discrete GaN power transistors, and an STM32G431 microcontroller. The complete bill of materials (BOM), schematics, and gerber files for the 108 mm × 110 mm, 2-layer board are available for download from ST’s website.
The STDRIVEG611 gate drivers are designed for hard-switching applications and, combined with 650 V, 75 mΩ GaN transistors, enable efficient operation for brushless DC (BLDC) motors. The board can support motor applications such as washing machines, industrial servo drives, and other BLDC systems. Using a heatsink increases the maximum power capability, providing additional flexibility.
The STM32G431 microcontroller provides three analog amplifiers for three-shunt current sensing and executes control algorithms in real time using its Arm Cortex-M4 core. The compact driver and transistor combination allows designers to develop smaller, higher-efficiency motor-control modules.
Engineers can evaluate the EVSTDRVG611MC using ST Motor Control Workbench, which offers motor profiling, performance monitoring, and automatic firmware generation. Field-Oriented Control (FOC) can be applied in both sensored and sensorless modes, with feedback options including Hall sensors and incremental or absolute encoders.
