SLVA505A February   2012  – July 2024 DRV8800 , DRV8801 , DRV8802 , DRV8803 , DRV8804 , DRV8805 , DRV8806 , DRV8811 , DRV8812 , DRV8813 , DRV8814 , DRV8818 , DRV8821 , DRV8823 , DRV8824 , DRV8828 , DRV8829 , DRV8830 , DRV8832 , DRV8832-Q1 , DRV8833 , DRV8834 , DRV8835 , DRV8836 , DRV8837 , DRV8840 , DRV8841 , DRV8842 , DRV8843 , DRV8844 , DRV8870 , DRV8871 , DRV8872

 

  1.   1
  2.   Abstract
  3.   Trademarks
  4. 1Factors Limiting the Maximum Output Current of a Motor Driver
    1. 1.1 Thermal Limitations
    2. 1.2 Overcurrent Protection (OCP) Limitations
    3. 1.3 Silicon and Package Limitations
    4. 1.4 PCB Limitations and Thermal Management Techniques
      1. 1.4.1 Exposed Pad Packages
      2. 1.4.2 Continuous Copper Planes
      3. 1.4.3 Copper Thickness
      4. 1.4.4 Thermal Vias
      5. 1.4.5 Summary of Thermal Management Techniques
    5. 1.5 Thermal Estimations
  5. 2TI Motor Driver OCP Operation
  6. 3TI Motor Driver Data Sheet Ratings
    1. 3.1 Description
    2. 3.2 Absolute Maximum Ratings
    3. 3.3 Recommended Operating Conditions
    4. 3.4 Thermal Information
    5. 3.5 Electrical Characteristics
  7. 4References
  8. 5Revision History

Abstract

There is much misunderstanding about the current ratings used with motor driver ICs, especially as related to the selection of a motor driver part for a specific application. Complicating matters further is that there is no standard way of specifying current ratings, so the exact meaning of the ratings can differ from one vendor to another and in some cases even between different parts from the same vendor. This application note explains the meaning of the different current ratings applied to motor driver parts and specifically explains the ratings found in TI motor driver device data sheets.