Improved control speed with high-speed ADC/CORDIC

There are countless MCUs on the market for motor control. But what really matters is a solution that can clearly answer the question, “Is this the MCU that most efficiently implements the level of performance I need?” The new PSOC™ Control C3 from Infineon provides a very practical answer to that question.

Is the era of universal MCUs over?

“The previous PSOC™ product line focused on flexibility, with many features packed in to give you the freedom to configure the functionality you want. But PSOC™ Control C3 is different. It’s refined to include only the features specifically for power and motor control.”

As Infineon’s Lee Jin-yong Manager put it, PSOC™ Control C3 was designed with the core keywords of ‘appropriate level of high performance’ rather than ‘absolutely many functions.’ Equipped with a high-resolution PWM (HRPWM), 12MSPS ADC, and CORDIC accelerator on an ARM Cortex-M33-based MCU, it can implement high-precision power control and motor control without complex settings or external circuits.

Functional Block Diagram of PSOC™ Control C3

This architecture helps to efficiently balance system cost, power consumption, and board space. The message that 'you can precisely achieve the required high performance without necessarily using over-spec products' is impressive.

MCU that can also control GaN and SiC?

The recent trend in power systems is clear: the proliferation of WBG (GaN, SiC) devices. However, these devices may actually be less efficient without precise control due to their high-speed switching characteristics.

“PSOC™ Control C3’s HRPWM provides a resolution of less than 100 ps, and is highly effective in precise duty control, deadtime adjustment, and loss minimization in GaN-based circuits where high-speed switching is essential,” explained Manager Lee.

Since precise control is possible even in the high-speed range of switching frequencies exceeding 100 kHz, efficiency and current ripple reduction effects can be secured simultaneously in WBG-based power devices or inverter circuits.

Improve loop response speed with hardware operations

So what kind of synergy does the combination of HRPWM, ADC, and CORDIC provide in an actual control loop?

“The 12MSPS high-speed ADC helps to provide fast current/voltage feedback. And the CORDIC calculator processes trigonometric operations required for FOC or PFC algorithms without CPU burden.” Thanks to this, PSOC™ Control C3 can shorten the control loop period and maintain stable response and precision even in high-speed control environments.

This combination also demonstrates its strengths in high-efficiency home appliances, living robots that require precise torque control, and battery-based small mobility.

Is it okay if the performance is just good?

Many engineers will agree. No matter how good the performance is, if the development environment is inconvenient, it will not be used in the end. For this purpose, Infineon provides a GUI development environment based on ModusToolbox™.

ModusToolbox Motor Suite

Manager Lee Jin-yong said that PWM, ADC, interrupts, etc. can be set with a few clicks in the GUI, and the settings are automatically generated into code, and this simple development environment is practically helpful in getting started with design quickly without complex initial settings.

In this way, PSOC™ Control C3 has optimized the UX to enable ‘fast and error-free design’ from the perspective of a practical developer. This lowers the entry barrier for beginners and becomes a practical tool that increases development speed for experienced users.

Security is basic, up to PSA Level 2 certification

For industrial or IoT devices, there is something more important than performance. It's security.

CryptoLite Security Architecture Diagram

PSOC™ Control C3 supports firmware integrity and sensitive information protection at the hardware level with Secure Boot, TrustZone®, and PSA Level 2 certification. It has great advantages in that it can be used as a basis for securing security in an OTA update environment and passing industrial certification.

What are the practical applications?

This MCU is already widely used in high-efficiency home appliances, power tools, living robots, industrial inverters, and power supplies. Manager Lee Jin-yong said, “PSOC™ Control C3 is a practical MCU that has only the essential functions without being excessive. It is especially chosen for applications that require precision control, security, low power, and miniaturization at the same time.”

Technology is ultimately the art of appropriateness. PSOC™ Control C3, which aims for the ‘most appropriate level’ of motor control that is neither excessive nor insufficient, may somehow lead developers to reconsider the efficiency of practical and optimized MCU utilization that is more true to its essence.