Infineon Announces Field Oriented Control on 8-Bit Microcontrollers; New "DAvE Drive" Configuration Software Significantly Reduces Software Development Time for 3-Phase Drives

Munich, Nuremberg, Germany – February 13, 2007 – As the European embedded systems community gathers in Nuremberg this week, Infineon Technologies (FSE/NYSE: IFX) is announcing and demonstrating high-quality microcontroller products (MCU) and software development support tools that will help drive advancements in embedded industrial and automotive motor control applications. Among Infineon’s show highlights are new MCUs featuring temperatures of +140°C (please see separate news release), field oriented control (FOC) capability now demonstrated on the company’s 8-bit MCUs, and the new “DAvE Drive” software configuration tool kit, which is part of a complete development environment for industrial and automotive motor control applications consisting of microcontroller hardware, software, power semiconductors and motor drive.

Field Oriented Control Using High-Quality Low-Cost 8-Bit Microcontrollers

Infineon is the world’s first microcontroller supplier to offer standard 8-bit MCUs capable of supporting Field Oriented Control (FOC), a technique for operating electric motors that results in smooth and efficient operation at all speeds. Implemented on its 8-bit microcontroller XC886 and XC888 families, Infineon brings FOC motor control solutions to price-sensitive appliance applications, such as washing machines and dish washers.

Field Oriented Control is increasingly being used in appliances because it results in higher efficiency by running the motor at optimum torque at all times; better dynamic response to enable very precise variable speed control (contingent on each stage of a washing program’s cycle); and lower torque ripple to provide even and steady motor rotation at speed and also during start and stop operation. Typically a 16- or 32-bit MCU or digital signal processor (DSP) is required to handle the complex trigonometric equations. Compared to these solutions, Infineon‘s 8-bit XC886/8 families offer the full benefits of FOC at about 50 percent of the overall electronic BOM cost. The computing performance of XC886 is boosted by a 16-bit vector computer performing rotation and scaling operations. This combined with the PWM unit CapCom6E and a fast 8-channel 10-bit AD converter addresses the implementation challenges of FOC on an 8051 compliant MCU.

Compared to current solutions on the market, in which FOC execution engages the whole central processing unit (CPU) load, FOC execution on the Infineon XC886 and XC888 microcontrollers only requires 58 percent of the CPU’s performance, providing ample headroom for applications such as system control and communication, for example with the display microcontroller. Unlike most hard-coded competitive FOC implementations, Infineon provides the additional benefit of software re-programmability adding flexibility and potential for differentiation to the application.

“FOC is the perfect answer for appliance manufacturers addressing energy related regulations and pricing pressures,” said Dr. Christopher Hegarty, vice president and general manager of the Microcontrollers business unit at Infineon. “Infineon has achieved the combination of high-quality, excellent price/performance ratio and innovation in its microcontrollers to enable sensor-less motor controls which are precise, highly responsive and energy efficient, even at highest torque.”

DAvE Drive Application Code Generator for Motor Drives

DAvE (Digital Application Virtual Engineer) Drive is Infineon's application code generator for the company’s 8-bit (XC886/8) and 16-bit (XC164CM/CS) MCU families. It provides initialization, configuration and driver code to ease programming. The new DAvE Drive helps to reduce the software development time for brushless direct current (BLDC) motor controls due to quick and easy configuration of complex peripherals. Designers of motor controls can quickly focus on application-specific software, such as the programming of washing machines or dish washers, thus allowing rapid prototyping. Compared to competitive configuration tools, the DAvE Drive software tool generates complete algorithms and does not derive from libraries. Additionally, it provides flexible code generation for customer selected motors, thus reducing system design time by about one man-year while allowing differentiation by system variations. Also, it implements block commutation as well as field oriented control.

The new DAvE Drive software tool is included in the BLDC Drive Application Kit which is a modular extension of Infineon’s 8- and 16-bit Easy Kits. The combined tools comprise a complete development environment for industrial and automotive motor control applications consisting of microcontroller hardware, software, power semiconductors, and motor drive.

Availability, Packaging and Pricing of the FOC devices and DAvE Drive tool

The XC886/8 microcontrollers with FOC capability are available now. They come in green TQFP-48 and TQFP-64 packages for the -40°C to +125°C temperature range. In quantities of ten thousand, the XC886/8 products are priced at approximately Euro 1.80 (US-$ 2.35) per piece. Further information at www.infineon.com/XC886

The DAvE Drive development tool including microcontroller hardware, software, power semiconductors, motor drive, documentation, etc is available now, at a price of Euro 299 (US-$ 350) per unit. Further information at www.infineon.com/dave

Further information on Infineon’s microcontrollers, sensors and power semiconductors portfolio is available at www.infineon.com/microcontrollers www.infineon.com/sensors and www.infineon.com/power

Infineon will present its innovations in microcontrollers, sensors and power semiconductors for embedded applications at the Embedded World 2007 show at booth 432 in Hall 12.

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society including energy efficiency, mobility and security. In fiscal year 2006 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 7.9 billion (including Qimonda sales of Euro 3.8 billion) with approximately 42,000 employees worldwide (including approximately 12,000 Qimonda employees). With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at www.infineon.com.

Information Number

INFAIM200702.040

Press Photos

DAvE (Digital Application Virtual Engineer) Drive is Infineon's application code generator for the company's 8-bit (XC886/8) and 16-bit (XC164CM/CS) MCU families. It provides initialization, configuration and driver code to ease programming.

DAvE (Digital Application Virtual Engineer) Drive ist eine Software zur Generierung von Applikationscode für Motorsteuerungen für Infineons 8-Bit- (XC886 und XC888) und 16-Bit-Mikrocontroller (XC164CM und XC164CS). Sie unterstützt bei der Initialisierung, Konfiguration und Erstellung des Treiber-Codes und ermöglicht so eine einfache Programmierung.
DAvE_Drive_b.jpg
JPG | 379 kb | 1135 x 969 px
DAvE (Digital Application Virtual Engineer) Drive is Infineon's application code generator for the company's 8-bit (XC886/8) and 16-bit (XC164CM/CS) MCU families. It provides initialization, configuration and driver code to ease programming.

DAvE (Digital Application Virtual Engineer) Drive ist eine Software zur Generierung von Applikationscode für Motorsteuerungen für Infineons 8-Bit- (XC886 und XC888) und 16-Bit-Mikrocontroller (XC164CM und XC164CS). Sie unterstützt bei der Initialisierung, Konfiguration und Erstellung des Treiber-Codes und ermöglicht so eine einfache Programmierung.
DAvE_Drive_a.jpg
JPG | 631 kb | 1535 x 1063 px