Motor driver integrated circuits (ICs) play a pivotal role in powering and controlling DC electric motors in countless automotive applications. As technology evolves, the components used in these applications become increasingly important for ensuring efficiency and functionality. Motor driver ICs support efficient and reliable motor control to meet the demanding requirements of the automotive industry while ensuring full compliance with safety and legal standards.

In this guide, you'll learn everything you need to know about motor driver ICs. We'll answer questions such as "What do motor drivers do?" and explore the features, benefits, and different types of motor drivers available for various applications.

Family packing car
Family packing car
Family packing car

What is a motor driver IC?

A motor driver IC is a type of integrated circuit designed to manage the operation of electric motors. These compact chips serve as the interface between a low-power control signal command input and the high-power output required to drive a motor. Essentially, they act as both power amplifiers and regulators, converting low-current signals into the high-power outputs that motors need to function.

Whether controlling simple brushed DC motors or complex brushless DC motor systems, motor driver ICs are indispensable across a wide range of applications, ensuring smooth, efficient, and reliable motor operation.

What do motor drivers do?

Motor drivers enable the control of the direction, speed, and torque of an electric motor. They play a critical role in systems requiring precise motor control by enabling automated functions such as speed adjustment and direction reversal. They also provide protective mechanisms against over voltages/ spikes, overheating and overcurrent conditions, safeguarding both the motor and the surrounding system.

  • Common functions managed by motor drivers include:
  • Speed and torque regulation
  • Forward and reverse operation
  • Integrated safety and fail-safe mechanisms
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woman in car
woman in car

Types of motor driverICs

There are many different types of motor drivers, each tailored to specific motor technologies and applications. The following sections outline the most common categories, organized by motor type and level of integration.

Motor drivers by motor type

  • Brushed DC (BDC) motor drivers: Known for their simplicity and cost-effectiveness, BDC motor drivers are well-suited for applications requiring intermittent operation with an easy speed control, such as seat adjustments and mirror positioning in vehicles.
  • Brushless DC (BLDC) motor drivers: Highly durable and energy-efficient, BLDC motor drivers are ideal for continuous, low-noise and long-term operations such as electric pumps, cooling fans, and HVAC systems as well as safety related applications such as steering and braking of vehicles.
  • Stepper motor drivers: Stepper motor drivers deliver precise positional control in fixed angular increments. Automotive application examples are head light leveling or valve and flap control in thermal management systems.
  • Servo motor drivers: Servo motor drivers operate in closed-loop control schemes to adjust a certain position, speed and torque during run mode, making them indispensable in systems such as electronic throttle controls.

Motor drivers by level of integration

  • Gate drivers: Gate drivers are used in a wide power range, in high- or low-voltage applications to control external power transistors (MOSFETs or IGBTs). They are found in a broad range of systems, in quite complex, demanding systems as power steering (EPS), traction inverters, and braking, but also in simple and compact applications such as electric oil or water pumps and seat adjustment control units to mention a few. Those drivers typically also include protection functions against e.g. overcurrent, overtemperature and can support functional safety designs.
  • Half-bridge and full-bridge drivers with integrated MOSFETs: These ICs integrate the gate driving circuitry and MOSFET power stages in a single package. Available as single half-bridge, multi half-bridges, or full- / H-bridge configurations, they offer a significantly reduced PCB footprint compared to discrete solutions. These devices typically include built-in diagnostic feedback and protection features such as overcurrent and overtemperature detection.
  • Integrated motor driver ICs with integrated power supply and communication interface: This category combines a gate driver for BDC or BLDC motor control with an integrated power supply and LIN or CAN communication in a single device. This high level of integration simplifies both BLDC and BDC motor system design while retaining full flexibility in microcontroller selection.
  • Smart motor controller ICs (MCU-based system solutions): The highest level of integration, these devices combine a microcontroller (MCU), a power supply, a communication transceiver, a gate driver and optionally the MOSFET power stage into a single chip or a single package. They are designed for BDC or BLDC motor applications where minimal use of external components and smallest board space is a priority.

Each type of motor driver is tailored to specific requirements, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency across a broad range of applications.

 

Applications of motor driver ICs in vehicles

Motor driver ICs are at the heart of the modern vehicle, enabling a wide range of innovative features. In today's cars, electric motors are everywhere — from controlling passenger comfort functions like heating and seat & window adjustment to enabling critical safety (braking, steering, …) and supporting systems (water pump, fans, ...). The motor driver ICs make those systems work and are therefore essential to the modern driving experience.

Thermal Management

Motor driver ICs are used in thermal management systems to enhance both passenger comfort and vehicle safety. Key applications include:

  • Expansion valves
  • Water pumps
  • Oil pumps
  • HVAC blowers
  • HVAC flaps
  • Engine cooling fans

These applications ensure that the vehicle's powertrain operates within an optimal and safe temperature range therefore preventing overheating and/or damage to a car. Motor driver ICs also control HVAC functions such as interior heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, helping passengers remain comfortable under all driving conditions all year round.

Zone controllers

Motor driver ICs are integrated in a modern vehicle zonal architecture, managing a variety of movements, comfort, and access functions throughout a car. Typical applications include:

  • Mirror adjustment
  • Sunroof control
  • Window lift
  • Door lock actuation
  • Seat adjustment and seat ventilation
  • Trunk and tailgate control
  • Rear camera cover actuation

These features improve passenger comfort, security, and convenience, significantly reducing the physical effort required to operate vehicle functions through intelligent systems.

Chassis control and safety-critical applications

Motor driver ICs are also found in safety-critical chassis systems, where reliability and compliance with functional safety standards such as ISO 26262 are essential. Key applications include:

  • Electronic Power Steering (EPS)
  • Electric braking systems (EMB, EBB, IBC)
  • Electric suspension systems
  • Seat belt pretensioners
  • Windshield wipers

"By-wire" technologies — including steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire — are increasing and with that the role of motor driver ICs becomes more important. In chassis systems, traditional mechanical linkages are being replaced by electromechanical solutions that require more sophisticated and safe motor control. While many of these features come unnoticed by car users, they are essential to vehicle safety and performance.

Father loading stuff in car
Father loading stuff in car
Father loading stuff in car

Benefits of motor driver ICs

Modern motor driver ICs often integrate gate drivers, MOSFETs, protection circuits, and communication interfaces into a single package, optimizing efficiency and significantly reducing design complexity. Compared to traditional relay-based systems, motor driver ICs provide faster response times, greater power efficiency, and comprehensive built-in safety features - making them the preferred choice in both new designs and system upgrades.

Key benefits of motor driver ICs include:

  1. Safety and regulatory compliance: Motor driver ICs enhance system safety and ensure compliance with relevant industry standards. In automotive applications, they support safety-critical functions such as fail-safe operational electric power steering, electric braking, steer-by-wire, and seat belt pretensioners, with designs certified to ISO 26262 functional safety requirements.
  2. Support for eco-friendly and electric vehicles: Motor driver ICs are essential components in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid systems. They are used in EV thermal management, electric oil pumps, and 48 V mild-hybrid systems, supporting the higher electrical power demands of next-generation drivetrains.
  3. Enabling smart and connected technology: The advanced features found in modern vehicles are made possible by highly integrated motor driver ICs. Applications include power seats, movable displays, passive and keyless entry systems, power doors, window lift assist, and automatic sunroofs.
  4. Enhanced passenger and user comfort: Motor driver ICs enable the comfort features that users increasingly expect as standard — from climate control to seat adjustment. As global product expectations rise, motor driver ICs play a growing role in delivering premium user experience in vehicles.

 

Discover Infineon's motor driver IC portfolio

Infineon offers a broad portfolio of motor driver ICs engineered to meet the rigorous demands of automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. All automotive-grade products recognized as MOTIX™ or EiceDRIVER™ products, undergo extensive testing and are designed to comply with relevant safety and quality standards, including ISO 26262 and AEC-Q100.

Whether you are designing a next-generation EV system, a chassis safety application, or a comfort and body control module, Infineon's motor driver ICs provide the performance, reliability, and integration you need. Explore Infineon's motor driver solutions today.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

A gate driver is a specific type of motor driver focused specifically on controlling the switching of external power transistors such as MOSFETs or IGBTs. A motor driver IC is a broader term that may include gate drivers but also encompasses more integrated solutions that combine the gate driver, power stage, power supply, communication interfaces and even a microcontroller all in a single chip. For lower-power applications, a fully integrated motor driver IC is often the more efficient choice; for high-power systems such as EPS or traction inverters, a dedicated discrete gate driver with external MOSFETs may be preferred.

LIN (Local Interconnect Network) and CAN (Controller Area Network) are the most widely used communication interfaces in automotive motor driver ICs today. LIN is commonly used for lower-bandwidth body and comfort applications such as seat adjustment and window lift, while CAN is used in applications requiring faster communication, such as chassis control systems. Some highly integrated motor driver ICs include a built-in LIN or CAN transceiver, further reducing the number of external components required on a system level.

 

Fully integrated motor driver ICs combine multiple functions — such as gate driving, power MOSFETs, power supply regulation, protection circuits, communication interfaces and microcontroller — into a single chip or package. This reduces PCB footprint, simplifies design, shortens development time, and can improve system reliability by reducing the number of external components. For high-volume automotive applications, the total system cost is also often significantly lower.

In today’s global automotive market 12V power supply is the dominant supply rail adopted by automakers for passenger cars and 24V for trucks and buses. As such automotive applications have a need of a standard nominal supply range in the range of 4,5 to 60V depending on the specific automotive application, which in turn motor driver ICs need to meet. However, with the advent of plug-in-hybrid vehicles and battery electric vehicles (BEV) we see an increasing demand for also 48V applications in cars which is driving the nominal supply range needs of applications higher in the range of up to 72V. These higher supply range requirements need to then be considered in the motor driver ICs specifications to ensure stable and high-performance operation.