{"id":1398,"date":"2012-12-16T19:43:35","date_gmt":"2012-12-16T23:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/protofusion.org\/wordpress\/?p=1398"},"modified":"2013-03-13T19:02:54","modified_gmt":"2013-03-13T23:02:54","slug":"trifet-motor-driver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/protofusion.org\/wordpress\/2012\/12\/trifet-motor-driver\/","title":{"rendered":"TriFet Motor Driver"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TriFet<\/a><\/p>\n

The TriFet is a 3-nMOS one direction motor driver rated for up to 60A of continuous current. This motor driver is perfect driving high-current solenoids, motors, small electric vehicles, and other high current switching applications. I have released this design as open-source hardware, feel free to modify and fabricate it yourself!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Design<\/h3>\n

\"TriFet<\/a><\/p>\n

The design of this motor driver is very simple, it consists of 3 N-type MOSFETs in parallel. I added ferrite beads to the gate of each FET to filter out any switching harmonics from the three parallel gates. I also added opposing diodes to the gate drive pin, which clamps the gate voltage to a safe range. There’s also a pulldown resistor on the gate so it doesn’t float, and an indicator LED on the PWM line just for fun. The motor output includes a flyback diode to prevent back-EMF from frying the driving circuitry.<\/p>\n

\"TriFet<\/a><\/p>\n

Both sides of the board have an exposed plane which is connected to the MOT- net (the heat pad of the DPAK MOSFETs). In most cases, the FETs will be adequately cooled by this plane alone. For higher-current applications the PCB can be sandwiched between two pieces of aluminum heatsink with a bit of thermal paste.<\/p>\n

\"TriFet<\/a><\/p>\n

I provided connectors for VIN, PWM input from a microcontroller, and motor output. Although the transistors only switch the motor’s negative supply, I routed the motor’s positive supply through the board for convenience.<\/p>\n

Source<\/h3>\n