MOTIX TLE994x/5x series integrates MCU, driver, and power stage for compact automotive motor control

The devices operate from a single 5.5 V to 29 V supply for direct compatibility with automotive boardnets, and include hardware peripherals such as a two-phase (TLE994x) or three-phase (TLE995x) NFET bridge driver, 

an on-chip charge pump for gate drive voltage generation, and a 12-bit ADC capable of up to 16 analog measurements. According to the company,

 the optimized motor-control peripherals reduce CPU load by approximately 5-10 % compared with earlier TLE987x series devices.

Additionally, the devices integrate a Current Sense Amplifier (CSA) and Comparator to support low-side shunt current measurement for closed-loop control approaches such as single-shunt Field-Oriented Control (FOC). Meanwhile, 

a Configurable Capture/Compare Unit (CCU7) provides PWM generation for phase control, while ten 16-bit timers and a 24-bit SysTick timer support flexible task scheduling. The devices also feature a Serial Synchronous Communication (SSC) interface, 

watchdog timer, and LIN-compliant transceiver with safe transmit-off capability.

Functional safety is addressed through ISO 26262 “Safety Element out of Context” qualification for ASIL-B applications. Infineon also validates each device to AEC-Q100 Grade 0 or Grade 1 standards for automotive qualification, and offers an operating temperature range from -40 to 175 C. The microcontroller also features a CRC engine for data integrity and incorporates Arm TrustZone technology to separate secure and non-secure software regions.

Field-Oriented Control in Automotive Motors

Engineers use Field-Oriented Control to regulate the torque and speed of brushless DC (BLDC) motors. 

The technique transforms stator currents into orthogonal components that align with the rotor’s magnetic field by using mathematical transformations (Clarke and Park transforms). 

When the system converts current measurements in the stator frame to a rotating reference frame, it can independently control torque and flux.

Shown here at its Embedded World North America booth this week, Infineon is demonstrating its motor control technology paired with its wide bandgap power semiconductors. All About Circuits image.

In a typical FOC implementation, the controller measures phase currents and rotor position, calculates the required current vector to produce the desired torque, and then generates PWM signals to adjust the inverter output accordingly. 

Because torque production is decoupled from magnetic flux, FOC achieves smooth rotation, fast dynamic response, and better efficiency than six-step commutation.

In automotive systems, engineers use FOC to help motor drives operate quietly and maintain high efficiency over a wide speed range. As automotive electrification expands, 

FOC has largely become the dominant technique for auxiliary drives.

For designers that want to adopt the new MOTIX solutions, Infineon offers software and hardware development solutions. For firmware, designers can access the free MOTIX MCU SDK, motor-control firmware libraries, and Infineon’s Solution Designer and Device Configurator tools. On the hardware side, Infineon is offering hardware evaluation platforms like the TLE995x Evaluation Board and a 150 W Water Pump Reference Design.

According to Infineon, the TLE994x and TLE995x devices are available now, with evaluation kits and motor control software scheduled for release through the Infineon Developer Center in Q3 2025.