EPC mentioned GaN allows high-performance motor drives for high-voltage battery functions. | Supply: Environment friendly Energy Conversion
Environment friendly Energy Conversion Corp., or EPC, this week launched EPC91104, a high-performance, three-phase brushless DC motor drive inverter reference design. The corporate mentioned this design is appropriate for powering compact, precision motors in humanoid robots, corresponding to these used for wrist, finger, and toe actions.
“Humanoid robots demand motors with precision and compactness, and the EPC91104 is particularly designed to satisfy these wants for functions like small joint actuation,” mentioned Alex Lidow, CEO of EPC.
EPC is a developer of enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) energy units. Based in 2007, the firm mentioned its eGaN know-how allows it to advance new functions and industries.
It mentioned silicon has hit its bodily limits and, subsequently, is not in a position to keep forward of demand for increasingly more environment friendly energy. GaN know-how provides important benefits over conventional silicon-based units, together with greater effectivity, sooner switching speeds, and smaller dimension, EPC mentioned.
New board provides effectivity, says EPC
The EPC91104 analysis board makes use of the EPC23104 ePower Stage IC, providing a most RDS(on) (drain-source on-resistance) of 11 mΩ and supporting DC bus voltages as much as 80 V. The design helps as much as 14 Apk steady-state and 20 Apk pulsed present, making certain dependable efficiency for humanoid robotic functions that require fantastic motor management and precision, mentioned EPC.
The corporate listed key options of the EPC91104:
- Huge voltage vary: Operates between 14 V and 80 V, accommodating a wide range of battery techniques
- Compact design: Appropriate for space-constrained robotics
- Superior safety: Consists of overcurrent and enter under-voltage safety, making certain reliability in demanding functions
- Optimized effectivity: Low-distortion switching reduces torque ripple and motor noise.
The EPC91104 is suitable with controller boards from main producers, together with Microchip, Texas Devices, STMicroelectronics, and Renesas, providing engineers flexibility in improvement. It’s geared up with complete sensing and safety options, making certain fast prototyping and testing, EPC mentioned.
For higher-current necessities, corresponding to elbow and knee motors in humanoid robots, EPC provides the EPC9176 board in the identical household. With enhanced present capability, the EPC9176 enhances the EPC91104 to cowl a full vary of motor drive functions in robotics, in accordance with EPC.
The EPC91104 reference design boards are priced at $780.00. The EPC23104 is priced at $2.50/ea in 3Ku reels. The reference boards can be found by means of DigiKey.
Robotics business prepares for a humanoid growth
Humanoid robots have been inconceivable to disregard previously few years throughout the robotics business, and that momentum gained’t be slowing down any time quickly. Goldman Sachs Analysis initiatives that the market will attain $38 billion by 2035, up greater than sixfold from its earlier estimate of $6 billion.
2024 was an enormous 12 months for humanoids. In June, we discovered that GXO formally deployed a “small fleet” of Digit humanoids at a Spanx facility in Georgia. In November, Schaeffler AG made a minority funding into Agility Robotics and deliberate to purchase Digit robots to be used throughout its world plant community. These marked the primary paying deployments for humanoid robots.
As well as, Determine AI is delivery its Determine 02 system to its first paying clients.
The jury remains to be out on whether or not humanoids will achieve the market traction the robotics business is betting on. Regardless, they’ll obtain piles of funding and analysis within the years to return. The Worldwide Federation of Robotics named humanoids reaching for brand new markets as one among its high predictions for 2025. In a rising ecosystem, element suppliers like EPC may have an vital position to play.
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