For more than twenty years we have been combining general-purpose MCUs with application specific features from our automotive
analog portfolio to create highly integrated solutions for electric motor control. Over this time we have seen the evolution of
the electronic controls on many fronts, for example moving from 8-bit to 16-bit and today’s 32-bit MCU architectures. Now with
safety and security also playing a bigger role for these systems, it’s time to evolve the solution yet again.
With the trend towards software-defined electric vehicles, automotive developers have the need to move away from brushed DC
motor to brushless DC motor (BLDC) and permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM). BLDC and PMSM motors are known for their
small size, low weight, higher torque and high efficiency, which contributes to energy savings and range extension for electric
vehicles (EV). However, with all these benefits come some challenges: their control is often complex and needs powerful MCUs to
implement state-of-the-art field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms to reap their benefit.
With these trends and challenges in mind, NXP has created the S32M2 portfolio of integrated system-in-package (SiP) solution,
which provides a comprehensive 12V motor control built on the proven S32 vehicle compute platform. The S32M2 family integrates
high-voltage (HV) analog features, a communication physical layer and a S32K general-purpose automotive MCU optimizing space and
reducing the bill of materials (BoM) cost (and its complexity) for our customers. The S32K powerful Arm®
Cortex®-M4 and Cortex-M7 cores provide the computational power needed to implement advanced motor control
algorithms which are necessary to address the stringent in-cabin noise requirements in EVs.
Advanced BLDC and PMSM Motor Control with NXP’s S32M2 Integrated Solutions
The S32M2 motor control solutions address all the modern 12 V automotive motor control needs in a comprehensive way and propel
the next growth in software-defined electric vehicles motor control edge nodes:
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Allows a platform-based design of motor control edge nodes thereby enabling OEMs and Tier1s to reduce complexity and improve
their time to market - Enables carmakers to perform data mining with edge nodes and optimize it for higher efficiency
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The high-performance core in the S32M2 allows for diagnostic software to be implemented in the edge node. This allows the
monitoring of the inverter switches and motor state of health - Simplifies the implementation of advanced mathematical algorithms for brushless motor control
- Reduces in-cabin noise and enhances occupant comfort
What NXP Offers in This Sip Integration
S32M2 device is 2 die in a single package: a standard MCU and the analog front end which consists of voltage regulator,
physical layer communications interface (CAN or LIN) and a 12 V motor control gate driver.
Embebbed S32K1/S32K3 MCU Core
- High-performance processing core for efficient mathematical algorithm computation
- Functional safety ISO 26262 ASIL B compliant
- Future-proof security features with scalable platform
- Flash memory range from 128KB to 1MB
Integrated Analog and Communication Physical Interface
- 6-channel MOSFET gate driver with slew-rate control which is supplied through a 12V power supply
- Voltage regulator capable of connecting directly to the car battery supplying all modules inside the S32M2
- Rich peripheral set with LIN and CAN FD
Designed for Safety and Reliability
- Follows ISO 26262 development process for Safety Element out of Context (SEooC) components and True ASIL B
- Offers AEC-Q100 Grade 0: -40°C to 150°C ambient temperature to Grade 2
- Functional safety deliverables and enablement to support ISO 26262 compliance
- Meets automotive and industrial OEM specifications for EMC/ESD
Software Reusability
The S32M2 is fully compatible with the enablement tools from the S32 vehicle compute platform such as software, demo codes,
development and verification tools. This compatibility enhances software reusability when moving across edge node as well as to S32-based zonal and vehicle compute domain due to the
platform design approach. Over-the-air (OTA) updates are also possible for the S32M2 family which provides an option for
updating the edge node on demand.
Turning S32M2 Silicon into a Motor Control System Solution
To turn a motor control SiP silicon into system solution we offer not only silicon along with low level drivers but also provide
the entire hardware and software collateral and ecosystem.
Conclusion
As the vehicle architecture has evolved shifting towards software-defined, more performance,
higher levels of safety and security so too does our portfolio of integrated solutions for electronic
motor control with the introduction of the S32M2 family. With it, we carry forward the traits of complete control
system solutions that are easy to design in. Looking to the future we expect to continue to evolve as the requirements will, potentially towards higher battery voltages and
new communications bus standards, while maintaining the implementation simplicity customers have come to expect from our integrated solutions.