TI New Isolated Modulators Enable Robots Function Smartly

Robots may now do complex and demanding jobs with new analog products from TI that measure currents and voltages with the highest resolution.

Creating Compact Robots With More Accurate Motor Control

The first functionally isolated modulators in the industry were released by Texas Instruments (TI), which can help designers create compact robots with more accurate motor control.

Phase current sensing and DC voltage sensing measurements may now be made with greater accuracy and resolution of 12 to 14 effective number of bits (ENOB) with the new AMC0106M05, AMC0136, and AMC0106M25 isolated modulators.

The latest solutions in TI’s isolated analog-to-digital converter (ADC) portfolio, which come in a compact leadless package, allow designers to achieve precision motor control and smooth torque performance while reducing size and cost in low-voltage (<60V) robotics designs.

Galvanically Isolated Modulators for Smart Robots

Today’s engineers must create more smart robots that can carry out increasingly complex tasks. Robotics engineers can create more complex, smaller designs with accurate motor control and system protection with galvanically isolated modulators.

Because of this precision, robots can do a wide range of challenging jobs, such manipulating small nuts and bolts or threading a needle. Furthermore, compared to rival reinforced isolation options, the new modulators’ compact size (only 3.5 x 2.7 mm) consumes 50% less board area.

This reduction in size gives designers more room to implement features that facilitate accurate control and dependable operation in applications involving small robots.

Leadership Comments 

“These modulators from TI enable designers to increase robotics accuracy and productivity in new use cases and smaller form factors, from the factory floor to the operating room,” said Karthik Vasanth, VP and GM of Data Converters and Clocks at TI. “For example, where humanoid robots could previously only complete simple tasks, our new functionally isolated modulators now allow them to carry out more dexterous and precise jobs.” 

More details

For more information about the new modulators, see the technical article, “How Advanced Current and Voltage Sensing Enable Ultra-Precise Robotics.”

Availability

Production quantities of the new functionally isolated modulators are available now on TI.com in an 8-pin very thin small-outline (VSON) package. To support designers, evaluation modules for all three modulators are available, as well as reference designs and simulation models.