Toshiba has added new features that automatically capture motor parameters and simplify optimising settings and by addressing these often-difficult challenges when starting a new project, these tools will help to accelerate application development and reduce time to market for energy-efficient variable-speed drives.
To help optimise the settings for field-oriented control (FOC), the latest version of Toshiba’s MCU Motor Studio (MMS v3.0), introduces a new technique for estimating rotor position based on flux observation.
The flux observer combines the estimated α- and β-axis flux components to compute the rotor electrical position and reduces the complexity of the initial PI gain settings, as required for conventional position estimation methods used in PI control loops, allowing users to progress quickly to developing the motor application.
Accompanying MMS 3.0, Toshiba has also revealed a new tool, Motor Tuning Studio (MTS v1.0) that simplifies capturing motor and drive control parameters.
MTS comprises firmware loaded on the motor MCU and an accompanying PC-based tool. The firmware calculates the rotor resistance, the d/q axis inductance, the moment of inertia, and magnetic flux.
Created for Toshiba TMPM4K and TMPM3H MCUs, it also supports software vector control in normal motor-drive operation.
The companion MTS PC tool handles flux observation and calculates the PI gain parameters for current control, speed control, and position estimation. It creates a C header file containing these tuned parameters and generates the XML initialisation file needed for motor evaluation and drive development using MMS 3.0.
To accelerate drive development with the latest tools, Toshiba has teamed up with MikroElektronika (MIKROE) to offer the Clicker 4 for TMPM4K board, the Clicker 4 for TMPM3H board and an inverter shield.
The kit comprises a compact development board for the Toshiba TMPM4K or TMPM3H MCU and the inverter shield and requires no additional hardware to connect to a sensorless motor and begin evaluation.
