Brush DC motors are the most widely used drivers due to their low cost and simple drive control options. Typical brush DC motors consist of a rotating electromagnet surrounded by a permanent magnet. Rotational torque is produced by the interaction of the magnetic fields and continuous rotation is produced by changing the polarity of the rotating coil with a mechanical commutator and brushes.
Typical brush DC motor drivers consist of a half bridge for single direction operation and an H-bridge configuration for bidirectional control. PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control can be used to regulate motor speed, torque, or position.
Allegro offers a complete lineup of DC motor drivers for all markets, including office automation, automotive and industrial. Depending on the needs of a given application, Allegro IC solutions can include features such as:
- PWM control
- Internal DMOS outputs or gate controllers to drive external MOSFETs
- Forward, Reverse, Coast and Brake modes
- Slow, Fast and Mixed PWM decay modes
- Commercial grade and fully automotive qualified drivers
- Synchronous rectification
- Diagnostic outputs
- Protection features: Under-voltage lockout, thermal shutdown, shoot through, overvoltage, over-current protection
- Package options include exposed pad QFN, TSSOP, SOIC and DIP packages all lead (Pb) free
| Low-Voltage Motor Drivers |
| P/N |
Ouput Voltage Range (V) |
Output Current Range |
Number of Bridges |
Logic Supply Voltage Range |
Packages |
| A3901 |
2.5 to 5.5 |
400 mA |
Dual full |
Internally generated |
DFN-10 |
| A3903 |
2.5 to 5.5 |
500 mA |
Single full |
Internally generated |
DFN-8 |
| A3908 |
2.5 to 5.5 |
500 mA |
Single full |
Internally generated |
DFN-8 |
| A3906 |
2.5 to 9 |
1 A |
Dual full |
Internally generated |
QFN-20 |
| MOSFET Controller ICs |
| P/N |
Ouput Voltage Range (V) |
Output Current Range |
Number of Bridges |
Logic Supply Voltage Range |
Packages |
| A4940K |
5.5 to 50 |
Pre-driver |
Single full |
3 V to 5.5 V |
eTSSOP-24 |
| A3941K |
7 to 50 |
Pre-driver |
Single full |
Internally generated |
eTSSOP-28 |
| A3946 |
7 to 60 |
Pre-driver |
Half bridge |
Internally generated |
SOIC-16, eTSSOP-16 |
| Integrated Controller ICs |
| P/N |
Ouput Voltage Range (V) |
Output Current Range |
Number of Bridges |
Logic Supply Voltage Range |
Packages |
| A3968 |
Vcc to 30 |
650 mA |
Dual full |
4.75 V to 5.5 V |
SOIC-16 |
| A4952 |
8 to 40 |
1.5 A |
Single full |
Internally generated |
MSOP-10 |
| A4953 |
8 to 40 |
1.5 A |
Single full |
Internally generated |
SOICN-8 |
| A4973 |
5 to 50 |
1.5 A |
Single full |
3 V to 5.5 V |
DIP-16, SOIC-16 |
| A4954 |
8 to 40 |
2 A |
Dual full |
Internally generated |
eTSSOP-16 |
| A3949 |
8 to 36 |
2.8 A |
Single full |
Internally generated |
SOIC-16, eTSSOP-16 |
| A3950 |
8 to 36 |
2.8 A |
Single full |
Internally generated |
eTSSOP-16, QFN-16 |
| A3959 |
9.5 to 50 |
3 A |
Single full |
4.5 V to 5.5 V |
DIP-24, SOIC-24, eTSSOP-28 |
| A3998 |
9 to 50 |
1.5 A |
Dual full with dual regulators |
3 V to 5.5 V |
QFN-32 |
| A4950 |
8 to 40 |
3.5 A |
Single full |
Internally generated |
SOICN-8 |
| A4950K |
8 to 40 |
3.5 A |
Single full |
Internally generated |
SOICN-8 |
Note: "K" suffix denotes automotive grade product; All devices above have a parallel interface.