Texas Instruments DRV8873 EVM Series User manual

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DRV8873xEVM User’s Guide
User's Guide
SLVUB68B–October 2017–Revised December 2018
DRV8873xEVM User’s Guide
This document is provided with the DRV8873xEVM customer evaluation module (EVM) as a supplement
to the DRV8873-Q1 Automotive H-Bridge Motor Driver data sheet and DRV8873 H-Bridge Motor Driver
data sheet. This user's guide details the hardware implementation of the EVM and how to install the
software packages.
Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Overview............................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................ 2
2 Hardware and Software Overview......................................................................................... 3
2.1 Hardware Connections Overview................................................................................. 3
2.2 Connection Details.................................................................................................. 3
2.3 LED Lights and Switch Functions ................................................................................ 4
2.4 Optional EVM heatsink and circuitry ............................................................................. 4
2.5 Additional circuitry placed on the Hardware version ........................................................... 5
3 GUI Application .............................................................................................................. 5
3.1 Installation ........................................................................................................... 6
4 GUI Operation .............................................................................................................. 11
4.1 Hardware Setup ................................................................................................... 11
4.2 Launching the DRV8873xEVM GUI ............................................................................ 11
List of Figures
1 DRV8873S-Q1EVM shown (Actual Board May differ).................................................................. 2
2 EVM Connections (Actual Board May Differ) ............................................................................ 4
3 Mode and Slew Rate Selection Circuitry of Hardware variation....................................................... 5
4 User Account Control ....................................................................................................... 6
5 Setup DRV8873x Window.................................................................................................. 6
6 License Agreement.......................................................................................................... 7
7 Accepted License Agreement.............................................................................................. 7
8 Installation Directory......................................................................................................... 8
9 Ready to Install .............................................................................................................. 8
10 Desktop Icons................................................................................................................ 9
11 Installation Progress......................................................................................................... 9
12 Installation Complete ...................................................................................................... 10
13 Example of DRV8873x GUI Open ....................................................................................... 11
Trademarks
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
The DRV8873 device is an integrated driver IC for driving a brushed DC motor in automotive applications.
Two logic inputs control the H-bridge driver, which consists of four N-channel MOSFETs that drive motors
bi-directionally with up to 10-A peak current. The DRV8873 operates from a single power supply and
supports a wide input supply range from 4.5 V to 38 V.
Figure 1. DRV8873S-Q1EVM shown (Actual Board May differ)
A PH/EN or PWM interface allows simple interfacing to controller circuits. Alternatively, independent half-
bridge control is available to drive two solenoid loads.
A current mirror allows the controller to monitor the load current. This mirror approximates the current
through the high-side FETs, and does not require a high-power resistor for sensing the current.
A low-power sleep mode is provided to achieve very-low quiescent current draw by shutting down much of
the internal circuitry. Internal protection functions are provided for undervoltage lockout, charge pump
faults, overcurrent protection, short-circuit protection, open-load detection, and overtemperature. Fault
conditions are indicated on an nFAULT pin and through the SPI registers.
1.2 Purpose and Scope
This document is designed to be used as a startup guide and to supplement the DRV8873x-Q1EVM and
DRV8873xEVM. This document is intended for the engineers involved in the design, implementation, and
validation of DRV8873 device. The scope of this document is to provide the user with a guide to evaluate
the DRV8873 device using GUI control. This document covers the hardware (HW) connections required
between the DRV8873xEVM and the GUI. When the HW connections are complete, the user is required
to download and open the GUI to control the DRV8873 device.

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DRV8873xEVM User’s Guide
2 Hardware and Software Overview
WARNING
Hot surfaces on the DRV8873xEVM include the DRV8873 device (
U1 ) and the area surrounding it.
When operating the DRV8873xEVM between 4-A and 6-A, the
device overtemperature warning should be monitored for
overtemperature warnings. The nFAULT pin indicates when the
device temperature has increased above 140°C and is approaching
thermal shutdown. As with any elevated temperatures, normal
precautions must be followed to avoid direct contact with the hot
surface of the DRV8873xEVM when used in the 4-A to 6-A load
range.
To minimize potential fire hazard, personal injury, or both,
externally provided fans may be required to adequately cool
customer-provided loads depending on loading conditions.
2.1 Hardware Connections Overview
The major blocks of the DRV8873xEVM include the DRV8873 driver, the MSP430G2553 microcontroller
(MCU), the LM9036QMX-3.3/NOPB 3.3-V LDO regulator, and the USB communication. The
DRV8873xEVM is designed for an input supply from 4.5 to 38 V and up to 10-A peak drive current.
The DRV8873 device driver is used to provide the current to the motor or other load. The MCU
communicates with the GUI to control the DRV8873 device.
2.2 Connection Details
Figure 2 shows the power connector and motor phase connector. A supply voltage ranging from 4.5 V to
38 V from a battery or a DC voltage source is connected to the voltage supply pins. The OUT1 and OUT2
pins can be connected to a single motor winding, inductor, or latched relay coil when used in PWM or
PH/EN mode. When used in independent half-bridge mode, the OUT1 pin can drive one load and the
OUT2 pin can drive a second load.

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Figure 2. EVM Connections (Actual Board May Differ)
2.3 LED Lights and Switch Functions
Two LED switches and one push-button switch are available on the DRV8873xEVM to notify the user of
different motor statuses and to control the operation of the motor. The STATUS LED will blink at a regular
interval to provide an indication the MSP430G2553 MCU is powered and code is running. The nFAULT
LED will light when the DRV8873 device detects an abnormal condition, such as overcurrent,
overtemperature, or open load.
The S1 switch is configured to reset the MSP430G2553 MCU. By moving the J2 jumper to the alternate
position, the switch can be used as a general-purpose input if user-supplied code is installed.
2.4 Optional EVM heatsink and circuitry
The DRV8873xEVM was designed to accept an optional heatsink to the bottom of the board. This allows
evaluation of the device at higher currents. The Advanced Thermal Solutions heatsink, part number ATS-
1109-C1-R0 is available at distributors. TI also recommends use of a thermally conductive insulator
between the board and heatsink, such as Berquist SPK10-0.006-AC-11.512.
The H variant of the DRV8873xEVM includes an dual channel operation amplifier that is not required for
normal operation of the device. The operational amplifier is used to translate 3 voltage levels from the
3.3V domain to 3 voltage levels in the 5V DRV8873 DVDD domain. These voltages are used to control the
operational mode and output slew rates. In normal operation of the device, resistors should be used to
select the desired operational mode and output slew rates.

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2.5 Additional circuitry placed on the Hardware version
The hardware variation of the EVM has a dual channel operational amplifier (opamp) placed on the board.
This opamp is used to convert the 0-V, a mid voltage, and 3.3-V output of the MSP430G2553 to 0V, twice
the mid voltage, and DVDD using the DVDD voltage.
Figure 3. Mode and Slew Rate Selection Circuitry of Hardware variation
The SR pin of the Hardware variant can be manually configured to test any of the six slew rate settings.
To manually set the slew rate of the DRV8873H-Q1EVM, perform the following steps:
• Remove R25 to isolate the output of the opamp from the MODE pin
• Populate R20 to connect to DVDD or
• R26 to connect to ground
The DRV8873HEVM SR pin circuitry is similar to the circuitry used in the DRV8873H-Q1EVM. The resistor
designators are different. To manually set the slew rate of the DRV8873HEVM, perform the following
steps:
• Remove R23 to isolate the output of the opamp from the MODE pin
• Populate R18 to connect to DVDD or
• R24 to connect to ground
NOTE: If manually configuring the slew rate, the GUI pulldown is not applicable.
3 GUI Application
The GUI is used to control the DRV8873xEVM through USB commands. The commands are sent from the
computer to the FTDI FT233RL device, which converts USB commands to UART commands. The UART
commands are received by the MSP430G2553 MCU.

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3.1 Installation
Follow these steps to install the GUI application:
Step 1. Double click on the Setup_DRV8873x-y.y.y_EVM.exe file. The y.y.y values shown may
change as the GUI is updated.
Step 2. Click the Yes button in the User Account Control Window to continue (see Figure 4).
Figure 4. User Account Control
Step 3. Click the Next button in the Setup - DRV8873x window (see Figure 5).
Figure 5. Setup DRV8873x Window
Step 4. Review the license agreement (see Figure 6).

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Figure 6. License Agreement
Step 5. Click the I accept the agreement radio button if accepted and then click the Next button (see
Figure 7).
Figure 7. Accepted License Agreement
Step 6. Select the installation directory. TI recommends using the default installation directory. Click
the Next button when the directory is determined (see Figure 8).

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Figure 8. Installation Directory
Step 7. Click the Next button in the Ready to Install window to begin the installation (see Figure 9).
Figure 9. Ready to Install
Step 8. Click the Yes button to enable desktop entries or the No button to disable desktop entries
(see Figure 10).

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Figure 10. Desktop Icons
When the installation begins, the Installing window shows the installation progress (see Figure 11).
Figure 11. Installation Progress
The installation is now complete.
Step 9. Click the Finish button to close the installer and begin using the GUI (see Figure 12).

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Figure 12. Installation Complete

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4 GUI Operation
The DRV8873xEVM GUI along with DRV8873xEVM facilitate control of brushed DC motors. The
DRV8873xEVM GUI provides functionality for adjusting the speed and direction of the motor, setting
various fault parameters such as voltage and current protection limits, observing the motor drive current,
and monitoring the device fault status. The GUI can also be used to test the motor for best performance
using various parameters available in the Motor Control page.
4.1 Hardware Setup
The hardware required to run the DRV8873xEVM is a micro-USB cable and a power supply from 4.5 to 38
V. Follow these steps to start up the DRV88873xEVM:
Step 1. Connect the positive output of the DC power supply to the VM screw terminal and the
negative output to the GND screw terminal.
Step 2. Use the OUT1 and OUT2 screw terminals to connect to the desired loads.
Step 3. Connect a micro-USB cable to the DRV8873xEVM and computer.
Step 4. Turn on the power supply and power up the printed circuit board (PCB).
4.2 Launching the DRV8873xEVM GUI
To launch the GUI, click on the DRV8873x EVM shortcut on the desktop or navigate to the Windows Start
Menu and click All Programs. Navigate to the Texas Instruments folder and select the DRV8873x EVM
icon.
For a guide on the different attributes of the DRV8873xEVM GUI, refer to the DRV8873xEVM GUI User’s
Guide.Figure 13 shows an example of the GUI.
Figure 13. Example of DRV8873x GUI Open

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Revision History
Revision History
DATE REVISION NOTES
August 2018 A Updated to reflect latest EVMs (S and H variants)
December 2018 B Updated to include DRV8873

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