Luminary Micro Announces Motion Control Reference Design Kits for Stellaris(R) Microcontrollers Based on ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-M3

Luminary Micro Announces Motion Control Reference Design Kits for Stellaris(R) Microcontrollers Based on ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-M3

April 04, 2007

Complete Kits Demonstrate World's First Real-Time
Integrated Motion Control Using the ARM(R) Architecture for
Multi-Billion Dollar Motion-Control Industry


    AUSTIN, Texas, April 4 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Luminary
Micro ( http://www.luminarymicro.com ), a fabless
semiconductor company that designs, markets, and sells
award-winning ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-M3 processor-based
microcontrollers and was the first to bring ARM
processor-based MCUs for $1.00 to embedded developers,
announced today the availability of two new Reference
Design Kits (RDKs) utilizing the company's Stellaris(R)
microcontrollers (MCUs) designed specifically for motion
control applications such as those found in HVAC systems,
industrial conveyer systems, liquid pumps, printers,
robots, and CNC and other milling machines. The two kits
demonstrate variable speed AC induction motor control and
stepper motor control, and complement the recent launch of
five new Stellaris MCUs featuring powerful motion control
functionality. These new parts represent the first time
that real-time motion control has been integrated into an
ARM-based MCU.  Together with the new reference design
kits, the new MCUs ease the complexity of motion control
designs for OEMs and slash the associated time-to-market
and software development costs. 

    The power subsystem for each motion control design
features power semiconductors from Fairchild Semiconductor.
 The reference design kits are available now from Luminary
Micro ( http://www.luminarymicro.com/sales ).

    "The motion control industry is a `nearly
invisible' industry, in that it is ubiquitous in everyday
applications but nearly unseen.  While many recognize that
power and control must come together for the basic
functions of motor control, the complexity of optimizing
those functions together is often underestimated,"
said Luminary Chief Marketing Officer Jean Anne Booth.
"So while the market potential is great, the
challenges facing motion control OEMs are even greater:
energy efficiency, complexity of applications,
time-to-market, and software development costs. Bringing an
ARM architecture to the motion control industry, and
particularly the Stellaris implementations of the Cortex-M3
architecture, addresses not just one of these challenges,
but all of them.   For this reason, Stellaris is rapidly
becoming the MCU of choice for motion control OEMs."

    Reference Design Kit for AC Induction Motors
(RDK-ACIM)

    AC induction motors are widely used in appliance and
residential applications, in what the industry
traditionally refers to as "white goods." The
reliability and simplicity of AC motors also makes them
popular in industrial applications, such as residential and
light commercial HVAC. Stellaris microcontrollers enable
advanced variable speed control that improves efficiency
and enables new areas of application. The RDK-ACIM design
features a Stellaris LM3S818 microcontroller and drives
three-phase AC induction motors up to 1 HP (750 W), and can
scale for motors up to 10 HP.

    Consumer preference and governmental mandates for
energy efficiency are driving the need for more
computationally complex control algorithms for variable
speed AC induction motors.  The space vector modulation
implemented in the AC induction motor reference design
increases motor efficiency to nearly 100%, thereby
consuming significantly less power.   

    "Reducing energy consumption has become a global
concern, with the United States and China as the largest
consumers of energy in the world," added Luminary's
Booth.  "More than half of the worldwide electrical
output is used to generate motion, and with overall
consumption projected to increase dramatically over the
next two decades, designing with an energy-efficient, fully
integrated MCU with an ARM core, combined with energy
management, appeals to OEMs struggling to meet government
mandates for energy efficiency improvements."
 
    Stepper Motor Control Reference Design Kit
(RDK-Stepper)   

    Stepper motors are widely used in printers, scanners,
and automation applications. One of the few classes of
motor that features high starting torque and precise motion
without the aid of sensors, the stepper motor's unique
capabilities have established it as the motor of choice in
countless electronic and automation products. The
RDK-Stepper demonstrates advanced control of bipolar
stepper motors using the Stellaris LM3S617 microcontroller
and Fairchild power semiconductors. Its primary application
is driving NEMA17, NEMA23, and NEMA34 stepper motors rated
at up to 80 V at 3 Amps.

    Stepper motors are usually controlled either by a
dedicated control chip that lacks programmable
intelligence, or by a microcontroller, such as Stellaris,
that uses a basic unipolar scheme. Luminary Micro's stepper
motor reference design performs direct high-performance
software-based chopper control using the Cortex-M3
microprocessor, enabling the designer to add additional
software features without compromising motor performance.

    Everything Designers Need to Move from Evaluation to
Fully Integrated Solution

    Both the RDK-ACIM and the RDK-Stepper feature
everything needed to evaluate and develop motor control
designs.  Both kits include the main control circuit board,
graphical control program for Windows(TM), power and USB
cables, quick start guide, software source code,
schematics, BOM, and Gerber files.  The AC Induction Motor
reference design includes an Inverter-Duty 1/4 HP 3-phase
AC Motor (0-5400 RPM).  The Stepper Motor reference design
kit includes a NEMA23 Stepper Motor.  Both kits ship with
multiple motion control algorithms loaded into flash,
enabling engineers to evaluate motor and system performance
through the graphical user interface (GUI) within 10 minutes
of opening the box.   The GUI allows designers to configure
motor capabilities and safety parameters, test controls and
effects, and to understand tradeoffs in the end motor system
design.  The GUI also allows users to monitor system
statistics easily, with visual indicators showing processor
performance, bus voltage, and motor currents. 

    The Motion Control Story Featuring Luminary Micro and
Stellaris

    The five new Stellaris family members were announced in
February 2007 at the Embedded World trade show in Nuremberg,
Germany, and have been optimized to support the complex
algorithms necessary for efficient energy-saving motion
control applications.  The MCUs are referenced by part
numbers LM3S317, LM3S617, LM3S618, LM3S817, and LM3S818. As
with all Stellaris family members, these MCUs are based on
the ARM Cortex-M3 processor -- the microcontroller member
of the ARM Cortex processor family.  Designed for serious
microcontroller applications, the Stellaris family provides
entry into the industry's strongest ecosystem, with code
compatibility ranging from $1 to 1 GHz.   Additional
advantages include: 

    -- Easy and cost-effective to upgrade from 8- and
16-bit applications, 
       requiring less flash code space and delivering a 10x
improvement in 
       performance over 8051 cores and an 8x improvement in
performance over 
       PIC24F cores; 

    -- Extensions to the ARM7(TM) family processor
capabilities in critical 
       MCU applications with a 4x improvement in control
processing 
       performance, real-time interrupt response
capability, and predictable 
       deterministic interrupt behavior, while requiring
just half the flash 
       (code space) of ARM7 control applications; 

    -- Greater than 50 MIPS with a demonstrable 20x
performance roadmap in the
       Cortex processor family, allowing for a
"no-worry" migration path; and 
       
    -- Best-in-industry development environment and debug
tools. 

    The collaboration with Fairchild Semiconductor brings
Fairchild's Power Franchise(R) to each reference design
kit. Long recognized as a world leader in high performance
semiconductors, Fairchild specializes in products that
optimize system power and that are ideal for the energy
restrictions that challenge OEMs when developing today's
motor applications.

    For detailed information on the features of each
Stellaris family member, see
http://www.luminarymicro.com/product_selector_guide . 

    Pricing and Availability 

    Part Number                Price, single unit through
distribution 

    Reference Design Kit for AC 
     Induction Motors (RDK-ACIM)            $379

    Reference Design Kit for 
     Stepper Motors (RDK-Stepper)           $199

    The new Stellaris MCUs sell separately for less than
$5.30 in 10K quantities through distribution. They and all
other Stellaris MCUs, and their respective development
kits, are available now through Luminary Micro's global
sales channel ( http://www.luminarymicro.com/sales ). 

    About Luminary Micro and Stellaris

    Luminary Micro, Inc. designs, markets and sells ARM
Cortex-M3-based microcontrollers (MCUs). Austin,
Texas-based Luminary Micro is the lead partner for the
Cortex-M3 processor, delivering the world's first silicon
implementation of the Cortex-M3 processor. Luminary Micro's
introduction of the award-winning Stellaris(R) family of
products provides 32-bit performance for the same price as
current 8- and 16-bit microcontroller designs. With
entry-level pricing at $1.00 for an ARM technology-based
MCU, Luminary Micro's Stellaris product line allows for
standardization that eliminates future architectural
upgrades or software tools changes. Contact the company at
[phone] or email [e-mail] for more
information.

    Stellaris is a registered trademark and the Luminary
Micro logo is a trademark of Luminary Micro, Inc. or its
subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.  All
other products are trademarks of their respective owners.



    For more information, please contact:

    Company Contact:                                       
   
     Jean Anne Booth                                       
      
     CMO                                                  

     Mobile: [phone]                               
   
     Tel:    [phone]                          
     Email:  [e-mail]              
  

    Media Contact:
     Karen Johnson
     Mobile: [phone] 
     Tel:    [phone] 
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