This section provides an overview for brushless dc motor drivers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 36 brushless dc motor driver manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked brushless dc motor driver companies as of November, 2024: 1.Allied Motion, Inc., 2.Nanotec Electronic U.S. Inc., 3.Allegro MicroSystems, Inc..
Table of Contents
A brushless DC motor driver is a semiconductor device that drives and controls a motor based on instructions from a microcontroller or another control unit.
Creating a drive circuit with semiconductor discrete components is possible. However, controlling brushless DC motors is complex, requiring many components and sophisticated software control.
Thus, motor drivers are often utilized to decrease software development efforts and component counts.
Brushless DC motor drivers are crucial for devices using brushless DC motors, enabling precise speed control. They find applications in hard disk drives, NC-controlled machines, automobiles, and hybrid vehicles.
Specifically, in automobiles, they are used for door lock motors, electric power steering motors, and headlight axis adjustment motors, among other applications.
In a motor, the electromagnet is stationary. By altering the current flow direction through the coil, it's possible to change the electromagnets' polarity, enabling attraction and repulsion.
Electronic control is necessary to drive a brushless DC motor. To rotate the motor, a rotating magnetic field is created by changing the current direction in the motor windings.
While induction motors, which operate on AC power, use AC voltage to generate a rotating magnetic field, brushless DC motors, operating on DC power, cannot employ the same method.
Unlike brushed DC motors, where commutators and brushes change the current direction, brushless DC motors use semiconductor switches, such as transistors, for this purpose.
The benefits of using brushless DC motor drivers include comprehensive on-chip protection functions and reduced effort in developing microcontroller control software. Additional advantages are fewer components, minimized board mounting area, and simplified motor drive realization.
Moreover, while brushed DC motors rely on brushes for current direction control, necessitating periodic replacement due to wear, brushless DC motor drivers achieve brushless current control, offering a longer lifespan and lower maintenance.
Brushless DC motors feature three coils, with one coil interconnected to the others, allowing current to flow through two coils by connecting one to the positive side and the other to the negative side.
Each coil connects to two semiconductor switches, with motor rotation achieved by sequentially controlling these switches. A brushless DC motor driver is essential for generating a rotating magnetic field and rotating the motor by sequentially controlling the semiconductor switches.
A microcontroller is essential for controlling the timing and speed of motor rotation. However, most microcontrollers cannot directly control motors through their input/output ports.
In such cases, a motor driver facilitates motor control by mediating control signals between the microcontroller and the motor. Upon receiving a signal from the motor driver, the motor alters the polarity of each electromagnet to move the motor.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Geeplus was founded in 2004 in Beckenham, UK as a management buyout of the electromechanical division inside Densitron Control Systems, Ltd. The company is a worldwide designer and manufacturer of both standard and customized electromagnetic and electromechanical actuators. The company’s primary catalog includes voice coil motors, linear and rotary solenoids, control circuits, and other related components. The company’s custom actuator solutions include design options for custom voice coil actuators, custom solenoid actuators, custom stepper motors, and custom electromagnets.
ElectroCraft Inc., established in 1960 and headquartered in Stratham, United States of America, is a supplier of application-engineered fractional-horsepower motor and motion products. The company provides DC motors, motor drives, linear actuators, and brush motors. It also delivers AC motors, gear motors, mobile drivetrains, and cables. It provides advanced precision solutions for the lowest cost of ownership for the largest brands and the newest cutting-edge companies. The products are used for medical equipment, laboratory automation, mobile robotics, industrial automation, agricultural automation, and military & defense industries. It serves North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia markets.
Microchip Technology Incorporated was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. The company is a developer and manufacturer of control solutions for global markets including the automotive, industrial, communications, human-machine interface, and connectivity industries. The company’s products include microcontrollers, field-programmable gate array products, MOSFET and radio frequency products, and both wired and wireless communications products. The company’s services include wafer foundry and assembly services, test subcontracting manufacturing services, development tools for enabling system designers to program microcontrollers and processors, and timing system products.
Allied Motion Technologies Inc., established in 1962 is a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of precision and specialty motion control components and systems headquartered in Amherst, New York The company offers electronic, electromagnetic, and mechanical motion technology segmented into brushed DC motors, AC motors, gear motors, brushless motors, and vehicle steering & traction brushless. Its products are used in various motion control applications in the industrial, vehicle, electronics, and aerospace & defense markets. They also supply the medical sector with critical motion control solutions such as power wheelchair control systems, motion control for ventilators, and respirators & medical robots.
Nanotec Electronic U.S. Inc., headquartered in the United States, has been an eminent manufacturer and supplier of motion control solutions for 30 years. The company specializes in developing superior motors, drives, and controllers that empower industries worldwide. Nanotec Electronic U.S. Inc. has forged a path of innovation in motion control technology. Their relentless pursuits revolve around delivering precision and efficiency to industries such as automation, robotics, and medical equipment manufacturing. Through steadfast devotion to cutting-edge solutions, they enable their clients to achieve enhanced performance and productivity.
Allegro MicroSystems, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, is a fables manufacturer of sensor integrated circuits and application-specific analog power integrated circuits. Its diverse product portfolio includes sensors, regulators, and motor drivers used in several areas, including clean energy, automation, E-mobility, and computer markets. The company supports customers through its design and application centers located in South America, Asia, North America, and Europe. It went public in 2020, and its shares are traded on Nasdaq Global under ALGM. It ships over one billion units annually to support its more than 10,000 customers worldwide.
Dart Controls was founded in 1963 and is now headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana. The company is a designer and manufacturer of drives, controls, and accessories for electric motors to customers across North America and certain overseas countries. The company implements lean manufacturing with tools and concepts such as Kanban, Kaizen, just-in-time, and Poka-Yoke to improve reliability and reduce costs for customers. The company’s product offerings include digital potentiometers, low-voltage DC, encoders, and multiple types of drives. The company offers packaged total solutions of sensors and drives.
3X Motion Technologies Co. Ltd, established in 2002 and headquartered in LuCheng Changzhou, China, is a manufacturer and designer specializing in control motor solutions. The company offers a range of products, such as hybrid stepper motors, brushed DC geared motors, and brushed DC motors. These products are widely used in various applications, including industrial automation, security systems, and automatic doors. Additionally, the company offers unique customization options and complete engineered systems, tailored to meet specific customer needs.
Changzhou Hetai Motors, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Jiangsu province, China, is a manufacturer and supplier specializing in micro-motors. The company’s product portfolio includes hybrid stepper motors, brushless DC motors, and servo motors, used in diverse applications such as printers, medical instruments, and automation equipment. The company provides pre-sales support helping customers identify the most suitable motors for various industries and specific applications. Certified with ISO, CE, and RoHS, the company caters to clients in both domestic and international markets, including the USA, Europe, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
CHANGZHOU JKONGMOTOR CO.,LTD., founded in 2011 in Changzhou, China, is a manufacturer specializing in the production of brushless DC motors, linear stepper motors, and various other motor types. The company has achieved ISO 9001 certifications for meeting industry standards and offering stability and durability in its products. Its motors provide features such as efficient performance, precise control, and low maintenance. These motors serve multiple industries, including robotics, automation, aerospace, and medical equipment. It offers advanced motor solutions for various technological applications, resulting in the progress and efficiency of manufacturing industries worldwide.
Ningbo Zhongda Leader Intelligent Transmission Co., Ltd., founded in Zhejiang, China, in 1998 is a manufacturer of motor drives, small and special electric machines. The company's product portfolio includes odor drives encompass a wide range of products, including AC drives, DC drives, and servo drives, AC Motors/Gear Motors, DC Gear Motors and Planetary Gearboxes. The company serves industries such as Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Aviation, and Power Generation. The company provides services such as Product Selection Guidance, Engineering Support, and Custom Manufacturing.
Nuvoton Technology Corporation, founded in 2008 with headquarters in Taiwan, is a semiconductor manufacturer that provides foundry capabilities as a manufacturing partner to fabless or fab-lite semiconductor companies. Nuvoton Foundry FAB offers a variety of technologies, including generic logic, mixed signal (mixed Mmde), high-voltage power management components, and embedded logic non-volatile memory. The company provides customized design and manufacturing services, including multi-layer mask and multi-project wafer production services. Nuvoton Technology Corporation's products and services are also used in sensors, biochips, and TVS.
Renesas Electronics Corporation was established in 2002 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Renesas is a global research, design, and manufacturer of semiconductors used in industries spanning automotive, consumer electronics, the internet of things, power & energy, and industrial sectors. Renesas manufactures both analog and digital products. Analog products include amplifiers, audio & video devices, data converters, PLC, and switches & multiplexers. Digital products include microcontrollers, memory components, sensors, wireless connectivity products, and others. Renesas also offers design resources such as kits, development tools, partner programs, and design tools.
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation is a division of Toshiba focusing on providing designs for end-product developers as well as semiconductor and drive equipment for automotive, industrial equipment, green energy, and consumer and personal electronic devices. Toshiba’s storage products include cloud-scale and enterprise-level products, and PC hard drives. Semiconductor products include Si Cower devices, MOSFETs, IGBTs, IEGTs, isolators, solid state relays, power management and intelligent power ICs, diodes, bipolar transistors, microcontrollers, automotive devices, ICs for wireless communication equipment, general purpose logic ICs, radio-frequency devices, sensors, and linear image sensors.
MOON’s is headquartered in Shanghai, China. MOON’s is a manufacturer or motion control products. Among these products are stepper drives and motors, brushed and brushless DC motors, servo drives and motors, integrated motors, BLDC drives, lighting drivers and control products, and condition monitoring products. MOON’s has achieved ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certification.
MTC Industries and Research Carmiel Ltd. is an AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015 and MIL-STD certified manufacturer of subsystems for the defense and aerospace industries established in 1977 in Karmiel, Israel. The company’s product lineup includes servo motors for converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, and servo actuators for providing controlled force and motion in platforms such as UAVs or gliding bombs. It also offers inertial sensors, gyroscopes, and slip rings for transmitting power and signals. The company’s products are mainly used by clients in the aerospace and defense sectors, such as Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.
Monolithic Power Systems (MPS), founded in 1997 and headquartered in San Jose, California, is a manufacturer of integrated circuits (ICs). Their product range includes switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) for converting AC or DC power to lower voltage DC power, LED drivers for driving LED lights, battery management ICs to manage power in portable devices, power factor correction (PFC) ICs for improving power supply efficiency, and sensorless motor control ICs to control motors without position sensors. MPS's solutions find applications in consumer electronics, industrial, and automotive industries, offering efficient power management solutions to enhance various electronic devices.
Texas Instruments Incorporated was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Texas Instruments is a producer of high tech equipment for industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment industries. Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers in the United States and internationally. Texas Instruments operates in two segments: analog and embedded processing. The Analog segment offers power products, including battery-management solutions, DC/DC switching regulators, power switches, linear regulators, voltage references, and lighting products. The Embedded Processing segment offers microcontrollers that are used in fields such as electronic equipment and digital signal processors for mathematical computations.
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
Oriental Motor USA Corp., established in 1978 and based in Torrance, California, is a manufacturer of motors and control systems and is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. The company stocks over 50,000 products that it sells worldwide, including actuators, motors, and controller products used in several industries like the medical, semiconductor, and factory automation industries. In 1983, the company developed brushless DC fans, and it later developed watertight, dust-resistant motors in 1990. In 1991, it came up with motorized linear slides and motorized cylinders.
Taibang Motor Industry Group Co., Ltd, established in 1996 and based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, is a manufacturer and supplier of electric motors and drive systems. Specializing in motor technology, its product range of electric motors, including AC and DC motors, geared motors, and customized drive solutions. The company's revolutions drive progress across industries, from manufacturing and automation to renewable energy applications. Its pledge to radical motor solutions has established them as a principal partner in enabling efficient and dependable motion across a diverse range of sectors.
Electromen Oy Ltd., founded in 1988 and based in Turku, Finland, is a manufacturer of electronic devices for industrial environments and automation solutions. Its product portfolio includes galvanic isolators, signal converters, motor controllers, transducers, and monitoring devices, mainly serving automation subcontractors and machinery and equipment manufacturers. While its main clients are based in Finland, the company works with international distributors from several countries, including Australia, France, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. It also works directly with the customer to design and develop the product.
Established in 1996 in Gujarat, India, Alto Motors is a leading BLDC motor manufacturer dedicated to advanced motion technology. We specialize in state-of-the-art BLDC motors and have a strong history in AC motor production. As a top BLDC motor manufacturer in India, our commitment to engineering excellence and innovative technology ensures the highest quality and performance in our products. At Alto Motors, we deliver high-performance, energy-efficient solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of our global customers. Our focus on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction drives us to stay at the forefront of motor technology, providing reliable and effective solutions for various applications.
ROHM Semiconductor was incorporated in 1940 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. ROHM manufactures and sells electronic components worldwide. ROHM operates through the segments ICs, discrete semiconductor devices, and modules. ROHM provides ICs comprising memory, amplifiers and linear, power management, clocks and timers, switches and multiplexers, logic, data converters, sensors and MEMS, display drivers, motor/actuator drivers, interfaces, communication and speech synthesis LSI, audio and video, and microcontrollers. ROHM also offers discrete semiconductor products include MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, and diodes; power devices, including power transistors and diodes, SiC power devices, IGBT, and IPM; passive devices, such as resistors, and conductive polymer and tantalum capacitors; and various modules among others.
RobotShop was founded in 2003 as a supplier of Robotic products and services having its head office in Quebec, Canada. The company provides Robot parts like cables, batteries, chargers, sensors, etc., along with complete Robots and Kits which are available as 4 and 6-wheel robots, robotic arms and grippers, robot construction kits, and related types. There are also robots that are further classified for domestic use such as Robot Lawn Mowers and Vacuums, and professional and industrial robots like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) and they also cater to education sectors and hobbyists.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Allied Motion, Inc. |
10.2%
|
2 | Nanotec Electronic U.S. Inc. |
6.9%
|
3 | Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. |
6.2%
|
4 | Dart Controls, Inc. |
4.7%
|
5 | Electromen Oy |
4.4%
|
6 | Changzhou Hetai Motor And Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. |
4.0%
|
7 | Geeplus Inc. |
4.0%
|
8 | Nuvoton Technology Corporation |
3.6%
|
9 | Oriental Motor U.S.A. Corp. |
3.3%
|
10 | Microchip Technology Inc. |
3.3%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the brushless dc motor driver page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
China | 13 | 43.3% |
United States of America | 8 | 26.7% |
Japan | 3 | 10.0% |
India | 2 | 6.7% |
Taiwan | 1 | 3.3% |
Finland | 1 | 3.3% |
Switzerland | 1 | 3.3% |
Canada | 1 | 3.3% |