Embedded Artists NXP LPCXpresso Motor Control Kit Promotion

Embedded Artist and NXP have jointly designed the LPCXpresso Motor Control Kit to easily get started with motor control prototyping. This platform is based on NXP LPCXpresso MCUs and can control BLDC (Brushless DC), BLAC (Brushless AC), stepper and dual brushed DC motors.

NXP MCU Motor Control Kit — Embedded Artists NXP LPCXpresso Motor Control Kit

This is not a new design (2010), but Embedded Artist and NXP are discounting their development kit by 50% for a limited period, which brings the price of the kit to 149 Euros, instead of 299 Euros.

The kit includes:

LPCXpresso Motor Control Board
LPCXpresso LPC1114 Board (The “stick” on the left in the picture above)
LPCXpresso Eclipse-based IDE and GNU compiler
BLDC Motor with hall sensors
24V Power supply (60W)

Here are the specifications of the Motor Control Board:

Controller MCU	• Socket for LPCXpresso LPC1114 and LPC1343 • Socket for LPCXpresso LPC176x • Socket for LPC1xxx in PLCC44 • Expansion connector for control by LPC1800/LPC4000/LPC2900 families, or other
Phase control	• 4 phases (based on NXP PMSN2R6-40YS NMOSFET), accessed via screw terminals • Phase control support 100% duty cycle • Voltage measurement (on three phases and virtual ground) • Current measurement (in-phase on three phases and common low-side) • Input current measurement, including over-current trip • Break functionality • Hall & QEI sensor inputs, connected via screw terminals • Temp sensor • 12-30V input voltage, 17A max current (max 300W output) • On-board 15W power supply (+11V, +5V, +3.3V)
Communication Interfaces	• USB interface (must be supported by controlled MCU) • Ethernet interface (must be supported by controlled MCU) • CAN interface (must be supported by controlled MCU) • RS422/485 interface • UART-to-USB interface
User Interface	• 5-key joystick switch • 96×64 pixel OLED
Other	• Reset pushbutton • I2C-E2PROM • SWD/JTAG connector
Dimensions	200 x 150 mm
Power Supply Input	• 2.1mm input jack, or via screw terminals • 12-30V, 17A max

If you are interested in this kit or just want to know more, you may want to watch the video below giving an introduction of the board as well as showing how to get started with the kit.

You can get more information including the user manual and the schematics (and possibly buy the board) on Embedded Artist’s LPCXpresso Motor Control Board page. If you are interesting in motor control, it is also achievable with the Raspberry Pi and the soon-to-be available Gertboard, although I’m not quite sure how the total price would compare to the 149 Euros for the LPCXpresso Motor Control Board.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.