24‑Channel Mixed‑Signal IC Supports Motor Control, DAQ in Aerospace Systems
The LX4580, a 24‑channel mixed‑signal IC, is designed to streamline high‑reliability actuation control systems for aviation and defense applications. Developed by Microchip Technology, the multi-channel pulse-width-modulation (PWM) motor driver/controller IC replaces multiple discrete components with a single device that supports synchronized data acquisition, fault monitoring. and motor control. It ultimately shrinks system size, weight, and complexity in applications that include More Electric Aircraft (MEA), guided defense systems, drones, and launch platforms.
The IC integrates pressure sensing, temperature measurement, PWM motor-drive outputs, current sensing, Hall-effect sensor inputs, dual LVDT/resolver interfaces, and dual high‑speed SAR ADCs. This level of integration delivers broad sensor coverage, precise timing alignment, and improved reliability compared to multi‑device architectures.
The LX4580’s redundant architecture is tailored for mission‑critical environments that demand fault tolerance and deterministic performance. By consolidating functions commonly spread across MCUs, ADCs, DACs, driver ICs and regulators, the device reduces board space and wiring complexity, supporting manufacturers’ goals to minimize overall system weight while meeting demanding safety and certification requirements.
Availability and Support
The LX4580, offered in a compact 144‑pin LQFP package, is now available in production quantities. To accelerate customer development, Microchip offers tools and application documentation demonstrating use with its MCUs:
- The LX4580-EVB Evaluation Board and User Guide are available to assist customers in simplifying their system development and to evaluate the features of the IC. A breakout module is included with the EVB.
- An additional User Guide demonstrates a linear actuator control system using the company’s SAMV71 MCU with an LX4580. The MCU runs the motor-control loop and generates motor-control signals, while the LX4580 manages key sensors.
- Additional information on the LX4580 and supporting resources is available on the product web page.
About the Author
Lee Goldberg
Contributing Editor
Lee is the author of the popular PowerBites series.
Lee Goldberg is a self-identified “Recovering Engineer,” Maker/Hacker, Green-Tech Maven, Aviator, Gadfly, and Geek Dad. He spent the first 18 years of his career helping design microprocessors, embedded systems, renewable energy applications, and the occasional interplanetary spacecraft. After trading his ‘scope and soldering iron for a keyboard and a second career as a tech journalist, he’s spent the next two decades at several print and online engineering publications.
Lee’s current focus is power electronics, especially the technologies involved with energy efficiency, energy management, and renewable energy. This dovetails with his coverage of sustainable technologies and various environmental and social issues within the engineering community that he began in 1996. Lee also covers 3D printers, open-source hardware, and other Maker/Hacker technologies.
Lee holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Thomas Edison College, and participated in a colloquium on technology, society, and the environment at Goddard College’s Institute for Social Ecology. His book, “Green Electronics/Green Bottom Line - A Commonsense Guide To Environmentally Responsible Engineering and Management,” was published by Newnes Press.
Lee, his wife Catherine, and his daughter Anwyn currently reside in the outskirts of Princeton N.J., where they masquerade as a typical suburban family.