Eight-channel low-side driver with SPI — what it is and where it fits
The Texas Instruments DRV8860PW is a fully integrated low-side driver that packs eight NMOS open-drain outputs, each rated for 200 mA, into a 16-pin TSSOP package. It handles brushed DC motors and unipolar steppers, plus general-purpose inductive loads like relays, solenoids, and lamps. The SPI interface lets a host controller shift in data for all eight channels over three or four wires — no dedicated PWM timer pins needed on the MCU side. Supply and load voltage share the same 8 V to 38 V rail, so one unregulated supply powers both the logic and the output stage.
Lifecycle and sourcing
The DRV8860PW carries an active lifecycle status and is ROHS3 compliant.
