Sensorless BLDC drive in a 7x5 mm VQFN
The MCT8316A1VRGFR is a single-chip sensorless BLDC motor controller from Texas Instruments, rated for 8 A peak output current and a 4.5 V to 35 V supply and load range. It integrates three half-bridge NMOS outputs with sensorless trapezoidal commutation, controlled via an I²C interface. The 40-VFQFN exposed-pad package (7x5 mm body) demands a thermal-via array under the pad to pull heat into the PCB ground plane — the junction-to-ambient thermal resistance is set by the board area, not the package alone.
Automotive temperature grade and reliability
Graded Automotive, the part operates from -40°C to 125°C ambient — the full under-hood temperature band for engine-bay actuators, coolant pumps, and HVAC blowers.
8 A peak into BLDC and stepper motors
The 8 A peak current rating drives small-to-medium BLDC motors in automotive actuation — electric latch, fuel pump, cooling fan, and variable-valve-timing applications. The motor type listing includes both brushless DC (BLDC) and multiphase stepper, meaning the same IC can commutate a sensorless BLDC motor or drive a two-phase stepper with microstepping via the I²C bus. Supply and load share the same 4.5 V to 35 V range — the IC runs directly off a 12 V or 24 V automotive battery bus without an intermediate regulator, provided the input stays below the 40 V absolute maximum implied by the 35 V operating ceiling.