They allow for precise management of dual-motor configurations plus PFC (power factor correction), providing an efficient, cost-effective, and versatile solution for applications in household appliances such as air conditioning units, air-to-air heat pumps, washer/dryers, dishwashers, and induction cooktops.
High-performance core and robust memory:
The new series, with a floating-point unit (FPU) and DSP extensions, operates at 180 MHz and achieves 705 CoreMark® and 267 DMIPS. It is equipped with up to 256 KB of Flash, 64 KB of Data-Flash, and 32 KB of SRAM. Both the Flash and SRAM support ECC, ensuring data integrity. Additionally, it features 512 bytes of OTP (One-Time Programmable) memory and 6 KB for the bootloader.
Dedicated hardware accelerators for high-precision motor control.
To free the CPU from intensive tasks during the implementation of Field-Oriented Control (FOC) algorithms, the GD32M531 incorporates:
• Trigonometric Calculation Unit (TMU): performs operations such as sine, cosine, arctangent, and square root in just a few clock cycles.
• Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM) Unit: directly generates space vector modulation signals for the control, via three-phase inverters, of AC induction motors or permanent magnet synchronous motors. This type of modulation is designed for use in FOC algorithms.
Advanced Timers and Hardware Protection
• Advanced Timers (AD-TIMER): Two 16-bit, 8-channel timers that support independent control of two groups of FOCs. They include hardware phase-shift trigger generation for the ADCs, ensuring synchronized and accurate voltage and current sampling, eliminating the common delays of software triggering.
• Dedicated Protection Peripherals (POC and GTOC):
o The Port Output Controller (POC) constantly monitors for potential problems such as overcurrents or short circuits in the power stage. If it detects an anomaly, it can disable the motor control signals in as little as 3 clock cycles, without CPU intervention—faster than software.
o The General Purpose Timer Output Controller (GTOC) offers similar functionality for the General Purpose Timers (GPTIMER), with response times of approximately 5 clock cycles.
Wide Voltage and Temperature Range
: The new GD32M531 series supports a wide supply voltage range of 2.7 V to 5.5 V and can operate between temperatures of −40 °C and 105 °C (junction temperature up to 125 °C). It also offers robust ESD protection (HBM ±4 kV, CDM ±1 kV) and supports latch-up currents of ±200 mA. It incorporates several power-saving modes. In standby mode, typical current consumption is only 2.18 µA at 5.0 V.
Highly Integrated Peripherals:
The MCU provides several communication interfaces, including four UARTs, one I²C, one SPI, and one CAN 2.0B. For auxiliary control tasks, it has four 16-bit general-purpose timers that can be used for PFC, in addition to three 32-bit comparator timers (CPTIMER). Two 12-bit ADC modules support synchronous or asynchronous sampling and simultaneous acquisition of up to five channels. The DAC can be used as a comparator input to improve the accuracy of analog processing.
Industrial-grade functional safety:
The GD32M531's STL (Safety Test Library) is certified according to IEC 60730 Class B, meeting functional safety standards for household appliances. Integrated CRC, UID, code protection, and full ECC coverage further enhance system safety and regulatory compliance.
Wide Application Coverage.
Available in LQFP64 and LQFP48 packages, its highly integrated design reduces the number of external components, optimizes the Bill of Materials (BOM), and shortens product R&D cycles. It supports a wide range of motor control applications: outdoor air conditioning units, air-to-air heat pumps, washing machines/dryers, dishwashers, induction cookers, inverters, water pumps, industrial fans, industrial robot joints, MPPT for photovoltaic inverters, DC/DC converters for energy storage, charging stations, and more.
