POWER DRIVER FOR STEPPER MOTORS INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG
Hamburg, Germany
TMC26xC Migration Guide
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 ARTICLE NAME & NUMBER CHANGES ............................................................................................. 2
2 COMPATIBILITY ................................................................................................................... 2
3 CHANGES, DIFFERENCES, AND ENHANCEMENTS ................................................................... 2
3.1 CHANGES & DIFFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 2
3.2 ENHANCEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 3
3.3 OPTIONAL ENHANCEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 3
3.4 COMPARISON OF ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................... 3
4 MIGRATING TO TMC26XC IN EXISTING APPLICATIONS .......................................................... 4
5 DISCLAIMER ........................................................................................................................ 7
6 REVISION HISTORY .............................................................................................................. 7
7 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 7
1 Introduction
When Trinamic introduced the TMC26x family into the market eleven years ago, it set standards
regarding microstep resolution and current control. To this day, it still enables ground-breaking
applications, allowing for refined and dynamic motion – making it one of the leading stepper motor
drivers.
We are now transferring our TMC260, TMC261, TMC262 and TMC2660 products to a newer process
technology. This ensures on-demand and long-term availability and product longevity for customer
applications. The new products are available with the suffix “C” in the article name.
We are empowering one of our most popular stepper driver families, keeping it future proof for the
next decade, so qualifying the “C-versions” is mandatory.
While the TMC26xC version has been designed to be downward compatible to the TCM26x for most
applications, some applications, which originally have been designed to work near to some limiting
values, might need careful checking. This is the focus of this migration guide.
Valid for TMC260C, TMC261C, TMC262C, TMC2660C
This migration guide describes how to migrate from the TMC26x stepper motor driver family to its newer
TMC26xC version. It compares both versions and gives technical guidelines on what may be required to
use the TMC26xC in existing applications.
Application Note AN062 (V1.00 / 2021-MAR-12) 2
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1.1 Article Name & Number Changes
Article Name
Article Number
New Article Name
New Article Numbers
TMC260A-PA
00-0141
TMC260C-PA
00-0183
TMC260A-PA-T
00-0141T
TMC260C-PA-T
00-0183T
TMC261A-PA
00-0171
TMC261C-PA
00-0184
TMC261A-PA-T
00-0171T
TMC261C-PA-T
00-0184T
TMC262-LA
00-0075
TMC262C-LA
00-0167
TMC262-LA-T
00-0075T
TMC262C-LA-T
00-0167T
TMC2660-PA
00-0114
TMC2660C-PA
00-0185
TMC2660-PA-T
00-0114T
TMC2660C-PA-T
00-0185T
2 Compatibility
• No change in package mechanical dimensions.
• No changes regarding the pinout.
• No change in the required application circuit.
• Absolute maximum ratings are identical or better compared to TMC26x.
• TMC26xC register set fully software compatible to TMC26x.
• Driver electrical characteristics at MOSFET outputs near to typical TMC262 device
(e.g., slope, intelligent break before make timing, gate voltage).
3 Changes, Differences, and Enhancements
3.1 Changes & Differences
• Revision field of IC label changes to “C” version.
o Example: TMC262-LA → TMC262C-LA
• A new wafer fab and process has been chosen to ensure long-term availability.
• The resulting motor current is typically +1...3% increased over TMC26x due to better /
cleaner current sensing capabilities in the new process structures. This also results in a
small increase in motor torque.
• Reduced power dissipation of internal circuitry, leading to lower heat-up and drastically
reduced standby power consumption.
• CMOS input levels are increased with 5V VCC_IO level to increase noise rejection.
• Reduced filtering time for STEP & DIR inputs to reduce the risk of missed step pulses.
• StallGuard™ calculation for negative SGT settings is corrected: In the original design,
negative StallGuard™ threshold settings for SGT lead to numeric underflow in some cases,
especially with values below -10. In some cases, this behavior already started partially with
-5. Therefore, the use of SGT values below -10 was not recommended in non-C devices.
This is fixed with C-Types.
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3.2 Enhancements
• Reduced power dissipation of core chip and MOSFET stage due to lower RDSon and tighter
BBM timing, resulting in lower heat-up.
• More silent chopper operation without any change in application, especially at low motor
velocity due to higher precision, lower noise current comparator.
• Drastically reduced motor vibration at standstill due to less chopper noise.
• VCC_IO is monitored by internal reset circuitry to ensure clean power-up and power-down
in mixed-voltage systems.
• Overtemperature shutdown has added hysteresis to avoid spurious switching off / on with
a high frequency. Following overtemperature, the driver stage remains switched off until
the IC cools down below 120°C.
• Increased drive-level for P-MOSFETs for lower power dissipation in the external power-
stage.
• CMOS input levels are increased with 5V VCC_IO level to increase noise rejection.
• Reduced filtering time for STEP & DIR inputs to reduce risk of missed step pulses.
3.3 Optional Enhancements
TMC26xC contains a range of optional enhancements. These functions are enabled via additional
configuration bits, which in turn requires an adaptation of the control software in that case.
• Choice of higher gate drive current to drive MOSFETs with lower RDSon.
(Bit SLP2)
• Clock fail-safe option: In case the external clock fails, the IC defaults back to the internal
clock. This avoids damage to the motor and driver stage.
(Enable: EN_S2VS, together with short protection)
• Low-side short detection (Short to VS) for improved robustness in case of incorrect wiring
or overcurrent, for example due to wrongly connected motor.
(Enable: EN_S2VS)
• Optional higher sensitivity high-side protection for improved protection.
(Enable: SHRTSENS)
• Optional lower overtemperature threshold of 136°C for more sensitive protection of the
power driver.
(Enable: OTSENSE)
• Option to work down to 5V supply voltage and to add resonance dampening.
(Enable: EN_PFD)
3.4 Comparison of Electrical Characteristics
The following table compares the most important electrical parameter. If not stated otherwise, the
table entries refer to the typical values. The table uses TMC262 and TMC262C for comparison. It is
similar for TMC260x, TMC2660x, and TMC261x devices. Further information on min/max values is
given in the datasheets / links to be found at the end of this guide.
Item / Parameter
Symbol
TMC262
TMC262C
Comment
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Supply voltage max
VVS
60V
62V
Improved range
ESD protection HBM, device
handling
V
ESDDH
300V
500V
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ESD protection HBM,
soldered on board
V
ESDAP
1kV
2kV
Operational Range
Supply voltage min.
VVS
9V
5V
Wider/ improved
operational range
Supply voltage max.
VVS
59V
60V
DC & AC Specifications
Supply current, operating
IVS
12mA
8mA
I
VS0
& I
VI0
are slightly higher
due to more robust level
shifters and additional
undervoltage reset circuits.
Anyhow, a highly improved
dynamic power
consumption compensates
this from the 1
st
MHz on.
Supply current, MOSFETs off
IVS
10mA
5mA
Supply current, dependency
on CLK freq.
I
VS
0.32mA/MHz
0.1mA/MHz
Static supply current
IVS0
3.2mA
3.5mA
IO supply Current
I
VI0
0.3µA
50µA
Input voltage low level, max.
VINLO
0.8
0.3* VIO
Input voltage high level, min.
VINHI
2.4
0.7* VIO
Internal CLK frequency /
@tJ=-50°C
f
CLKOSC
14.3MHz
13.5MHz
Slightly lower typical
internal CLK frequency. But
all within min/max ranges
of TMC262.
Internal CLK frequency /
@tJ=50°C
f
CLKOSC
15.2MHz
14.3MHz
Internal CLK frequency /
@tJ=150°C
f
CLKOSC
15.4MHz
14.5MHz
Sense input peak threshold
voltage (low sensitivity)
V
SRTRIPL
310mV
323mV
Sense input peak threshold
voltage (high sensitivity)
V
SRTRIPH
165mV
176mV
4 Migrating to TMC26xC in Existing Applications
For applications already using the previous versions (TMC26x), the following items should be verified
when migrating to the TMC26xC family. This is especially important when operating at or close to
some limiting values.
• Motor phase current
• Shift of motor and system resonance frequencies
• StallGuard™ and CoolStep™ parameterization (if these features are used)
• SPI communication when using the internal clock
• Thermal behavior
For motor operation near to resonance frequencies or near to maximum motor torque ratings
carefully check the performance. Velocity and current settings may need to be adjusted. The resulting
motor current with the TMC26xC type has been found to be 1%-3% higher in a typical layout, due to
improvement and reduction of noise on the current measurement signal. For applications operating
Application Note AN062 (V1.00 / 2021-MAR-12) 5
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near the motor temperature limit, or near the limit of the power supply, countercheck motor heat-
up in your application. Adapt motor current slightly if required.
Item Change in TMC26xC Possible impact on application
More silent
chopper with
TMC262C
Internal noise sources have been reduced.
Noise caused by internal wiring voltage drop
makes up for up to 10mV within the TMC26x.
This reflects in a slightly lower sense input
threshold voltage.
More silent motor, especially
with low velocity. TMC26xC
effective motor is current about
1%-3% higher.
StallGuard™
threshold setting
SGT
The internal calculation has been corrected to
avoid loss of StallGuard™ signal in
combination with negative SGT settings.
For applications using
StallGuard™ at a very sensitive
range, compare the results
carefully.
In case the application uses SGT
settings below -5, check the
StallGuard™ sensitivity, and
tune SGT in case of too low
sensitivity.
StallGuard™ and
CoolStep™
behavior
A consequence of better internal current
sensing the resulting motor phase current can
be 1%-3% higher than before. This results in
ca. 1%-3% more torque.
Previous StallGuard™ limits may
not fit exactly due to the
current/torque changes.
Follow the StallGuard™ and
CoolStep™ Parameterization
Appnote / a link is provided at
the end of this document.
SPI timing
When running on internal clock frequency
(which has a manufacturing stray as before)
the frequency for the SPI bus should be
chosen in a safe range. The TMC26xC has
a slightly lower center value of the
production stray of the internal oscillator.
However, this center value is still within the
min/max values of the non-C-devices.
Basically, no change is required
if the SPI bus clock frequency
has been chosen in a safe rage
before already.
Resonances
TMC26xC shows ca. 1%-3% higher current (=
1%-3% more torque), better internal sensing,
different center value of production stray of
the internal oscillator, and improved
precision and speed of internal Break-before
make detector.
Motor resonances shift to a
slightly different frequency and
might have different effect in
combination with the
application mechanics.
The SpreadCycle™ chopper
parameters may need to be
adapted.
Follow the SpreadCycle™
Parameterization Appnote / a
link is provided at the end of
this document.
PCB Layout
The TMC26xC uses some of the GND pins of
the original device as individual return for the
sense resistor. In case, the PCB layout fails to
contact all GND pins of the TMC26x to the
GND plane using short traces, the current
regulation might suffer.
Follow the SpreadCycle™
Parameterization Appnote / a
link is provided at the end of
this document.
Application Note AN062 (V1.00 / 2021-MAR-12) 6
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Undervoltage
monitoring of
VCC_IO
The IO voltage VCC_IO is monitored by the
internal reset circuitry. The device becomes
reset upon VCC_IO undervoltage.
Increased VCC_IO supply
current (50µA), device resets
upon VCC_IO undervoltage.
100nF Capacitor on VCC_IO
voltage near IC is mandatory.
Hysteresis for
overtemperature
detector
Following overtemperature detection at
136°C or 150°C, the driver stage remains
switched off until the IC cools down below
120°C.
Longer shutdown time upon
overtemperature detection,
safe detection by interface.
Increased P-MOS
drive level
The drive level for the P-MOS has been
increased from roughly 8V to 10V.
Reduced heat up of driver FETs.
Input levels
depend on
VCC_IO voltage
TMC26x input level detectors are supplied by
internal 5V supply, leading to fixed 0.8V and
2.4V levels.
TMC26xC uses VCC_IO supplied CMOS
Schmitt-Trigger inputs instead.
Higher positive logic level for 5V
VCC_IO supply. No change with
3.3V VCC_IO supply. Check
levels in 5V systems.
Spike filtering
time on
STEP/DIR input
The filtering has been improved while
reducing the filtering time in order to reduce
the risk of missing short step pulses.
Potential impact in systems
with high noise level on STEP &
DIR input pins.
CLK input filter
TMC262C provides better filtering against
short pulses (10ns typ.).
More robust against reflections
on CLK. Check timing in case of
SPI rate at ½ fCLK. Invert CLK
signal if required.
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5 Disclaimer
TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG does not authorize or warrant any of its products for use in life
support systems, without the specific written consent of TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG. Life
support systems are equipment intended to support or sustain life, and whose failure to perform, when
properly used in accordance with instructions provided, can be reasonably expected to result in personal injury
or death.
Information given in this application note is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is
assumed for the consequences of its use nor for any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties
which may result from its use.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
All trademarks used are property of their respective owners.
6 Revision History
Version
Date
Author
Description
1.0
12.03.2021
TMC
Initial release version.
7 References
• Application Note AN002 – Parameterization of StallGuard™ and CoolStep™
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Support/Appnotes/AN002-stallGuard2.pdf
• Application Note AN001 – Parameterization of SpreadCycle™
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Support/Appnotes/AN001-SpreadCycle.pdf
• TMC262-LA Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC262_datasheet_rev2.14.pdf
• TMC262C-LA Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC262C_datasheet_Rev1.00.pdf
• TMC260-PA Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC260_datasheet_Rev2.12.pdf
• TMC260C-PA Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC260C_Datasheet_Rev1.01.pdf
• TMC261 Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC261_datasheet_Rev2.12.pdf
• TMC261C Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC261C_Datasheet_Rev1.01.pdf
• TMC2660 Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC2660_datasheet_Rev1.07.pdf
• TMC2660C Datasheet
https://www.trinamic.com/fileadmin/assets/Products/ICs_Documents/TMC2660C_Datasheet_Rev1.01.pdf
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