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TI technology extends flight time and battery life of quadcopters and industrial dronesDALLAS, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today introduced two circuit-based subsystem reference designs that will help manufacturers add flight time and extend battery life to quadcopters and other non-military consumer and industrial drones used to deliver packages, provide surveillance or communicate and assist at long distances. "Flight time continues to be a top design challenge for recreational quadcopters and professional drones, especially those being used by companies for beyond visual line-of-sight operation. Delivery companies want drones with enhanced battery life, and are testing delivery of parcels with drones to see how far they can go," said Stelios Kotakis, senior analyst of data transmission & managed services with IHS Markit. According to a recent IHS Markit study*, almost 50 percent of drones in the market have an estimated battery life of less than 30 minutes, 35 percent can fly between 31 and 60 minutes and the remaining 15 percent and less can fly more than an hour – all under ideal flying conditions without additional payload. Breakthrough battery management design High-speed performance for efficient motors The design features TI's C2000™ MCU InstaSPIN-FOC™ solution, including an F28027F microcontroller for precise motor control and FAST™ field observer proprietary software algorithm that estimates the rotor flux, angle, speed and torque. Motor parameter information is used to tune the current control bandwidth. Unlike other techniques, the FAST sensorless observer algorithm is completely self-tuning, requiring no adjustments for proper operation and propeller control. The design also includes a 60-V LMR16006 SIMPLE SWITCHER® DC/DC converter with ultra-low quiescent current to efficiently manage a drone's lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries. Find out more about TI and drone subsystem design capabilities:
About Texas Instruments Trademarks *Information based on IHS Markit, Technology Group, Service Robots & Drones Report – 2016. Information is not an endorsement of Texas Instruments. Any reliance on these results is at the third party's own risk. Visit technology.ihs.com for more details. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ti-technology-extends-flight-time-and-battery-life-of-quadcopters-and-industrial-drones-300391918.html SOURCE Texas Instruments |