Monolithic Power Systems Inc. EV6604A-V-00A

Overview

EV6604A-V-00A from Monolithic Power Systems is an evaluation board designed to demonstrate the MP6604A dual H-bridge motor driver IC, supporting 45V input voltage and 2.5A per bridge output current in QFN-28 (4mm×5mm) package. It enables rapid prototyping of stepper and brushed DC motor control using IN/EN logic interface, with on-board test points, jumpers, and manual push-button controls for signal validation.

For engineers reviewing the EV6604A-V-00A datasheet, EV6604A-V-00A pinout, EV6604A-V-00A application, or EV6604A-V-00A equivalent, this board provides verified hardware reference for MP6604A integration, fault monitoring (nFAULT), sleep mode (nSLEEP), and dual independent H-bridge timing control under real load conditions.

Technical Context

The EV6604A-V-00A implements a complete functional test platform for the MP6604A IC, featuring dual independent H-bridges with separate IN/EN control per channel, integrated 100μF/63V bulk input capacitance, and 4.7μF/100V ceramic charge-pump capacitors (CPA/CPB). It supports VCC = 3.3V or 5V logic supply and VIN = 4.5–45V motor supply.

Board-level protection includes SMA TVS diode (D1) for transient suppression, 100mΩ current-sense resistors (R2/R3) for A/B bridge current monitoring, and LED-based status indication (LED1). All critical signals - nFAULT, nSLEEP, nRESET, and EN/IN inputs - are accessible via CN1 header or SW1 toggle switches.

Key Specifications

Availability

EV6604A-V-00A is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for motor control validation, embedded motion prototyping, and industrial actuator development requiring stable component supply and documented reference design fidelity.

Supply support for EV6604A-V-00A includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-performance power management ICs, with core expertise in DC/DC converters, motor drivers, and battery management solutions.

The EV6604A-V-00A belongs to MPS's motor driver evaluation board product line, engineered specifically to accelerate adoption of the MP6604A dual H-bridge IC in precision motion control applications requiring robust IN/EN interface timing and thermal-aware layout practices.

FAQ

What motor types can be driven using the EV6604A-V-00A?

The board supports bipolar stepper motors (full/half-step), brushed DC motors (bidirectional speed and direction control), and resistive or inductive loads up to 2.5A per H-bridge. It is not configured for brushless (BLDC) motor commutation or closed-loop servo control without external position feedback.

Does the EV6604A-V-00A include current sensing capability?

Yes - it integrates two 100mΩ, 1% tolerance sense resistors (R2 and R3) on the PGNDA and PGNDB ground return paths, enabling direct measurement of phase current for each H-bridge. Voltage drop across these resistors is accessible at test points VG and NFLT.

Can the EV6604A-V-00A operate without an external microcontroller?

Yes - SW1 provides manual IN/EN logic toggling for both bridges, allowing standalone functional verification. The truth table in the quick start guide defines all valid combinations (e.g., xENx=0, xINx=1 → xOUTx=H), enabling basic motor direction/speed tests without firmware.

What is the purpose of JP1, JP2, and JP3 on the board?

JP1 connects VCP to CPB for charge-pump capacitor configuration; JP2 and JP3 enable or disable VREG output (internal 5V LDO) to power external logic. These jumpers allow flexible power architecture selection depending on whether the user supplies VCC externally or derives it from the MP6604A's regulator.

Is thermal management provided on the EV6604A-V-00A?

The board uses exposed-pad QFN-28 footprint for U1 (MP6604AGV) with thermal vias to inner and bottom copper layers, plus 2oz copper weight on top/bottom layers. No heatsink is mounted, but the layout supports optional heatsink attachment via the exposed pad for sustained 2.5A operation.

How is fault condition indicated on the EV6604A-V-00A?

Fault status is signaled via open-drain nFAULT pin (U1 Pin 15), which pulls low during overcurrent, overtemperature, or VIN undervoltage. This signal drives LED1 when JP3 is installed, providing visual fault indication; it also connects to CN1 Pin 10 for MCU interrupt monitoring.