STMicroelectronics EV-VNH5050A

Overview

EV-VNH5050A from STMicroelectronics is a preassembled evaluation board for the VNH5050A-E VIPower® H-Bridge driver IC, designed to interface 12 V automotive bidirectional loads (e.g., PMDC motors) with microcontrollers via 3 V/5 V CMOS-compatible control signals. It integrates thermal heat-sinking, dual-channel current sensing (CS/CS_DIS), and diagnostic feedback including overload, short-circuit-to-ground/VCC, open-load, and overtemperature detection.

For engineers reviewing the EV-VNH5050A datasheet, EV-VNH5050A pinout, EV-VNH5050A application, or EV-VNH5050A equivalent, this board enables rapid prototyping of motor control systems requiring validated thermal performance, diagnostic visibility, and direct integration with PowerSSO-36-packaged H-bridge drivers in automotive-grade environments.

Technical Context

The EV-VNH5050A implements a two-channel half-bridge evaluation platform supporting the VNH5050A-E's full functional set: independent high-side/low-side drive, active power limitation, autorestart overtemperature shutdown, and analog current sense per output. It exposes all critical device pins-including INA/INB/IN_PWM, ENa/DIAGa/ENb/DIAGb, CS/CS_DIS, and dual GND_A/GND_B-via standardized connectors J1 and J2.

Board-level design includes dedicated thermal vias (0.3 mm diameter, 1.2 mm spacing), 2-layer FR4 construction (1.6 mm thickness, 70 µm Cu), and pre-routed interconnects for SOURCE_HSa–DRAIN_LSa and SOURCE_HSb–DRAIN_LSb loop closure-essential for proper H-bridge operation as specified in UM1556.

Key Specifications

Availability

EV-VNH5050A is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for automotive motor control prototyping, industrial actuator validation, and educational robotics development requiring stable component supply and production-representative thermal behavior.

Supply support for EV-VNH5050A 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

STMicroelectronics is a global semiconductor leader headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, specializing in automotive, industrial, and power management solutions with vertical manufacturing and application-focused IP.

The EV-VNH5050A belongs to ST's VIPower® evaluation board family, engineered to accelerate adoption of their system-in-package H-bridge drivers in safety-conscious 12 V DC motor applications where diagnostics, thermal robustness, and layout fidelity are critical.

FAQ

Does EV-VNH5050A include the VNH5050A-E IC pre-soldered?

Yes. The board ships fully assembled with the VNH5050A-E H-Bridge IC housed in the PowerSSO-36 package. No soldering or component placement is required to begin evaluation. All passive components-including current sense resistors, pull-up/down networks, and decoupling capacitors-are factory-installed per ST's reference design.

What is the purpose of the CS_DIS pin on the EV-VNH5050A board?

The CS_DIS pin disables the internal current sense amplifiers of the VNH5050A-E. When pulled high, it allows sharing of an external sense resistor across multiple identical boards or devices-reducing BOM cost and PCB area in multi-channel motor control systems without sacrificing diagnostic capability on active channels.

Can EV-VNH5050A drive brushed DC motors directly without additional external components?

No. While the board provides electrical connectivity and thermal relief, external components-including freewheeling diodes, bulk capacitance, and optional RC snubbers-are required per UM1556 guidelines. The board does not integrate flyback protection or EMI filtering, which must be added based on motor inductance and switching frequency.

Is the EV-VNH5050A rated for automotive temperature or qualification standards?

The board itself is not AEC-Q200 qualified, but it hosts the AEC-Q100-qualified VNH5050A-E IC. Its thermal design (31–40 °C/W R_thj-amb) and FR4 construction support operation across −40 °C to +125 °C ambient when used with appropriate heatsinking-aligning with automotive under-hood requirements for prototype validation.