STMicroelectronics EV-VNH7040AY

Overview

EV-VNH7040AY from STMicroelectronics is a preassembled evaluation board for the VNH7040AY VIPower® M0-7 full-bridge motor driver IC, designed for rapid prototyping of 12 V/24 V automotive DC motor control. It integrates the VNH7040AY in PowerSSO-36 with onboard 470 µF/50 V bulk capacitor, 33 nF decoupling capacitor, and precision current-sense resistors, enabling direct connection to microcontrollers, power supplies, and brushed DC loads without external component design.

For engineers reviewing the EV-VNH7040AY datasheet, EV-VNH7040AY pinout, EV-VNH7040AY application, or EV-VNH7040AY equivalent, this board supports functional validation of H-bridge direction control (INA/INB), PWM speed regulation up to 20 kHz, Multisense current monitoring (M_SENSE), and diagnostic enablement (SENSE_EN) in real-world thermal and electrical conditions.

Technical Context

The EV-VNH7040AY implements a complete hardware reference for the VNH7040AY dual high-side + dual low-side H-bridge, featuring three exposed thermal islands on its PowerSSO-36 footprint and dedicated thermal vias (0.5 mm diameter, 1.1 mm spacing) on a 2-layer FR4 PCB (41 × 47 mm, 35 µm Cu). It supports 4–28 V operation and withstands transients up to 38 V.

Board-level signal routing isolates power paths (OUTA/OUTB, VCC, GND) from logic inputs (INA, INB, PWM, SEL0, SEL1, SENSE_EN) and analog sense output (M_SENSE), with 1 kΩ pull-up/down resistors on all digital control lines and 10 kΩ dividers for sense scaling per datasheet recommendations.

Key Specifications

Availability

EV-VNH7040AY is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for automotive ECU development, industrial actuator prototyping, and brushed DC motor control validation requiring stable component supply, traceable sourcing, and documented thermal performance.

Supply support for EV-VNH7040AY 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-grade power, microcontrollers, sensors, and analog solutions.

The EV-VNH7040AY belongs to ST's VIPower® evaluation platform family, engineered to accelerate validation of high-reliability motor drivers in harsh automotive environments-specifically targeting body control modules, seat/mirror actuators, and HVAC blower systems.

FAQ

Does EV-VNH7040AY include the VNH7040AY IC?

Yes. The board is preassembled with the VNH7040AY full-bridge motor driver IC in PowerSSO-36 package. No soldering or IC installation is required-only external connections to power, microcontroller, and load are needed to begin functional testing.

What is the purpose of the Multisense feature on this board?

Multisense provides real-time analog current monitoring via the M_SENSE pin and fault diagnostics including overcurrent, overtemperature, and open-load detection. SENSE_EN enables the feature, while SEL0/SEL1 select which diagnostic parameter is output on M_SENSE.

Can EV-VNH7040AY drive bidirectional 24 V motors?

Yes. The board supports bidirectional control of brushed DC motors up to 24 V nominal (4–28 V operating range) using INA/INB logic inputs. It delivers typical 35 A current limit per channel and 40 mΩ on-resistance, validated for automotive HVAC and seat actuator loads.

Is thermal management integrated into the board layout?

Yes. The board features three exposed copper islands aligned with the VNH7040AY's die pads, plus an array of thermal vias (0.5 mm diameter, 1.1 mm pitch) connecting top and bottom ground planes-achieving 40–45 °C/W junction-to-ambient thermal resistance as measured per JEDEC JESD51-7.