In 1997, TI released the original DSP optimised for motor control. Although it’s performance and peripherals were modest by today’s standards, the device quickly established itself in the digital motor control market. An early example of it’s application was in automotive power steering, where digitally controlled brushless DC motors replaced heavier and more costly hydraulic systems. In 2000, a 3.3 V version known as the LF240x series was released. These parts featured a faster clock speed, up to 40 MHz, and improved ADC and PWM generator. The LF240x was used in, among many other examples, early versions of the “Segway” transporter. It also found widespread acceptance in servo motor control and inverter applications. 2002 witnessed an important development in the C2000 ancestry; the F281x device featuring a new 32-bit fixed-point DSP core known as the C28x. This device empowered far more demanding motor control and switched power applications.

The F280x devices, released at around this time, featured a radical re-design of the PWM generator to meet the demanding requirements of switched power systems. For the first time, it became possible to accurately control PWM phase shift and frequency, in addition to duty cycle. A further refinement was high-resolution PWM, which enabled digital control to be used with far higher switching frequencies than was previously possible. In 2007, the C28x core was enhanced by the addition of a floating-point unit, further extending the range of applications for which digital control was possible. The “Delfino” family also featured a multi-channel DMA engine which, for example, enabled the device to be used in streaming data applications such as radar. In 2009, the well-known “Piccolo” family was launched. This innovative design further reduced system cost by integrating system level features such as dual oscillators, power-on and brown-out reset, and analog comparators for over-current or over-voltage fault detection. Piccolo has found widespread use in practically all inverter and power supply applications. The most recent development, in 2011, was the introduction of a dual core platform known as “Concerto”. This platform combines the real-time performance of the C28x core, with the versatility of an ARM M3 micro-controller. Designers could now combine real-time control with supervision and communications in a single device. This platform also integrates several new communications ports such as Ethernet and USB.