Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has initiated sample shipments of TB9M001FTG, the latest addition to its Smart Motor Control Driver (SmartMCD) series.

The device is designed to drive relays and control two brushed DC motors, making it 'ideal for automotive applications', the company says.

The electrification of automotive equipment has led to a demand for secondary devices that offer superior performance, advanced features, more compact sizes, and fewer components. Toshiba's new SmartMCD addresses these market needs with its integrated functionalities.

The SmartMCD has four built-in low-side drivers for relay operations and bidirectional control of two brushed DC motors.

It incorporates an Arm Cortex-M0 core microcontroller, ample flash memory, two high-side drivers, a LIN transceiver, and a power supply system that can function at automotive battery levels. All these features are housed in a small VQFN48 package measuring just 7×7 mm.

The driver's capabilities extend beyond controlling brushed DC motors for automotive uses such as power sunroofs and electric wipers. It can also manage various sensors and actuators. With LIN control from the main ECU, the driver serves as a versatile secondary device for an array of automotive applications, promoting efficient control and supporting a wide range of functions.

Toshiba plans to further enhance its SmartMCD series, contributing to the miniaturisation of automotive systems and the reduction of component counts.

The second product in the SmartMCD series, TB9M001FTG, can be configured to transition to Standby mode in the idle state to decrease power consumption.

In November 2024, Toshiba Electronics Europe started offering engineering samples of its TB9084FTG, a MOSFET gate driver IC, designed for three-phase brushless DC motors with power ratings of several hundred watts.

Earlier in 2025, Toshiba launched a new series of four-channel high-speed standard digital isolators, DCM34xx01 Series, designed for automotive applications.