Categorized by motor type

DC Motor Driver: Used to drive brush DC motor, typical driver chip such as L298, L293D.

BLDC Motor Driver: Used to drive brushless DC motors with phase change function, such as DRV8301, DRV8313, etc.

Stepper Motor Driver: Used to drive stepper motor, control the stepping angle and speed, common drivers such as A4988, TMC2208.

AC Motor Driver: used to drive AC motor, usually used in industrial control field, common models such as ABB ACS series, Schneider ATV series.

Categorized by operating voltage:

Low Voltage Driver :  applicable to small motors, the working voltage is usually below 24V.

High-voltage drive: applicable to industrial large motors, working voltage from 48V to several hundred volts.

Classified according to the drive mode:

H-bridge driver: commonly used to control DC motor forward and reverse and speed control, such as L298N.

Full-bridge driver: can provide higher power and finer control, usually used for BLDC and stepper motors.

II. Motor Controllers

Motor controllers are responsible for generating control signals to regulate the speed, direction, position, etc. of the motor. According to the control method and function, controllers can be categorized into:

1. Categorized by control method:

Open Loop Controllers: no feedback mechanism, direct output control signals, typically used for stepper motors and other applications that do not require high precision position.

Closed Loop Controllers: use feedback signals (such as encoders, Hall sensors) to regulate, commonly used in BLDC and servo motor control.

2. Categorized by control algorithm:

Pulse Width Modulation Controllers: control the motor speed by adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM signal, widely used in DC motors and brushless motors.

Vector Controllers: also known as field vector control (FOC), commonly used in brushless DC motors and AC synchronous motors, providing more accurate speed and torque control.

3. Categorized by application areas:

Industrial Motor Controllers: Used for precise control of large-scale industrial equipment, supporting a variety of communication protocols and advanced control functions, such as PLC and DCS control systems.

Consumer motor controllers: used in home appliances, robots, drones, etc., usually highly integrated and easy to use.