I am used to work with PICs, but I want to start using AVRs as well. One thing I like in the PICs is the EPWM (enhanced PWM) peripheral, in which you just set a couple of registers, and the PIC will generate all the control signals for a H-Bridge, or Half-Bridge control, including dead-time and push-pull signals.
I want to know if there is something like this in the Atmel MCUs, and it's name, so I might find it on the datasheet and select the proper MCU for my projects.
I work mainly with PICs (and ARM) also, but the AVRs have very similar peripherals which will do what you are looking for.
The ATxmega 8-bit series micros have the standard timers and input/output capture/compare peripherals (similar to the PICs CCP). These can be set up for motor driving, with dead time, etc.
To quote from this App note on BLDC motor control:
ATxmega128A1 provides 16-bit timers/counters with :
Four Compare or Capture (CC) Channels in Timer/Counter 0
Two Compare or Capture (CC) Channels in Timer/Counter 1
To generate PWM frequency, this Application Note uses three compare channels
(A,B,C) of Timer0 and the Advanced Waveform Extension (AWEX) additional feature
to Timer 0. AWEX function is available for ports C and E (Port C is used in this
Application Note).
The benefits of AWEX features for motor control are :
• Complementary outputs from each Capture channel
• Four Dead Time Insertion (DTI) which avoid cross conduction
• Separate High and Low Side Dead-Time Setting
• Double Buffered Dead-Time
• Event Controlled Fault Protection
• Single Channel Multiple Output Operation
• Double Buffered Pattern Generation
I would have a browse round the site, read some app notes and check out a few of the offerings.
