Abstract: An electronics assembly includes a motor controller electronics arrangement with a solid-state switch array, a feeder cable connected to the motor controller and in electrical communication with the solid-state switch array, and a phase change material body. The phase change material body is thermally coupled to the feeder cable and arranged outside of the motor controller to limit conduction of heat generated by resistive heating of the feeder cable into the motor controller and through the feeder cable. Vehicles, electrical systems, and methods of cooling feeder cables in motor controller electronics arrangements are also described.

Abstract: A method for starting a sensorless single-phase electric motor. The electric motor includes a permanent magnetic motor rotor, an electromagnetic motor stator having a stator coil, a power electronics which energizes the stator coil, a current sensor which measures a current flowing in the stator coil, and a control electronics which controls the power electronics. The control electronics is connected with the current sensor. The method includes energizing the stator coil with an alternating drive voltage, monitoring a drive current which is generated in the stator coil by the alternating drive voltage, and commutating the alternating drive voltage whenever the drive current reaches a predefined positive current threshold value or a predefined negative current threshold value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor controller providing a dual-channel func-tional-safety (FS) safe-torque-off (STO) function when controlling a motor. The motor controller includes an inverter with low-side switches and high-side switches, a low-side gate drive connected to the low-side switches, a high-side gate drive connected to the high-side switches, a first functional-safety safe-torque-off circuit connected to the high-side gate drive and a second functional-safety safe-torque-off circuit connected to the low-side gate drive, and a non-reinforced high-voltage isolation barrier.

Abstract: The internal temperate of a transistor is determined by detecting a voltage though a terminal of an integrated circuit that is also used by an overcurrent detection circuit of the integrated circuit for detecting an overcurrent condition of the system. The overcurrent detection circuit is coupled to a current electrode of the transistor through the terminal of the integrated circuit. A determination of internal temperature is based on a voltage measurement taken from the terminal during an on phase of the transistor. The voltage measurement is converted to a digital value and is used to determine an internal temperature of the transistor.

Abstract: In an actuator, an unnecessarily large load is prevented from being applied to a shaft and a workpiece. There are included a force sensor, an output of which is according to a force applied to a connecting member connected to the shaft, an amplifier that amplifies the output of the force sensor, and a low-pass filter, and a load applied to the shaft is detected based on an output from the amplifier until the shaft or a member associated with the shaft comes in contact with another member, and thereafter, the load applied to the shaft is detected based on an output from the low-pass filter.

Abstract: A controller is adapted to be coupled to a brushless direct current (DC) motor and includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a computing device, and a driver. The ADC is configured to receive an analog back electromotive force (BEMF) waveform from the brushless DC motor and sample the analog BEMF waveform to produce a digital BEMF waveform. The computing device is coupled to the ADC and is configured to receive the digital BEMF waveform and determine a position and a speed of the rotor based on the digital BEMF waveform. The driver is coupled to the ADC and the computing device and is configured to receive the position and the speed of the rotor and provide a drive signal based on the position and the speed of the rotor of the brushless DC motor.

Abstract: Examples include a method of control implemented in a variable speed drive for controlling an electric motor during backspin, wherein the method includes: determining, by the variable speed drive, a mechanical power value occurring at a backspin speed and an estimated load torque; determining, by the variable speed drive, a specific electrical losses profile occurring at a motor flux level, wherein the specific electrical losses profile coincides with the mechanical power value; determining, by the variable speed drive, a flux reference and a speed reference to be applied to the motor to coincide with the specific electrical losses profile; and controlling, by the variable speed drive, the backspin speed of the motor to maintain the coincidence with the specific electrical losses profile.

Abstract: A motor controller comprises a switch circuit, a pre-driver, a duty cycle control circuit, a current limit circuit, a pulse width modulation control unit, and a resistor. The motor controller is configured to drive a motor, where the motor has a motor coil and a maximum rated current. The switch circuit is configured to supply a motor current to the motor coil. The pre-driver generates a plurality of driving signals to control the switch circuit. The current limit circuit may store a current limit graph. The motor controller attains a function of maintaining a fixed output power by a plurality of current limit values, where each of the current limit values is less than or equal to the maximum rated current.

Abstract: In a drive system and method for operating a drive system, in which the drive systems includes an electromagnetically operable brake, an electric motor, e.g., a three-phase motor, and an electronic circuit, the brake has an energizable coil, e.g., a brake coil, the electronic circuit has a rectifier, an upper controllable semiconductor switch, a freewheeling diode, and a varistor, a direct voltage provided by a rectifier is able to be made available by closing or by a pulse-width-modulated actuation of an upper controllable semiconductor switch of the coil, and by opening the upper controllable semiconductor switch, a current driven by the coil in the de-excitation of the coil is freewheeling and/or flowing through the freewheeling diode and the varistor or through a component connected in parallel with the varistor.

Abstract: A compressor assembly includes a compressor motor having a main winding coupled with a line terminal to receive power from a line voltage source, and an auxiliary winding. The assembly includes first and second capacitors each coupled between the line terminal and the auxiliary winding, a first relay to selectively couple the first capacitor and the second capacitor in parallel, a second relay coupled to selectively inhibit the supply of power from the line voltage source to the auxiliary winding via the first capacitor, and a control circuit configured to close the first relay in response detection of excess load condition criteria, and to subsequently open the first relay in response to detection of normal load condition criteria. The excess load condition criteria and the normal load condition criteria each include at least one of a voltage of the main winding and a voltage of the auxiliary winding.

Abstract: A motor control apparatus receives a DC power source through a DC terminal and is coupled to a motor. The motor control apparatus includes a brake, an inverter, and a controller. The brake is coupled to the inverter. The brake includes an energy-consuming component and a switch component. The controller controls the inverter to convert the DC power source to drive the motor. When the controller determines that the DC power source is interrupted, the controller stops controlling the inverter, and the switch component is self-driven turned on so that a back electromotive force generated by the motor is consumed through the energy-consuming component.

Abstract: A current detection unit includes current detection elements provided to phases on a high potential side of an upper arm element or on a low potential side of a lower arm element. A detection target element is the upper arm element or the lower arm element to which the current detection elements are provided. A target duty is a duty ratio of the detection target element. The control unit includes a current acquisition unit, an energization control unit, and an abnormality determination unit. The current acquisition unit acquires a current detection value from the current detection unit. The abnormality determination unit performs an abnormality determination based on the current detection value. The abnormality determination unit varies a determination threshold, which is used for the abnormality determination based on the current detection value, according to the target duty.

Abstract: The present invention provides a driving voltage generation method of a linear motor, and linear motor driving voltage generation device performing same. The driving voltage voltage generation method of a linear motor includes the following. Define the displacement waveform of the linear motor’s vibrator within a preset period and the displacement waveform is an asymmetrical waveform. Calculate the voltage waveform corresponding to the linear motor in the preset period according to the displacement waveform. The present invention is designed to use the driving voltage generated by the driving voltage generation method to effectively control the linear motor to express the vibration effect in a specific direction.

Abstract: Embodiments of present disclosure relate to a Safe Torque Off (STO) circuit and a method for the STO circuit. The STO circuit has an input suitable for receiving an input signal, channels coupled to the input in parallel, wherein each of the channels includes a switch, a level conversion circuit, and an isolation circuit connected in series. Each isolation circuit being configured to be turned on when the respective switch is closed and to be turned off when the respective switch is opened. Each of the channels also includes an inverter module, a control unit, a first switch unit, and a second switch unit.

Abstract: An electric motor system is described. The electric motor system includes a drive circuit configured to supply variable frequency current and a contactor configured to supply line frequency current, wherein the drive circuit includes a three-phase inverter and an H-bridge including two phases of the inverter. The electric motor system also includes an electric motor and a controller. The controller is configured to control the inverter to supply variable frequency current to the electric motor over a first duration and determine to control the drive circuit to transition from supplying variable frequency current to supplying line frequency current. The controller is also configured to determine a polarity of a sensed alternating current (AC) voltage, disable at least two switches of the H-bridge, and control the contactor to close, thereby preventing the contactor and the inverter from energizing the electric motor at the same time once the contactor is closed.

Abstract: A system in a vehicle includes a current regulator to obtain current commands from a controller based on a torque input and provide voltage commands and an inverter to use the voltage commands from the current regulator and direct current (DC) supplied by a battery to provide alternating current (AC). The system also includes an electric traction motor to provide drive power to a transmission of the vehicle based on injection of the AC from the inverter. The current regulator adjusts parameters of a transfer function implemented by the current regulator, based on feedback of an input to and an output from the electric traction motor to achieve the AC corresponding with the torque input in no more than two control cycles.

Abstract: A system includes a motor configured to be coupled to a non-rigid load and a control system disposed within, or communicatively coupled to, a drive system configured to control an operation of the motor. The control system includes a processor and a memory accessible by the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a smooth move input profile to control the operation of the motor based on inputs specifying a desired operation of the motor, apply a notch filter having a notch filter frequency to the smooth move input profile to produce a filtered smooth move input profile, and send a command to the drive system based on the filtered smooth move input profile, wherein the command is configured to adjust the operation of the motor.

Abstract: A motor drive device of an embodiment includes a first drive circuit, a second drive circuit, a first detection circuit, a second detection circuit, a third detection circuit, a fourth detection circuit, and an output circuit. The first drive circuit drives a first phase of a motor. The second drive circuit drives a second phase of the motor. The first detection circuit detects a first anomaly of the first phase. The second detection circuit detects the first anomaly of the second phase. The third detection circuit detects a second anomaly of the first phase. The fourth detection circuit detects the second anomaly of the second phase. The output circuit outputs an occurred anomaly as a flag signal based on results of detection by the first to fourth detection circuits.

Abstract: The present invention includes a phase angle detection unit generating a phase angle signal switched at a timing at which a cogging torque generated with the rotation of a rotor of a brushless DC motor reaches near a peak on a negative side hindering the rotation of the rotor, an inverter circuit energizing coils of respective phases of the brushless DC motor by switching elements according to an input of a driving signal, an energization period calculation unit calculating an energization period Tw from a target rotation speed set for the brushless DC motor, and a drive control unit energizing the coils sequentially by outputting the driving signal to the respective switching elements for each energization period, gradually increasing a duty of the driving signals to the switching elements at a start of each energization period, and decreasing the duty after the phase angle signal is switched.

Abstract: A sensor module for a vehicle includes a housing structured to be mounted along a sidewall of a cargo door, and a pressure-sensitive sensor mounted in the housing so as to be extendible from the housing and retractable into the housing. A sensor deployment mechanism is operatively coupled to the sensor and is structured to be operable to extend the sensor from the housing and to retract the sensor into the housing.