Abstract: Disclosed is a biped robot and multi-configuration robot capable of being spliced autonomously, and a control method of the multi-configuration robot. The biped robot comprises a torso, arms, legs, a tolerance docking sleeve, and a torso docking device. The arms are correspondingly arranged at the left and right sides of the torso, and two legs are arranged at the lower side of the torso. The tolerance docking sleeve is movably arranged at the rear side of the torso through a base, and the torso docking device is fixed to the front side of the torso. Single biped robots in the present disclosure can form a multi-configuration legged combined body in a self-organization and reconstruction mode so as to achieve bipedal, quadrupedal, hexapodal and other multi-legged configurations. The motion stability and the load capacity of the legged robot are improved through the splicing combination of the modular legged robots.

Abstract: A method for controlling the direction of rotation of a fluid machine having an oriented-blade impeller, comprising the following steps: starting (100) a synchronous electric motor which operates said fluid machine until the synchronous state is reached; driving (200) said synchronous electric motor at steady state by applying a phase cutting; applying (300) a phase cutting corresponding to a reference power, wherein said reference power is comprised between a first power required to keep the propeller rotating in a right direction and a second power required to keep the propeller rotating in a wrong direction, which is opposed to the right direction.

Abstract: A motor drive receives a position feedback signal from an encoder operatively connected to a motor. The motor drive executes multiple position determination modules to determine multiple approximate motor shaft positions. On each iteration of a position determination module, the motor drive samples the feedback signal, increments a pulse counter when a new encoder pulse is received, adds the pulse counter to a high-resolution pulse counter register, and calculates an approximate motor position as a function of the value of the high-resolution pulse count register. The motor drive averages the multiple approximate positions, and the result is used by a speed regulator module executed on the same motor drive to achieve the desired operation of the motor. The speed regulator iterates at a slower rate than any of the multiple position determination modules.

Abstract: A control system (200) of an electric machine (80) includes a position sensor (51) configured to detect the angular position of a rotor of the electric machine (80); at least two alternate current sensors (52), each one of the alternate current sensors (52) being configured to detect the value of the alternate current (ia, ib, ic) to an input phase to the electric machine (80), and being electrically connected to a phase of the supply circuit of the electric machine (80), the electric machine (80) being electrically connected to an inverter (60) configured to transform a continuous voltage supplied by the electric supply means into an alternate voltage for a power supply of the electric machine (80); and a measuring circuit (100) of a voltage of an electric machine.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for protecting a door system from damage by a back electromotive force (EMF) voltage generated when a door coupled to a door actuator is manually closed. The door system may include a driver configured to drive the door actuator to move the door, and a back EMF protection circuit. The back EMF protection circuit detects a back EMF voltage generated by the door actuator when the door is moved, and determines whether the back EMF voltage exceeds an overvoltage threshold. In response to determining that the back EMF voltage exceeds the overvoltage threshold, the back EMF protection circuit causes the driver to transition to an enabled state to short the back EMF voltage to ground.

Abstract: Provided is a calibration apparatus comprising: a driving control unit to drive an object provided with a lens in a movable range for moving the object in an optical axis-direction by sequentially controlling a plurality of drive units configured to drive the object within each of a plurality of sections into which the movable range is divided, in calibration of a drive apparatus including: the plurality of drive units; and a magnetic field detection unit configured to detect a magnetic field corresponding to a position of the object; a position acquisition unit to acquire position data of the object; a magnetic field acquisition unit to acquire magnetic field data corresponding to a position of the object; and a generating unit to generate, based on the position data and the magnetic field data, end point information to determine a driving range in each of the plurality of sections.

Abstract: A method of obtaining a parameter of a synchronous motor is disclosed and includes: setting an operating current of the motor; providing a positive fixed voltage to the motor and monitoring a feedback current from the motor; recording a triggering time for the feedback current to reach the operating current; providing a negative fixed voltage to the motor for the triggering time; obtaining a square-wave voltage with a fixed frequency based on the positive fixed voltage and the negative fixed voltage being provided; providing the square-wave voltage with the fixed frequency to one axis of the motor; transforming three-phase current from the motor into an axial current; computing an inductance value of this axis based on the fixed frequency, the square-wave voltage and the axial current; and, creating an inductance-current parameter table based on a plurality of the inductance values and the axial currents correspondingly.

Abstract: Techniques for managing a distributed control system for a motor control switch are described. A request to implement a first controller for a motor control switch is received. Embodiments determine a plurality of functional modules for the first controller. Each of the plurality of functional modules comprises an instance of computer logic configured to perform a respective function. A respective Motor Control Function Set (MCFS) for performing the respective function of each of the plurality of functional modules is determined. One or more of a plurality of configurable hardware blocks are allocated to each of the plurality of functional modules. Embodiments configure each of the plurality of configurable hardware blocks based on the MCFS of the functional module to which the respective configurable hardware block is allocated. The configured plurality of configurable hardware blocks is executed as a distributed system to control the motor control switch.

Abstract: A method of operating a power tool having a motor and a controller is provided. The method includes: setting a protection time limit associated with a condition of the motor; taking protective action to shut down the motor if the condition of the motor persists for a duration of the protection time limit; and in response to occurrence of the condition during a start-up period of operation of the motor, extending the protection time limit for a duration of a constant-clutch time period to allow an output speed of the motor to reach or exceed a speed threshold, and taking protective action to shut down the motor if the output speed of the motor remains below the speed threshold for the duration of the constant-clutch time period.

Abstract: A motor includes a stator on which an armature coil is wound, a rotor disposed inside the stator, a superconducting field coil being wound thereon and, a controller configured to control the motor, in which the controller is configured to control an armature current supplied from an AC source to the armature coil and a field current supplied from a DC source to the field coil, and charge at least a certain ratio of the field coil before starting the motor.

Abstract: A system for driving an actuator which is capable of providing constant resolution regardless of a type of an actuator according to an aspect of the present invention includes an actuator driving circuit configured to generate a driving current for an operating actuator and output the generated driving current to the operating actuator, a current sensing unit configured to sense a current of the operating actuator and generate a sensing signal, and a gain adjustment unit configured to calculate a gain on the basis of a first maximum driving current range of the operating actuator and a second maximum driving current range of a reference actuator and change the sensing signal on the basis of the gain. A signal generated based on the second sensing signal is input to the actuator driving circuit.

Abstract: A motor control device controls an AC motor by sensorless control. The motor control device includes: an inverter; a multilayer printed circuit board including an inner layer having a wiring pattern provided in a current line connecting the inverter to a winding of the AC motor; a plurality of chip inductors mounted on a major surface of the multilayer printed circuit board in opposed relation to the wiring pattern, and connected in series to form a series circuit having a midpoint connected to a reference potential; load resistors connected between the midpoint of the series circuit and the opposite ends of the series circuit; a differential amplification circuit connected to the series circuit; and a control unit that estimates the position of the rotor of the AC motor by using an output of the differential amplification circuit, and generates the pulse width modulation signal to be supplied to the inverter.

Abstract: Apparatus and techniques for analyzing a capacitance value in an electric motor inverter are disclosed. A processor is coupled to a DC-AC inverter, which includes a capacitor across its terminals and is powered by a battery. The processor performs resistor switching to enable singular, periodic measurement of the capacitance. The measured value is compared with a nominal or beginning of life (BOL) value. An alert may be sent if the capacitance has degraded beyond a threshold. In other aspects, the DC torque ripple envelop is used to measure capacitance. The outcome is compared with the other tests to assess consistency. An inconsistent outcome may identify potential resistor degradation.

Abstract: A motor control device is provided, which drives a two-phase synchronous motor. The motor control device includes: control current waveform generating means which generates a control current waveform by superposing a fundamental sinusoidal wave and a reluctance torque correction waveform that suppresses the fluctuation of the reluctance torque of the two-phase synchronous motor; and current control signal generating means which generates a current control signal for supplying a current to the windings of the two-phase synchronous motor according to the control current waveform generated by the control current waveform generating means. The reluctance torque correction waveform may have a waveform profile such that an original waveform having a frequency twice that of the fundamental sinusoidal wave and having a phase matched with that of the fundamental sinusoidal wave is full-wave-rectified to the same sign as or a different sign from that of the fundamental sinusoidal wave.

Abstract: A motor drive device is provided which includes: a first drive unit configured to drive a plurality of first motor phases; a second drive unit configured to drive a plurality of second motor phases; a common sensor configured to detect a total current flowing through a phase pair obtained by selecting one phase from the plurality of first motor phases and one phase from the plurality of second motor phases; at least one first motor phase sensor and at least one second motor phase sensor configured to detect each current flowing through each phase not included in the phase pair among the plurality of first motor phases and the plurality of second motor phases, respectively; and a drive control unit configured to control drive amounts of the first drive unit and the second drive unit for the plurality of first motor phases and the plurality of second motor phases.

Abstract: A high-integrity electromechanical actuator control system includes a system function controller, a plurality of actuator controllers, and at least one electromechanical actuator. Each actuator controller includes a first controller, a second controller, and a duty cycle computation circuit. The first controller receives digital actuator control commands supplied from two of the function control channels and supplies first digital duty cycle commands. The second controller receives digital actuator control commands supplied from two function control channels and supplies second digital duty cycle commands. The duty cycle computation circuit receives the first digital duty cycle commands and the second digital duty cycle commands, computes an average of the first and second duty cycle commands, and generates pulse width modulated (PWM) commutation control signals based on the computed average.

Abstract: A propulsion control device includes: a first wire connectable to a power line supplied with direct-current power or a ground line connected to a reference potential; a second wire connectable to the power line or the ground line; and a brake chopper circuit in which a first switching element to which a first diode is connected in parallel and a second switching element to which a second diode is connected in parallel are connected in series, and in the brake chopper circuit, one end of the first switching element is connected to the first wire, another end of the first switching element is connected to one end of the second switching element at a connection point, another end of the second switching element is connected to the second wire, and the connection point is connected to the first wire or the second wire via a brake resistor.

Abstract: Methods of operating electric motor systems that comprise electric motors comprising a rotor having a magnet mounted thereto. The electric motor is initially operated in an open loop mode in which the rotor angle is estimated based on the input voltage frequency. Once the motor is running at sufficient speed, a transition to closed loop mode operation is performed, wherein the rotor angle is determined using an observed back EMF. To provide a smoother open loop to closed loop transition, the rotor angle is determined during a transition period as a function of both the open loop rotor angle and the closed loop rotor angle.

Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes a battery, at least one drive motor, inverter circuits, a step-up circuit, and a switch. The inverter circuits are configured to drive the at least one drive motor. The step-up circuit is connected between the battery and the inverter circuits. The switch is configured to switch a connection state of the inverter circuits to the step-up circuit between series connection and parallel connection.

Abstract: A device estimates the electromagnetic torque of a three-phase synchronous electric machine including permanent magnets. The device includes: a first flux estimator including two integrators of electromotive force for estimating the respective components of the flux in a fixed two-phase coordinate system tied to the stator, an estimator for estimating the torque from the respective estimated-flux components, a second flux estimator that uses currents expressed in a rotating two-phase coordinate system tied to the rotor, with an observer for determining variables that characterize magnetic uncertainties of the machine with a view to correcting the flux estimation of the second estimator, and a detector for generating a signal for resetting initial flux conditions of the two integrators based on the flux estimation delivered by the second estimator, when the discrepancy between the estimated torque and a setpoint torque is higher than a predefined threshold.