Abstract: In a voltage booster apparatus, a charge control transistor is turned on to charge a coil output capacitor and a booster output capacitor and then turned off, thereby confirming rise of a coil output voltage and a booster output voltage. A power supply relay is turned on to restore a booster operation thereby to check rise of the booster output voltage. If both of a step-up FET and a step-down FET are not in short-circuit failure, ON state of the power supply relay is fixed thereby to restore a power steering system operation.

Abstract: To provide a controller apparatus of a type, in which the controller is given the redundancy so that the control of the drive motor can be properly performed at all times when an abnormality such as the failure of the controller occurs, with the reliability consequently increased, a plurality of controllers are provided, each including a power circuit for outputting a drive current for the drive motor and a control circuit, which is a light electric circuit, for controlling the power circuit in response to a motor drive command fed from a higher control. An abnormality determiner is provided for determining an abnormality occurring in the controller then in use according to a prescribed rule and then generating a switching signal. A switch is provided, which is operable in response to the switching signal to change the controller then in a state of functioning relative to the drive motor.

Abstract: When one of six FETs has short-circuit faulted, a controllable region identification unit stops driving of an electric motor, and then performs processes for determining whether a short-circuit fault has occurred, and when a short-circuit fault has occurred, for identifying the position of the FET that has short-circuit faulted based on phase voltages (induced voltages) VU, VV, and VW of phases. When the position of the FET that has short-circuit faulted is identified, the controllable region identification unit performs a controllable region identification process. In detail, the controllable region identification unit identifies a “possible region,” an “indeterminate region,” and a “impossible region” based on phase voltages VU, VV, and VW of the phases.

Abstract: A unit for recording operating information of an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The unit includes a system controller communicatively coupled to an ECM. The system controller includes a processing device configured to control the unit. The unit also includes a memory device communicatively coupled to the system controller. The memory device is configured to receive and store ECM operating information provided by the processing device.

Abstract: A motor control apparatus has an inverter circuit, which includes FETs for converting electric power supplied to a motor. A capacitor is provided between a battery and the inverter circuit. A pull-up resistor connects a V-phase of the motor to a high potential side of the battery. A power supply relay permits or interrupts current flow from the battery to the capacitor and the motor. A microcomputer controls the power supply relay and the motor. The microcomputer turns on a low-side FET of a V-phase under a condition that the power supply relay is interrupting the current flow before the motor is started. Electric charge stored in the capacitor is discharged to a low potential side of the battery through the pull-up resistor.

Abstract: A control circuit (1) for an electronically commutated, direct current motor (M) without a collector with a semiconductor end stage (2) which is controlled by an electronic commutation control (4) via a driver stage (6) for the time-offset control of the stator coils (U,V,W) of the motor (M) for the purpose of producing a magnetic rotating field for a rotor depending on the rotor rotation position. Two redundant stall protection units (10, 12) monitor the motor (M) during operation for rotation of the rotor, whereby in the case of a determined stall situation, the first stall protection unit (10) deactivates the driver stage (6) and the second stall protection unit (12) shuts off the supply voltage (UVCC) for the driver stage (6).

Abstract: Reconfigurable fault-tolerant inverter for powering a multi-phase synchronous permanent-magnet motor, and assembly of the said inverter and motor. The inverter includes: N switching cells (B1, B2, B3) including switching devices (B11 to B32) and isolating devices (S11 to S33) where N is the number of phases of the motor (N?3); at least one redundancy cell (R); a supervisor (12) to detect an operating anomaly of the inverter, leading to a stoppage of the motor (14), resulting from a failure of one of the N cells and causing a fault of one of the phases of the motor. Each switching device informs the supervisor of a short circuit affecting this device, and the supervisor supervises the integral value of the absolute value of the current in the defective phase.

Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling an electric motor are provided. The motor includes a plurality of windings. Each winding is coupled to a respective set of first and second switches. The first switch of each set of switches is simultaneously activated. Current flow through the plurality of windings is measured while the first switch of each set of switches is activated. The electric motor is controlled according to a first motor control method if the measured current is below a predetermined threshold. The electric motor is controlled according to a second motor control method if the measured current is above the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for detecting faults and optimizing phase currents in an electromechanical energy converter are disclosed. An example method comprises: measuring a current of a phase of the electromechanical energy converter, modeling the electromechanical energy converter with the current measurement input into a field reconstruction module, calculating a flux linkage of the electromechanical energy converter, comparing the flux linkage with a flux linkage from a no fault electromechanical energy converter, and optimizing the current of the phase of the electromechanical energy converter in response to the comparison. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In order to determine a drive force (FAct) produced by an electric motor, the motor current (Ia) supplied to the electric motor (10) from a power supply source (32) is measured and a force is calculated from this; in addition, the motor voltage (UBat) applied to the electric motor (10) is measured, and drive force fluctuations which result from voltage fluctuations that occur during operation of the power supply source are compensated for, with at least one compensation force component being determined which is based on the measured motor voltage (UBat), including voltage fluctuations.

Abstract: A DC motor is provided. The DC motor prevents rush or overload of current in the DC motor during and/or after power input irregularities to the DC motor. A control circuit of the DC motor is configured to control current provided to the DC motor. When power irregularities in the power input to the DC motor are detected by the control circuit, the control circuit stops generating PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) signals and stops the current provided to the DC motor. After the stoppage of PWM signals, the control circuit can perform a soft-start of the PWM signals when the power irregularities are no longer detected. The soft starting of the PWM signals generates gradual increase in current to the DC motor, thus, preventing sudden rush of current that cause malfunction of the DC motor.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement for an electrical machine having a plurality of stator windings, with each stator winding including at least a first winding phase and a second winding phase. The circuit arrangement includes at least a prespecified first and a prespecified second selection of in each case a plurality of half-bridges. A common connection of the two switching elements of the respective half-bridge of the first selection can be electrically coupled in each case to a connection of the first winding phase of the respectively associated stator winding. A common connection of the two switching elements of the respective half-bridge of the second selection can be electrically coupled in each case to a connection of the second winding phase of the respective associated stator winding.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the failsafe monitoring of an electromotive drive without additional sensors, including a drive having a three-phase control of an electric motor, detection of the current and voltage profiles of each of the three phases, as they are forwarded to the motor by drive electronics, determination of the load speed while using the detected current and voltage values, where the determination of the load speed takes place by calculating an observer model with reference to the detected current, to the detected voltage, to the frequency preset by the control and to the characteristic data of the motor and generation of a failsafe switch signal for the motor when the calculated load speed does not correspond to a preset desired speed within the framework of preset tolerances. The load torque can also be determined and monitored with reference to the observer model.

Abstract: A motor drive device has a drive unit for driving a motor based on an ON/OF operation of a switching element by a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal. The motor drive device uses a PWM control method and performs abnormal determination based on an application voltage value and an actual measurement voltage value of the motor. The motor drive device does not make a false determination of determining as abnormal when it is normal, when determining the presence of abnormality based on the application voltage value and the actual measurement voltage value of the motor.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting a lock error in a sensorless motor are disclosed, where the apparatus includes a multiplexer, a negative booster, a comparator and a timer. The multiplexer can receive a coil voltage from the sensorless motor. The negative booster can receive a neutralizing voltage from the sensorless motor and drop the neutralizing voltage. The comparator can compare the coil voltage with the dropped neutralizing voltage for outputting a zero-crossing signal. The timer can count time duration during the zero-crossing signal maintained at the a logic level and determine the lock error in the sensorless motor when the time duration exceeds a predetermined period.

Abstract: The device is provided with an electric power conversion circuit including switching elements for converting a DC electric power to an AC electric power, a load connected to an output side of the electric power conversion circuit, means for detecting a current flowing through a DC side in the electric power conversion circuit, a voltage command value preparing means for controlling the operation of the switching elements in the electric power conversion circuit and a wire breaking detecting means. The wire breaking detection means judges a wire breaking in the load or an abnormality of any of the switching elements in the electric power conversion circuit by making use of a DC current detection value in a period when a current of maximum voltage phase or of voltage minimum phase of the electric power conversion circuit is flowing in a DC current.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus are provided for controlling operation of and regulating current provided to a five-phase machine when one or more phases has experienced a fault or has failed. In one implementation, the disclosed embodiments can be used to synchronously regulate current in a vector controlled motor drive system that includes a five-phase AC machine, a five-phase inverter module coupled to the five-phase AC machine, and a synchronous current regulator.

Abstract: An electrical machine includes a stator including a plurality of electrical phases and a rotor having a plurality of magnets. Each electrical phase includes at least one coil and power electronics. There are means to detect an electrical short circuit in a faulted coil and means to supply an electrical current to the faulted coil when an electrical short circuit is detected in the faulted coil. The means to supply the electrical current to the faulted coil includes one or more un-faulted electrical phases of the electrical machine. The un-faulted electrical phases of the electrical machine are arranged to supply the electrical current to the electrical phase containing the faulted coil. The power electronics of the un-faulted electrical phases are arranged to supply the electrical current from the un-faulted electrical phase to the power electronics of the electrical phase having the faulted coil. This overcomes a problem of a fault in the DC or AC busbar of the electrical machine.

Abstract: A control device has a unit for selecting each of controlled voltages outputted from an inverter to a generator, a unit for judging a polarity of a current flowing through the generator, a unit for predicting a current of the generator from each selected voltage to be outputted from the inverter in the succeeding period, while performing the prediction based on the current polarity each time the selected voltage differs from the voltage already outputted from the inverter in the present period, a unit for determining one voltage corresponding to one predicted current nearest to an instructed current among the predicted currents, and a unit for controlling the generator by controlling the inverter to change the voltage already outputted from the inverter to the determined voltage and to apply the determined voltage to the generator in the succeeding period.

Abstract: A cooling system is provided with a motor drive device, a fan motor, and a Hall element. The motor drive device includes a lock protection circuit and a lock controller. When a control signal instructing rotation of the fan motor that is to be driven instructs stoppage of the motor for a predetermined time-period or longer, the lock controller has the lock protection circuit inactive. At an occasion when the control signal has continued to instruct stoppage of the fan motor for a first time-period or longer, a standby controller starts time measurement, and after a further predetermined second time-period has elapsed, makes at least a part of the motor drive device transition to a standby mode.

Abstract: An electric motor control apparatus capable of controlling a motor normally regardless of failures is obtained without increased cost. The apparatus includes a position sensor failure determination unit which outputs a failure determination signal, and generates a first phase; a motor rotation speed calculator which operates based on the failure determination signal and position sensor signals; a phase command generator producing a phase command based on the first phase, the failure determination signal and rotation speed; an amplitude command generator that generates an amplitude command indicating magnitude of a driving signal for the motor, and an electrical energization unit that applies the driving signal to the motor based on the phase command and the amplitude command. Upon failure of a position sensor, the phase command generator generates the phase command using the first phase, and a second phase obtained based on the first phase and the rotation speed.

Abstract: A unit for recording operating information of an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The unit includes a system controller communicatively coupled to an ECM. The system controller includes a processing device configured to control the unit. The unit also includes a memory device communicatively coupled to the system controller. The memory device is configured to receive and store ECM operating information provided by the processing device.

Abstract: The Brushless Multiphase Self-Commutation Controller or BMSCC is an adjustable speed drive for reliable, contact-less and stable self-commutation control of electric apparatus, including electric motors and generators. BMSCC transforms multiphase electrical excitation from one frequency to variable frequency that is automatically synchronized to the movement of the electric apparatus without traditional estimation methods of commutation and frequency synthesis using derivatives of electronic, electro-mechanical, and field-oriented-control. Instead, BMSCC comprises an analog electromagnetic computer with synchronous modulation techniques to first establish magnetic energy and then dynamically share packets of magnetic energy between phase windings of a multiphase, position dependent flux, high frequency transformer by direct AC-to-AC conversion without an intermediate DC conversion stage.

Abstract: A method for operating an electric motor with at least two motor terminals that are driven by a control device contains the steps of short-circuiting of at least two of the motor terminals of the electric motor by the control device; measurement of the motor phase currents at the short-circuited motor terminals; and identification of a standstill of the electric motor if a magnitude and/or a frequency of the motor phase currents measured lies below a predefined limit value. In the case of such a reliable identification of the standstill of the electric motor, an enable signal can then advantageously be generated in order, by way of example, to enable access to an apparatus driven by the electric motor.

Abstract: A voltage application unit applies voltage to windings of a motor without passing though an inverter unit. A first detection unit detects a short circuit failure in switching elements of the inverter unit based on a terminal voltage between each of the switching elements and a corresponding winding and a power voltage of a power supply. Before rotation of the motor, when no short circuit failure is detected and when a switching unit switches at least one of the high and low potential-side switching elements of the inverter unit on and subsequently switches all the switching elements off, a second failure detection unit determines whether the switching unit is incapable of rendering the switching element non-conductive based on the terminal voltage and the power voltage.

Abstract: A method for detecting deterioration of a permanent magnet in an electric motor is characterized by peak current measuring steps and a determination step. In the first peak current measuring step, when the electric motor is started, a first pulsed voltage is applied to the multi-phase coils so as to generate magnetic flux directed in the same direction as generated by the permanent magnet and a first peak current is measured. In a second peak current measuring step, a second pulsed voltage is applied to the multi-phase coils so as to generate magnetic flux directed in the direction opposite to the direction in which magnetic flux is generated by the permanent magnet and a second peak current is measured. In a determination step, it is determined whether or not the permanent magnet is deteriorated based on the difference of the absolute value between the first and the second peak currents.

Abstract: A controller that controls ON/OFF of switching elements and opening/closing of an opening/closing unit based on currents detected by current detectors. The controller includes a fault detector that detects whether any of the switching elements has a short-circuit fault and outputs a signal indicating a detection result, an ON/OFF controller that sets one of the switching elements that constitutes a phase other than a first phase that involves the short-circuit fault to an ON operation state and outputs a signal for opening the opening/closing unit, and an opening/closing controller that opens an opening/closing unit connected to a third phase other than the first phase and the second phase in which one of the switching elements is set to the ON operation state by the ON/OFF controller.

Abstract: A method for determining the magnet temperature of a permanent magnet electrical machine. The magnet temperature is able to be determined particularly simply and accurately if a phase voltage and the rotational speed of the electrical machine are measured, and the magnet temperature is determined from this.

Abstract: A power transistor is arranged between an output terminal and a power supply terminal. A pre-driver includes a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor connected in series between the power supply terminal and a second terminal, and the ON/OFF operations of which are controlled in a complementary manner according to a control signal. The electric potential at a connection node between the two transistors is output to a control terminal of the power transistor. A constant voltage circuit stabilizes the second terminal to a predetermined voltage. An output transistor for the constant voltage circuit is provided between the second terminal and the ground terminal. A differential amplifier adjusts the voltage applied to the control terminal of the output transistor such that the electric potential at the second terminal approaches a predetermined target value. A feedback capacitor is provided between the second terminal and the control terminal of the output transistor.

Abstract: A control system includes a position control module, a power control module, and a diagnostic module. The position control module applies a driving current for positioning a rotor of a motor at one of first and second positions. The power control module applies a first voltage to one of first and second phases of the motor to generate a first current after the position control module applies the driving current to position the rotor at the first position. The power control module applies a second voltage to one of the first and second phases to generate a second current after the position control module applies the driving current to position the rotor at the second position. The diagnostic module determines when the rotor is restricted from rotating based on the first and second currents.

Abstract: A motor driving apparatus has a loss-of-synchronism monitoring circuit that monitors the rotation of a rotary machine such as a brushless DC motor to detect a sign of transition to a state of loss of synchronism. When the sign is detected, an energization control circuit temporarily stops driving of the rotary machine to bring it into a free running state, and thereafter carries out control so as to resume driving of the rotary machine. Further, the motor driving apparatus has an inverter and a drive control circuit that controls switching operation of the inverter based on rotation of the rotary machine.

Abstract: A motor control device detecting short-circuit and disconnection faults of a power relay includes: a drive circuit of a motor; the power relay having first and second switching elements; a capacitor; a voltage detector detecting a voltage of the first switching element; a charger charging the capacitor; and a controller detects a short-circuit fault of the first and second switching elements according to the detection voltage when the first and second switching elements turn off after the charger charges the capacitor, detects a disconnection fault of the second switching element according to the detection voltage when the first switching element turns off, and the second switching element turns on and detects a disconnection fault of the first switching element according to the detected voltage when the first switching element turns on, and the second switching element turns off.

Abstract: A method for determining a direction of rotation for an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The motor is configured to rotate a blower and the method comprises rotating the blower using the ECM and determining if the resulting blower rotation is indicative of the desired direction of rotation for the blower.

Abstract: A winding switching apparatus for switching windings of an AC three-phase motor is provided. In each winding switching section of the winding switching apparatus, a positive-side charging resistor, a negative-side charging resistor, and a capacitor are connected in series between a positive-side DC bus and a negative-side DC bus of an inverter; the positive side of the capacitor is connected to the cathodes of respective diodes of a diode unit; and switching between high-speed windings and low-speed windings is carried out, with a capacitor potential being the same as an inverter DC bus voltage. A state detector and a comparator are also provided for each winding switching section to detect erroneous wiring and component abnormalities.

Abstract: An electric motor protection system for protecting an electric motor of a household appliance includes a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the electric motor, a motor speed sensor for sensing a speed of the electric motor, a current sensing circuit for sensing an electric current supplied to the electric motor, a power control device for controlling the electrical power supplied to the electric motor, and a signal processing unit electrically connected to the temperature sensor, the motor speed sensor, the current sensing circuit, and the power control device. The signal processing unit is configured to make calculations and judgments based on the measurements of the temperature sensor, the motor speed sensor and the current sensing circuit, and a plurality of predetermined values, and to control the power control device accordingly so as to protect the motor from overheating, being overloaded, or driven by excessive current.

Abstract: In an electric power steering system (10) for use in a vehicle incorporated with a vehicle behavior control system (30), a failure detecting unit (12) detects a failure of the electric power steering system according to the steering torque and actual electric current. A criterion for detecting a failure by the failure detecting unit is changed when the vehicle behavior control system is activated. Thereby, even when the vehicle behavior control system is activated and it causes a corrective current to be supplied to the electric motor, because the failure detection criterion is changed, the failure detecting unit is prevented from confusing the corrective current due to the operation of the vehicle behavior control system with an erroneous current caused by a failure of the electric power steering system. Therefore, an unnecessary interruption of the operation of the electric power steering system can be avoided, and the convenience of the electric power steering system can be enhanced.

Abstract: A first semiconductor switching element connects to a high side of a motor and includes a diode whose cathode faces the high side. A second semiconductor switching element having a diode resides on a low side of the first semiconductor switching element. A third semiconductor switching element having a diode resides on a low side of the motor. A fourth semiconductor switching element is connected in parallel to the motor and configures a return current circuit that includes a return current element and causes a return current that arises when the first semiconductor switching element turns off to flow through the return current element. A control portion controls on-off states of the first to the fourth semiconductor switching elements and performs return current circuit failure detection based on a first monitor voltage that is an electric potential of a connecting point between the first semiconductor switching element and the motor.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit includes a transistor that is connected in parallel to a first voltage divider resistance that forms a voltage divider circuit between the source and the gate of a second interrupting MOSFET. If a reverse connection of the battery occurs, a compensation drive circuit turns on the transistor using an output from the battery so that the source and the gate of the second interrupting MOSFET are short-circuited. Thus, formation of a closed circuit that includes the battery and the inverter circuit is prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent both terminals of the battery from being short-circuited.

Abstract: An electric drive has at least one electric motor and a power converter feeding electrical motor current thereto. A current desired-value emitter generates a reference signal. An additional circuit is coupled to the current desired-value emitter so as to receive the reference signal and generates a current desired-value signal. A current regulator is coupled to the additional circuit so as to receive the current desired-value signal. The current regulator generates a control signal to the power converter so as to regulate the motor current as a function of the current desired-value signal. The additional circuit has a first mode wherein the current desired-value signal corresponds to the reference signal and a second mode wherein the current desired-value signal is a pulsed signal.

Abstract: A protective device enables reliably cutting a drive region off the power supply of a guided vehicle. The drive region is connectible to the power supply via at least one drive region switch and it comprises stator sections that are strung together. The sections are connectible to a drive region supply line by way of a stator section switch. The protective device has a control unit for opening at least one switch in the event of a malfunction. The object is to provide a protective device that is inexpensive and that allows a flexible allocation of the power supply to the drive regions. For this purpose, the control is adapted to open all stator section switches and the one or more drive regions switches in the event of a malfunction.

Abstract: A power tool includes a brushless DC motor housed inside a tool housing, an input unit, and a control unit. The motor includes a rotor, a stator, and at least one sensor positioned to sense a state of the rotational position of the rotor inside the stator. A control unit controls commutation of the motor through a series of power switches coupled to the power supply. The control unit receives a current sensor state from the sensor and a user-selected speed from the input unit and determines whether the motor has reversed direction using the user-selected speed and the current sensor state. The control unit disables commutation of the motor if the motor has reversed direction until a proper current sensor state is received from the sensor.

Abstract: An electric power tool includes a three-phase bridge motor circuit including upper and lower switching units of U, V and W phases arranged in upper and lower rows; a brushless motor rotationally operated by an electric power supplied through the motor circuit; and temperature detecting units for detecting temperatures of the switching units to output detection results such that the operation of the brushless motor is restrained or stopped depending on the detection results outputted from the temperature detecting units. The motor circuit is formed by mounting the switching units at six points on a mounting surface of a circuit board, and the temperature detecting units are arranged on a surface of the circuit board opposite to the mounting surface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for detecting faults and optimizing phase currents in an electromechanical energy converter are disclosed. An example method comprises: measuring a current of a phase of the electromechanical energy converter, modeling the electromechanical energy converter with the current measurement input into a field reconstruction module, calculating a flux linkage of the electromechanical energy converter, comparing the flux linkage with a flux linkage from a no fault electromechanical energy converter, and optimizing the current of the phase of the electromechanical energy converter in response to the comparison. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: An inverter device of the present invention includes: an inverter circuit portion that has a plurality of switching elements and that converts direct-current power into alternating-current power; and a temperature detection sensor that detects the temperature of the switching elements, in which, in the inverter circuit portion, a plurality of the switching elements on each of an upper side arm and a lower side arm corresponding to each phase are connected in parallel, and the temperature detection sensor is arranged in an intermediate position between the switching elements connected in parallel.

Abstract: A drive device having an electric motor with a device for field oriented control of the electric motor and a method for operation thereof is disclosed. An error monitoring of a transducer on the electric motor is achieved by a comparator device for comparing a transducer signal of the transducer on the electric motor with a calculated parameter of the field oriented control, the comparator device recognizing a transducer error and/or a coupling error. The coupling error relates to a coupling for mounting the transducer on the electric motor.

Abstract: In a control apparatus for a rotary electric machine receiving power from a DC power supply, a DC-AC converting circuit is provided with serially connected circuits each having high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements. When a short-circuit occurs at the switching elements, all the switching elements are turned OFF for failsafe and a path connecting the machine and the battery is opened. In such a case, a switching element belonging to part of the switching elements is turned ON, with potential at all the terminals of the rotary electric machine being the same. A location of the short-circuit occurs is identified, based on changes in current passing through the machine and being detected in response to turning ON the switching element. The changes are at least one of a reduction change in deviation of the current from a zero point and a reduction change in an absolute value of the current.

Abstract: A load abnormality detection apparatus detects a load abnormality in first and second rotational members acting on each other. An inclination calculation part calculates an inclination of a second control element. A first comparison part compares a first control element with a first threshold value and also with a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value. A second comparison part compares an inclination of change in the second control element with a third threshold value of a negative value and also with a fourth threshold value of a positive value. An abnormality detection part detects a load abnormality in a load applied to the first rotational member and the second rotational member based on results of comparison by the first comparison part and the second comparison part and identifies a cause of the detected load abnormality.

Abstract: A control apparatus for a rotary electric machine has a DC-AC converting circuit with high- and low-potential-side switching elements to compose an inverter. In this apparatus, a connecting/disconnecting circuit is arranged to be electrically opened and closed between the DC-AC converting circuit and a power supply. A determining member determines whether or not the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements have a malfunction. A failsafe performing element opens the connecting/disconnecting circuit and turns on both the high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements residing in a part of the inverter, when it is determined that there is caused a malfunction in the switching elements. The turned-on high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements realizes a short-circuit state therein.

Abstract: Provided are a brushless motor control device and a brushless motor system capable of preventing impossibility of intended control of a brushless motor resulting from false recognition that the brushless motor is in operation in spite of stoppage of the brushless motor. A brushless motor control unit calculates a voltage instruction, representing voltages to be applied to the brushless motor, according to a control instruction supplied from an upper control device. A position error calculation unit calculates and estimates a position error between d-q-axes and dc-qc-axes as rotational coordinate axes by use of the voltage instruction outputted by the brushless motor control unit, current values acquired by a coordinate transformation unit and revolution speed for control of the brushless motor. A fault detection unit judges whether the brushless motor is faulty or not based on the position error calculated by the position error calculation unit.

Abstract: An electronic control apparatus for a vehicle, which operates a power conversion circuit connected to a rotating machine used as an in-vehicle traction unit to control controlled variables of the rotating machine, includes a controlling arithmetic processing unit which performs arithmetic processing to control the controlled variables of the rotating machine, and a monitoring arithmetic processing unit which monitors the controlling arithmetic processing unit. The monitoring arithmetic processing unit includes an on-monitoring prohibition unit which prohibits outputting an operation signal from the controlling arithmetic processing unit to the power conversion circuit until the controlling arithmetic processing unit is confirmed to be in a normal condition.