Abstract: To provide a stepping motor which can precisely and reliably detect stopping of a rotor with respect to a stopper with a simple structure, i.e., positioning of a base point of the rotor, and provide a motorized valve using it. The stepping motor includes a stator 55 and a rotor 57 rotationally driven by the stator 55, and a detection rotor 47 detecting a rotation position of the rotor 57. The detection rotor 47 is rotatably disposed on a co-axial center L with the rotor 57 and rotationally driven via a rotation drive mechanism between the rotor 57 and the detection rotor 47. The rotation drive mechanism has a drive play having a predetermined length or angle in the rotation direction.

Abstract: A stepper motor system and apparatus use a position-feedback device, which may have a resolution capability as low as 200 counts per motor shaft revolution, for misstep detection and motor step recovery. In use of the system, position deviation is computed periodically and cyclically, by subtracting the feedback position from the corresponding commanded position, to determine the load angle, implicitly, and the operating status of the motor. If the load angle is within an established allowable range of values, normal stepper operation along the programmed trajectory is maintained, without adjustment. A load angle that exceeds the limits of that range however indicates that a misstep has occurred, and the system controller initiates immediate action to recover lost motor steps, to reestablish synchronism, and to then continue toward the final target position, with minimal loss of time.

Abstract: A motor drive device includes a charging detection and reverse current prevention portion and a pulse selection control portion. The charging detection and reverse current prevention portion detects a charging state of a secondary battery that is charged by an electromotive force of a solar battery, the charging state indicating whether the secondary battery is being charged. The pulse selection control portion causes a first drive pulse for driving a motor to be generated and, in a case where the charging state that is detected by the charging detection and reverse current prevention portion is different after the first drive pulse has been output from what it was before the first drive pulse was output, causes a second drive pulse for driving the motor to be generated.

Abstract: An open-loop or closed-loop control method for a converter which supplies an electric motor, wherein a current space vector is acquired as motor current, and the motor voltage, in particular a voltage space vector, is set, an induced voltage space vector UI is determined, which is forwarded to an integration element, a flux space vector being generated, whose angular position is perpendicular to the voltage space vector, the amount of the flux space vector corresponding to a predefined nominal value, the difference of the integration result and the flux space vector thus produced being used as feedback in the integration element.

Abstract: A stepping motor drive circuit includes a control-purpose controller including a control-purpose position detecting unit; a rotation command information inputting unit arranged to receive command information on the rotating position of the stepping motor; a control-purpose deviation calculating unit arranged to calculate a positional deviation between the rotating position of the stepping motor detected by the control-purpose position detecting unit and the rotating position included in the command information; and an amplitude value setting unit. The amplitude value setting unit switches operations of stator coils of the stepping motor pursuant to the command information, rotate the stepping motor to the rotating position included in the command information, and increase or decrease an amplitude value of a drive current fed to the stator coils during stoppage of the stepping motor depending on the positional deviation calculated by the control-purpose deviation calculating unit.

Abstract: An image forming device capable of controlling a scanning unit and a method to control the scanning unit, the image forming device including a rate error calculator to calculate a rate error from a difference between a practical rotation rate and a target rate of a motor that drives the scanning unit, a position error calculator to calculate a position error from a difference between a current position and a target position of the motor, and a rate/position controller to output a control pulse to control a rate and a position of the motor by applying the rate error and the position error.

Abstract: There is provided a motor control device controlling an energizing state of a coil of each phase for driving a stepping motor having multiple phase coils. The motor control device includes a detecting unit configured to detect whether the stepping motor is out of step, and a reverse rotating unit configured, when the detecting unit detects that the stepping motor is out of step, to rotate the stepping motor in a second rotation direction reverse to a first rotation direction, which is a rotation direction of the stepping motor before detecting out-of-step, by a number of steps with which a stress received by the stepping motor is alleviated, before the stepping motor spontaneously rotates in the second direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, a control method for the same, and a motor state detector are provided. An aspect is to detect out-of-step of a motor using only an electric circuit configuration without additional mechanical devices, such as an encoder, a light-emitting device, and a light-receiving device, and to predict and prevent out-of-step of the motor. To this end, the image forming apparatus includes a motor state detector that acquires a current detection signal by detecting phase current of a motor and that generates an output signal in which a duty ratio in a current chopping section of the current detection signal is involved, and a controller that judges a normal state, out-of-step entry, and an out-of-step state of the motor based on the output signal of the motor state detector.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, systems and apparatus for estimating angular position and/or angular velocity of a rotor of an electric machine.

Abstract: A method of controlling an electric machine that includes sequentially exciting and freewheeling a winding of the electric machine. The winding is excited by an excitation voltage and is freewheeled over a freewheel angle. The method then includes varying the freewheel angle in response to changes in the excitation voltage. Additionally, a control system for an electric machine, and a product incorporating the control system and electric machine.

Abstract: An aircraft electrical actuator arrangement includes a plurality of actuators and a master power converter to convert power from the electrical power distribution network for supply to each actuator. The actuators include an environmental control system actuator, an aileron actuator, a flap actuator, a slat actuator, a landing gear actuator, a thrust reverser actuator, a brake actuator and a taxiing actuator. A controller is coupled to the master power converter and is arranged to allow the supply of power from the master power converter to the environmental control system actuator during a first mode of operation of the aircraft. The controller is arranged to allow the supply of electrical power from the master power converter to at least one of the aileron, the flap, the slat, the landing gear, the thrust reverser, the brake actuator or the taxiing actuator during a second mode of operation of the aircraft.

Abstract: A variable speed switch includes a switch main body portion which is accommodated in a housing of an electric power tool and mounted to the housing so as to be capable of relative movement, and a load sensor which is provided in the switch main body portion and capable of outputting an electric signal in proportion to the amount of distortion caused by a pressing force. The switch operating portion is mounted on the surface of the housing so as to be capable of relative displacement with respect to the housing and transmits a pressing force applied to the switch operating portion to the load sensor, with the maximum displacement amount of the switch operating portion being set to equal to or less than 5 mm.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a motor control apparatus includes a timer to measure a period in which a job is not executed, a sensor to detect a temperature of a physical object, an acquisition part to acquire time information measured by the timer and temperature information detected by the sensor, and a drive control part that determines a current value of a motor provided in the physical object based on the time information and the temperature information acquired by the acquisition part, and controls the motor current value by applying a voltage level corresponding to the determined current value to a drive element of the motor.

Abstract: A stepping motor control circuit and an analog electronic timepiece which can detect a rotation state including intermediate stopping more accurately are provided. A rotation detection circuit, in detecting whether or not an induction signal generated by the rotation of a stepping motor exceeds a predetermined reference threshold voltage during a detection period having a plurality of sections, detects whether or not the induction signal with inverted polarity exceeds a predetermined reference threshold voltage during a predetermined section, and a control unit immediately performs a drive control of the stepping motor with a correction drive pulse when it is determined that there is a sign of intermediate stopping of the stepping motor based on a result of detection by the rotation detection circuit.

Abstract: A method of propelling a magnetic manipulator above a circuit substrate includes arranging a magnetic manipulator on a diamagnetic layer on a surface of the circuit substrate, generating drive signals using a controller, and applying the drive signals to at least two conductive traces arranged in the circuit substrate below the diamagnetic layer. A circuit substrate to control movement of a magnetic manipulator has a diamagnetic layer on a surface of the substrate, and conductive traces arranged under the diamagnetic layer, the conductive traces arranged in a parallel line pattern in at least two separate layers.

Abstract: An apparatus or method which accepts a burst of pulses at a frequency which may not be tightly controlled and converts this into a trajectory command that is a suitable motion profile for an incremental motor control application. The output of the invention can be a pulse stream that can be fed to an existing incremental pulse input motor drive or the invention can be embedded into a motor drive where its output is a numerical sequence that defines a physically realizable trajectory to be fed to the control circuits and software within the motor drive.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a stepper motor, and a controller configured to: measure a parameter associated with a current of the stepper motor prior to commanding a step in connection with the stepper motor, command the step in connection with the stepper motor, measure the parameter subsequent to commanding the step, compare the measurements of the parameter, and determine whether a fault exists with respect to the stepper motor based on the comparison of the measurements.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to commanding, by a controller, a step in connection with a stepper motor, discharging a current in a coil of the stepper motor by transferring the current to a capacitor coupled to the coil responsive to the commanded step, and driving a current in the coil by using charge stored on the capacitor during the discharging of the current in the coil.

Abstract: A step motor and a motor control unit are connected to a battery, so that electrical power is continuously supplied to the step motor and the motor control unit. The motor control unit continuously drives the step motor until a rotor of the step motor reaches at a next excitation stable point, in a case that a display position adjusting switch or an ignition switch is turned off when the rotor of the step motor is on a way to the next excitation stable point.

Abstract: A stepping motor control circuit includes: a rotation detection unit that detects a induced signal exceeding a predetermined reference threshold voltage which is generated by a stepping motor in a detection section divided into at least three sections, and detects a rotation state on the basis of a pattern indicating whether the induced signal exceeding a reference threshold voltage is detected in each of the sections; and a control unit that selects a main drive pulse depending on the rotation state detected by the rotation detection unit from a plurality of main drive pulses which are different from each other in energy, and drives the stepping motor. When the induced signal exceeding a reference threshold voltage is not detected in an initial section, the rotation detection unit detects the induced signal by shifting an end position of at least one section other than the initial section to a rear side by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A rotation detection circuit detects an induced current flowing through a drive coil of a stepping motor in a detection section divided into a plurality of sections, and detects a rotation state of the stepping motor on the basis of a pattern indicating whether or not the induced current exceeds a predetermined reference value in each of the sections. A control unit selects a drive pulse corresponding to the rotation state detected by the rotation detection unit, and supplies a drive current to a drive coil to rotatably drive the stepping motor. The rotation detection unit carries out detection by selecting a detection direction of the induced current in the sections after the first section on the basis of whether or not the induced current exceeding each of a plurality of reference values is detected plural times in the first section.

Abstract: A motor driving apparatus for constant-current control of a current of a coil of a motor includes a detector detecting the current, and a controller for controlling every first cycle to feed the coil until the current reaches a target value, and to decay the current after the current reaches the target value. The controller selects, every second cycle shorter than the first cycle, between decaying the current in a first mode and decaying the current in a second mode, in which a decay rate is lower than the first mode. In addition, the controller decays the current in the first mode when the current is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, and decays the current in the second mode when the current is lower than the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A variable speed switch includes a switch main body portion which is accommodated in a housing of an electric power tool and mounted to the housing so as to be capable of relative movement, and a load sensor which is provided in the switch main body portion and capable of outputting an electric signal in proportion to the amount of distortion caused by a pressing force. The switch operating portion is mounted on the surface of the housing so as to be capable of relative displacement with respect to the housing and transmits a pressing force applied to the switch operating portion to the load sensor, with the maximum displacement amount of the switch operating portion being set to equal to or less than 5 mm.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a motor driving control device including a motor driver, a storage device, and a control section. The motor driver supplies a motor driving current for driving a motor to the motor. The storage device stores a first data table in which temperature around the motor, a current value of the motor driving current set to prevent the motor from stepping out at the temperature, and a driving voltage set in the motor driver in order to cause the motor driver to output the motor driving current having the current value are associated with one another for each temperature around the motor. The control section controls the motor driver to output the motor driving current having a predetermined current value associated with the temperature around the motor in the first data table.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a stepping motor arranged in a conveying path for a paper; a driver for driving the stepping motor; a current detecting unit for detecting an actual current value; and a control unit for providing a set current value for every predetermined cycle. The control unit determines an estimated load torque value corresponding to the set current value in a previous cycle and the actual current value in a present cycle, by referring to a relationship between actual current and load torque of the stepping motor with respect to the set current value, determines a target load torque value based on the estimated load torque value, and determines, as the set current value, a current value corresponding to the target load torque value, by referring to a relationship between maximum output torque of the stepping motor and current supplied to the stepping motor.

Abstract: A driving apparatus has a correction value output unit for outputting correction values ?Ta and ?Tb to correct differences between signals which are output from an A sensor a B sensor when an A-phase coil and a B-phase coil are not energized and signals which are output from the A sensor and the B sensor when the A-phase coil and the B-phase coil are energized. An energization direction of the A-phase coil is switched on the basis of a time A which is measured by a time measurement unit and the correction value ?Ta which is output from the correction value output unit. An energization direction of the B-phase coil is switched on the basis of a time B which is measured by the time measurement unit and the correction value ?Tb which is output from the correction value output unit.

Abstract: An integrated H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator, such as a stepper motor, where the harness includes a signal converter in electrical communication with an ECU, a driver in electrical communication with the signal converter, and a plurality of connectors. At least one of the connectors provides a connection with the ECU, and another of the connectors provides a connection with an actuator. The signal converter receives a first type of signal (such as a pulse width modulated signal) from the ECU, and converts the first type of signal to a second type of signal, and the signal converter sends the second type of signal to the driver. The driver sends a third type of signal (such as a double square wave signal) to the actuator to control the actuator.

Abstract: The present invention provides a movement mechanism that is capable of easily releasing a bite-in state of a feed screw and a rack without increasing the size or the cost of an apparatus and without breaking the movement mechanism. A movement mechanism according to the present invention linearly moves a movement object, and includes: a feed screw; a drive motor for rotating the feed screw; a drive section for supplying a drive pulse to the drive motor; a movement member for linearly moving the movement object along with the rotation of the feed screw by the drive motor, the movement member being engaged with the feed screw; a detection section for detecting a situation in which the movement object is not moving; and a control section for, when the detection section has detected a situation in which the movement object is not moving, causing the drive section to output a drive pulse that causes the drive motor to rotate and vibrate.

Abstract: When a driver unit is in a high impedance state as viewed from a first coil or a second coil, an induced voltage detector detects the voltage across the first coil or that across the second coil so as to detect an induced voltage occurring in the first coil or the second coil. The induced voltage detector includes a differential amplifier circuit for differentially amplifying an electric potential across the first coil or that across the second coil, and an analog-to-digital converter circuit for converting an analog value outputted from the differential amplifier circuit into a digital value and outputting the converted digital value to a control unit. The control unit generates a drive signal based on an input signal set externally and adjusts the drive signal in accordance with the induced voltage detected by the induced voltage detector so as to set the adjusted drive signal in the driver unit.

Abstract: The method and device for analyzing position are disclosed. By analyzing sensing information with at least one zero-crossing, each position can be analyzed. The number of analyzed positions may be different from the number of zero-crossings. When the number of analyzed positions is different from the number of zero-crossing, the number of analyzed positions is more than one.

Abstract: A drive system, such as for a fluid jet cutting system, includes a brushless synchronous motor configured to drive movement through a loosely coupled transmission, a sensor configured to sense movement, and a control system configured to drive the brushless synchronous motor responsive to previously measured drive coupling.

Abstract: A system has a circuit substrate having conductive traces in a first layer of the substrate, the traces arranged in independent zones, a diamagnetic layer residing on a surface of the circuit substrate, at least two manipulators residing adjacent the magnetic layer, the manipulators being moveable within the zones, the manipulators being magnetic and controllable through magnetic fields, and a controller electrically coupled to the traces arranged to produce signals to generate magnetic fields.

Abstract: A drive circuit of a stepping motor includes a D/A converter, a current controller having a comparing unit, and an abnormality detecting unit. The DAC generates a target voltage indicating a target value for an excitation current determined based on a reference voltage indicating an upper limit value of the excitation current flowing into the stepping motor. The current controller controls the excitation current based on this target voltage. The comparing unit compares a voltage corresponding to the excitation current and the target voltage. The abnormality detecting unit detects an abnormality of the wire between the drive circuit and the stepping motor based on an output signal from the comparing unit and a control signal indicating a polarity of the excitation current.

Abstract: A stepping motor includes two coils. A driver circuit drives the stepping motor by setting dissimilar phases of supply currents to these two coils. One terminal of one coil is connected to ground and another terminal is set to a high impedance state, and an induced voltage generated at that coil is detected as a voltage with respect to ground. Then, in accordance with the state of the detected induced voltage, the magnitude of motor drive current supplied to the two coils is controlled.

Abstract: A stepper motor controller includes control circuitry with control outputs and individual driver pulse width modulation (PWM) circuitry with individual driver PWM outputs and modulation control inputs coupled to the control outputs. There is a group of individual drivers, each one having an input coupled to one of the PWM outputs, and an output coupled to an individual driver terminal of the controller. There is common driver PWM circuitry having a common driver PWM output. A common driver having a common driver input is coupled to the common driver PWM output and a common driver output is coupled to a common driver terminal of the controller. When a coil is connected between respective driver terminals and the common driver terminal, individual PWM driver currents are supplied to the coils from the individual driver terminals and a common PWM driver current is supplied to the coils from the common driver terminal.

Abstract: A stepping motor control circuit includes a rotation detection circuit that detects an induced signal and detects whether or not the induced signal exceeds a predetermined reference threshold voltage in a detection segment having a plurality of detection areas, and a control unit that determines the state of rotation of a stepping motor on the basis of a pattern indicating whether or not the induced signals exceed the reference threshold voltage and, on the basis of the result of detection, controls the driving of the stepping motor with anyone of a plurality of main drive pulses different from each other in energy or a correction drive pulse having larger energy than the main drive pulse. An ineffective area is provided between at least the two detection areas, and the control unit determines the state of rotation of the stepping motor without considering the induced signal.

Abstract: A method and a circuit arrangement are provided which enable a mechanical load applied to the motor shaft of a stepper motor (M) or a load angle of the stepper motor to be detected in a sensorless manner. A method and circuit arrangement are also provided which enable the motor current(s) of a stepper motor to be controlled in accordance with the load value such that the load angle is as high as possible without risking step losses, in order to maintain the current consumption of the motor as low as possible. This is achieved according by evaluating the temporal duration of the ON- and the FD-phases during the chopper control of the motor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to drive a load using a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal and spread a spectrum of the PWM signal across a plurality of frequencies while maintaining a constant duty cycle for the load.

Abstract: A DC motor assembly includes a motorized unit for generating a rotatable power at an output shaft, and a step adjusting control arrangement including an optical grating and a photocoupler. The optical grating, which is operatively coupled at the output shaft, has a plurality of light transmissible portions and a plurality of light blocking portions alternating with the light transmissible portions. The photocoupler is activated to send out an impulse signal in responsive to a phase shift between the light transmissible portion and the light blocking portion of the optical grating, wherein the output shaft is controllably driven to be rotated and stopped in a sequent manner as a stepping movement thereof in responsive to the impulse signal so as to controllably adjust the rotational speed of the output shaft.

Abstract: An alternating current chopper circuit with low noise is disclosed. The circuit includes a switching circuit, a first freewheel circuit, and a second freewheel circuit. The switching circuit has a control switching unit, which turns on and or off accordingly to a control signal. The first freewheel circuit and the second freewheel circuit are for providing a current-conducting path to the motor, when the control switching unit is turned off.

Abstract: A steering control apparatus includes a direct current power source, a three-phase alternating current motor, and a motor driving circuit. An emergency switching element is provided on at least two phases of a three-phase power supply line connected to the three-phase alternating current motor within the motor driving circuit, and the emergency switching element is turned off when an abnormality occurs such that the motor driving circuit is disconnected from the three-phase alternating current motor. The emergency switching element is a MOSFET, and the MOSFETs are provided in pairs in each of the two phases of the three-phase power supply line. Further, parasitic diodes of the pairs of MOSFETs are disposed in opposite orientations to each other.

Abstract: A multi-channel stepper motor controller has at least a first and second stepper motor control channel. Each of the control channels has a solid state switching circuit operable to connect the control channel to a stepper motor.

Abstract: There is provided a motor control device configured to control an energization state of a coil of each phase for driving a stepping motor having multiple phase coils. The motor control device includes a measuring unit configured to measure a back electromotive voltage induced at a coil of a phase for which energization is stopped, among the multiple phase coils, an acquiring unit configured to acquire temperature information on temperature of the stepping motor or on temperature corresponding to the temperature of the stepping motor, and a detecting unit configured to detect whether the stepping motor is out of step or not based on a result obtained by the measuring unit and the temperature information acquired by the acquiring unit.

Abstract: A method and a circuit arrangement are provided in which a mechanical load applied to the motor shaft or a load angle of the motor can be detected without sensors in a stepper motor. This is achieved substantially based on the fact that the load or the load angle creates a mutually induced voltage (back EMF) in the motor coils and the load or the load angle is detected by determining the phase shift of the motor voltage at at least one of the motor coil relative to the coil current at said motor coil connection, the phase shift being caused by the mutually induced voltage.

Abstract: A movable member is movable in a movable range in response to a command issued to a stepping motor such that a given position of the movable member or a given angle of the movable member is changed. An operating method and/or apparatus may select a stopper member origin position from among a plurality of stopper member positions based on which of the plurality of stopper member positions is closer to a first position or a first angle of the movable member that has been calculated based at least in part on a command issued to the stepping motor; perform reset-to-zero processing by moving the movable member into a second position or a second angle relative to the stopper member origin position; and performing return processing by moving the movable member from the second position or the second angle to the first position or the first angle that has been calculated based at least in part on the command issued to the stepping motor before performing said reset-to-zero processing.

Abstract: There is provided a method of returning a pointer driven by a motor to an origin point disposed between a starting point and an endpoint of a movement range of the pointer, the method comprising the steps of: moving the pointer from an arbitrary point in the movement range to a reference point that is away from the starting point by not less than a distance between the starting point and the origin point; thereafter moving the pointer from the reference point toward the starting point; detecting the pointer by a sensor at a detection point whose relative position with respect to the origin point is known; and stopping, when the pointer at the detection point is detected, the pointer moving from the reference point toward the starting point at a predetermined point of time based on timing of the detection of the pointer at the detection point.

Abstract: A drive apparatus for a stepping motor, including: a current detecting portion which detects a current value of phase current flowing through a phase winding; a constant-current-controlling portion which constant-current-controls the phase current flowing through the phase winding based on a detection result of the current detecting portion; a zero crossing detecting portion which detects a zero cross of the phase current based on the detection result of the current detecting portion; a phase difference detecting portion which detects a phase difference between the edge of a drive control pulse signal for the stepping motor and the zero cross detected by the zero crossing detecting portion; and a control device which causes the constant-current-controlling portion to perform constant-current control with a current value according to the phase difference detected by the phase difference detecting portion.

Abstract: A drive apparatus includes a magnet rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles that are magnetized, a stator having a magnetic pole portion that opposes each pole of the magnet rotor, a coil configured to excite the magnetic pole portion, a position detector configured to detect a position of the magnet rotor, a first driver configured to switch an electrification state of the coil in accordance with a preset time interval, a second driver configured to switch an electrification state of the coil in accordance with an output of the position detector, and a controller configured to select the first driver when the output of the position detector is less than a first threshold, and to select the second driver when the output of the position detector is equal to or larger than the first threshold.

Abstract: A stepping motor drive device includes: a first pulse generation circuit that generates pulses at rising or falling edges of a first clock signal; a second pulse generation circuit that generates pulses at rising and falling edges of a second clock signal; a first mask circuit that outputs or masks the output of the first pulse generation circuit depending on whether the second clock signal is normal; a second mask circuit that outputs or masks the output of the second pulse generation circuit depending on whether the first clock signal is normal; a logic circuit that logically combines the outputs of the mask circuits; a step position control circuit that determines the step position of a motor according to the output of the logic circuit; and a motor drive section that supplies a current to the motor according to the output of the step position control circuit.

Abstract: A scanner with a first driving motor and a second driving motor has an improved driving structure as transmission of a driving force from one of the first and the second driving motors to the other driving motor is inhibited, thereby preventing loss of power and increased noise and vibration. The scanner may include a first driving motor, a second driving motor, an operating unit operable to move the scanning unit and configured to operate by a driving force generated from one of the first and the second driving motors and a power transmitting unit configured to transmit the driving force generated from one of the first and the second driving motors to the operating unit while disallowing transmission of the driving force between the first and the second driving motors.