A method for estimating the current flowing through a winding of an electric motor of the type having one winding controllable by a switching device, including the following steps: measuring a voltage at the input of the winding, correcting the measured voltage to produce a corrected voltage determining a resistance of the switching device, estimating the current flowing through the winding by dividing the difference between a control voltage used to control the switching device and the corrected voltage by the resistance. The use of such an estimating method for providing a diagnosis for a current sensor, and an estimating method for controlling an electric motor in fail-soft mode are also disclosed.

A diagnostic system for a voltage regulator is provided. The diagnostic system includes a microcontroller having first and second analog-to-digital converters and first and second output ports. The first analog-to-digital converter outputs a first voltage value corresponding to the first voltage from the voltage regulator. The microcontroller executes a first diagnostic function to set a first voltage regulator diagnostic flag equal to a fault value indicating a voltage out of range condition, if the first voltage value is greater than a first threshold voltage value or the first voltage value is less than a second threshold voltage value. The microcontroller executes a second diagnostic function to stop generating first and second control signals to de-energize a contactor coil to open a contact of a contactor if the first voltage regulator diagnostic flag is equal to the fault value.

A plurality of driving circuits drive a plurality of contactors for connecting the battery pack and an external apparatus, respectively, based on a supply voltage. A processing circuitry control the plurality of driving circuits to sequentially close the plurality of contactors in a predetermined order, and check the supply voltage before closing each of the contactors.

Provided herein are improved current monitoring systems for monitoring currents having large ranges. A current monitor can include two or more current sensors. At least two of the current sensors can have different current measurement ranges and different current measurement sensitivities. Each current sensor can be associated with one or more current monitoring thresholds. A time delay or time threshold can correspond to each current monitoring threshold. Each current sensor can monitor a same current having a large range of possible current values. When a predetermined current threshold is exceeded for an amount of time exceeding a corresponding time threshold, a signal can be generated by the current sensor. The generated signal can indicate that the measured current exceeds the predetermined current threshold for the corresponding predetermined period of time.

A comparator includes: a first selector for selecting one of a first reference voltage and a first correction reference voltage, based on a first determination value of data at a past time of a first adjacent channel; a first comparator for comparing the difference between a voltage selected from the first reference voltage and the first correction reference voltage and a second reference voltage with an input voltage at a current time of a target channel; and a first output unit for determining an output voltage at the current time of the target channel, based on the comparison result of the first comparator.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a driving circuit and a lamp comprising the same. The driving circuit comprises inputs connected to a mains supply; outputs connected to an LED load; an output capacitor connected in parallel with the LED load; an LED driving current source connected to the outputs, and configured to convert the mains supply at the inputs to current at the outputs in an illumination mode, such that the current flows through the LED load and charges the output capacitor; and a control circuit configured to receive a standby signal to enable a standby mode, and to control the mains supply to linearly charge the output capacitor in the standby mode, such that an output voltage at the output can be lower than a turn-on voltage of the LED load and is higher than a preset lowest voltage. With the driving circuit, it is advantageous to reduce the delay from the standby mode to a minimum light emitting level, and meanwhile a lower power loss can be realized by linearly charging the output capacitor through the mains supply.

The present invention provides a solar photovoltaic installation capable of storing power while supplying power during daytime when solar radiation conditions are excellent. The solar photovoltaic installation of the invention includes at least a first solar module string 11 and a second solar module string 12 as solar module strings 10, the solar photovoltaic installation further includes at least a first storage battery array 21 and a second storage battery array 22 as storage battery arrays 20, and while power storage capacity detection means 60 detects that the second storage battery array 22 is less than a predetermined capacity and voltage detection means 50 detects voltage of more than predetermined voltage, the control means 40 connects the first solar module string 11 to a power conditioner 30, and connects the second solar module string 12 to the second storage battery array 22.

A current sensor is for determining the level of the current of a conductor of a low-voltage circuit. In an embodiment, it includes a current transformer including a magnetic core. The magnetic core is an annular core having a core inner diameter, a middle diameter and a core outer diameter. The annular core is wound with a secondary winding, including an inner opening with an inner diameter and an outer circumference with an outer diameter. The secondary winding supplies the circuit with electrical energy. The wound annular core is configured such that the difference between the middle diameter as the minuend and the inner diameter as the subtrahend is 0.5 to 0.6 times smaller than the difference between the outer diameter as the minuend and the inner diameter as the subtrahend, to achieve an optimum for supplying energy and determining the level of the current in connection with the circuit.

A gate driver IC includes a first diode, a second diode, a first comparator, a second comparator, and a judgement circuit. The first comparator compares a first potential difference between both ends of the first diode and a first threshold. The second comparator compares a second potential difference between both ends of the second diode and a second threshold. Based on comparison results of the first comparator and the second comparator, the judgement circuit determines occurrence of disconnection.

There is provided a short circuit determination apparatus including: a sensor configured to detect, in a switching device that has a control terminal, a first main terminal, and a second main terminal, a temporal change of a main current flowing between the first main terminal and the second main terminal; and a short circuit determination unit configured to determine that the switching device is short-circuited, in a case where the temporal change of the main current is larger than or equal to a first threshold value, after a first timing after a control signal for driving the control terminal is turned on.