An assembly for extending and retracting an elongated peripheral device with respect to a supporting surface of a marine vessel includes a housing and an arm pivotably coupled to the housing. An electric motor is located in the housing and has an output shaft coupled to the arm. The electric motor changes an orientation of the housing and the arm with respect to one another. A mount coupled to the housing supports the peripheral device. As the electric motor changes the orientation of the housing and the arm with respect to one another, the mount and the peripheral device are simultaneously extended or retracted with respect to the supporting surface. A controller varies the power provided to the electric motor in response to determining that the peripheral device has encountered an obstacle while being extended or retracted with respect to the supporting surface.

An integrated apparatus and method is disclosed for controlling a fluid pump and a valve connected to a coolant loop. The fluid pump for circulating fluid through the coolant loop and the valve positionable between a first and a second position. A controller generates control signals that are transmitted to the fluid pump and to the valve for regulating the speed of the fluid pump and the flow of the fluid circulating through the coolant loop and to position the valve into either the first or the second position.

An integrated apparatus and method is disclosed for controlling a fluid pump and a valve connected to a coolant loop. The fluid pump for circulating fluid through the coolant loop and the valve positionable between a first and a second position. A controller generates control signals that are transmitted to the fluid pump and to the valve for regulating the speed of the fluid pump and the flow of the fluid circulating through the coolant loop and to position the valve into either the first or the second position.

A control unit for a brushless DC motor of a power tool having a rotor and a stator is provided. The control unit detects an initial position of the rotor, commutates the motor beginning at the initial position of the rotor using a low-speed motor commutation scheme until an output speed of the rotor exceeds a speed threshold, and commutates the motor based on a back-electromotive force (back-EMF) voltage of the motor after the output speed of the rotor exceeds the speed threshold. In the low-speed commutation scheme, the control unit applies a first set of voltage pulses to a present sector and a second set of voltage pulses to a next sector, and detects a transition of the rotor from the present sector to the next sector based on motor current measurements associated with the first set of voltage pulses and the second set of voltage pulses.

Devices and methods described herein provide for controlling an operating mode of a power tool. Controlling the power tool includes operating, by a motor controller, a motor of the power tool in a first operating mode. Controlling the power tool also includes detecting, by the motor controller, a position of a forward-reverse selector of the power tool, and receiving, by the motor controller, a signal from a mode selector. Controlling the power tool also includes determining, by the motor controller, whether the position of the forward-reverse selector is in the mode selection position, and in response to determining that the forward-reverse selector is in the mode selection position, changing, by the motor controller, the power tool to a second operating mode based on the signal received from the mode selector.

Devices and methods described herein provide for controlling an operating mode of a power tool. Controlling the power tool includes operating, by a motor controller, a motor of the power tool in a first operating mode. Controlling the power tool also includes detecting, by the motor controller, a position of a forward-reverse selector of the power tool, and receiving, by the motor controller, a signal from a mode selector. Controlling the power tool also includes determining, by the motor controller, whether the position of the forward-reverse selector is in the mode selection position, and in response to determining that the forward-reverse selector is in the mode selection position, changing, by the motor controller, the power tool to a second operating mode based on the signal received from the mode selector.

An induction motor controller is provided. The induction motor controller includes a first module that derives a commanded stator voltage vector, in a rotor flux reference frame, via a rotor flux regulator loop and a torque regulator loop, which process at least partially in the rotor flux reference frame. The induction motor controller includes a second module that processes the commanded stator voltage vector to produce AC (alternating current) power for an induction motor.

A power tool is provided including a brushless motor having a stator defining a plurality of phases and a rotor. A power unit is provided including power switches and a control unit outputs a drive signal to the motor switches to drive the phases of the motor using a trapezoidal control scheme over a series of sectors. The control unit sets a conduction band within which each phase is commutated to a baseline value that is greater than 120 degrees, sets at least one commutation transition point as a function of the set conduction band, and within each sector, monitors an open-phase voltage of the motor to detect a back electromotive force (back-EMF) voltage of the motor and control commutation of at least one phase based on the open-phase voltage of the motor in relation to the at least one commutation transition point.

A control module for a reversing contactor includes a housing configured to mount to forward and reverse contactors. The control module is configured to receive command signals for the forward and reverse contactors and provide the command signals to an interlock circuit included within the housing of the control module. The interlock circuit is configured to use the forward and reverse commands as well as feedback signals corresponding to the current status of the contactors to prevent both the forward and reverse contactors from being closed in tandem. The control module is also configured to mount to contactors having different physical sizes. The housing may be configured as a telescoping housing, where one portion of the housing is fixed and a second portion of the housing slides with respect to the fixed portion of the housing to adjust the width of the control module.

The present disclosure provides a motor controller which can effectively stop a motor at a specific position in a short period of time, and can achieve an orientation operation quickly. A motor controller is configured to stop a rotary shaft, and includes: a first time period calculator that calculates a target stop position and an acceleration at a time of positioning, a first time period that is to be taken by the rotary shaft to stop at the target stop position; a second time period calculation unit that calculates the target stop position and the acceleration at the time of positioning, a second time period that is to be taken by the rotary shaft to stop at the target stop position; a comparison unit that compares the first time period with the second period; and an orientated stop control unit that controls and stops the motor.