A method for phase-voltage based motor period measurement includes generating a commanded phase voltage and applying the commanded phase voltage to a first phase voltage input of an electric motor, a second phase voltage input of the electric motor, and a third phase voltage input of the electric motor, measuring a first period of a phase voltage associated with the first phase voltage input and the second phase voltage input and comparing the measured first period to a frequency of the commanded phase voltage, and, in response to a determination that the measured first period of the phase voltage associated with the first phase voltage input and the second phase voltage input is outside of a range of the frequency associated with the commanded phase voltage, identifying a fault associated with the first integrated circuit or signal path.

An information related to the position of an actuator coupled to a cable which is coupled to a motor is received. A filter is used to provide an input to a motor controller coupled to the motor, to adjust torque on the motor such that a strength curve is implemented relative to the position of the actuator.

A shift range control apparatus switches a shift range by controlling a motor. The shift range control apparatus includes an angle calculator, a speed calculator and a drive controller. The angle calculator calculates a motor angle based on a detected value of a rotational angle sensor. The speed calculator calculates a motor rotational speed based on the detected value of the rotational angle sensor. The drive controller executes a stationary phase energization control to stop the motor in response to the motor angle reaching a stationary phase energization start position. The drive controller sets a stationary energization phase being a stationary phase of the motor in the stationary phase energization control, according to the motor rotational speed when the motor angle reaches the stationary phase energization start position.

A method for monitoring a motor unit is provided. The method includes: detecting a starting rotor position: ascertaining a non-safety-critical position tolerance range; ascertaining a position offset for the rotor as a function of the ascertained position tolerance range; ascertaining a target rotor position for the rotor based on the starting rotor position and the position offset; specifying a target control pattern based on the ascertained target rotor position; generating and applying a motor control pattern to the motor unit to rotate the rotor to the specified target rotor position using the target control pattern; detecting an actual control pattern controlling the motor unit at an interface between the motor controller and the motor unit; detecting an actual rotor position resulting from the rotation of the rotor using the motor control pattern; and feeding back both the detected actual control pattern and the detected actual rotor position for verification thereof.

A circuit for controlling a motor that includes control circuitry configured to determine whether a commutation event has occurred for a first sector of a plurality of sectors of a cycle for the motor based on a first selected phase current signal and a second selected phase current signal. In response to a determination that the commutation event has occurred for the first sector, the control circuitry is configured to determine that the motor is operating in a second sector of the plurality of sectors of the cycle for the motor. The control circuitry is further configured to determine a second angle of stator voltage vector for the motor based on the determination that the motor is operating in the second sector and generate the control signal based on the second angle of stator voltage vector for the motor.

A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.

A BLDC motor driver circuit includes: a driving power stage circuit configured to provide a start-up test signal in a start-up mode to excite a BLDC motor, to drive a rotor of the BLDC motor to rotate for a test; a current unidirectional circuit coupled to the BLDC motor at a reverse end for detecting a BEMF, to generate a detection signal at a forward end of the current unidirectional circuit, wherein when a voltage at the reverse end exceeds a voltage at the forward end, the current unidirectional circuit limits the voltage at the forward end not to be higher than a clamp voltage; a biasing circuit for biasing the current unidirectional circuit in a forward operation state and for providing the clamp voltage; and a sensor circuit for generating a sensing signal according to the detection signal to indicate a test rotation state of the BLDC motor.

Described is a method of determining an initial rotor position on start-up of a synchronous motor. The method comprises applying at each of a plurality of pre-set motor angles a pair of voltage vector pulses, the pair of voltage vector pulses comprising a first and second pulses, each having the same amplitude but opposite polarities, the second pulse being applied immediately or near immediately after the first pulse. The method includes determining the stator current responses to said pairs of applied voltage vector pulses at said plurality of pre-set motor angles. Then, the initial rotor position can be determined from either of a stator angle corresponding to a pair of vector voltage pulses resulting in (a) a largest sum of stator currents or (b) where the sum of stator currents changes from a negative to a positive motor angle.

A motor control apparatus includes: a switching power supply; a first motor configured to operate with a voltage from the switching power supply; and a control unit configured to control the first motor, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the switching power supply to supply power of the switching power supply to a load other than the first motor before detecting an initial position of a rotor of the first motor using a current flowing through the first motor.

Provided is a magnetic pole position detection device with which it is possible to shorten the detection time of the initial magnetic pole position of the rotor of a synchronous motor. A magnetic pole position detection device that detects the magnetic pole position of the rotor of the synchronous motor, the magnetic pole position detection device comprising an excitation command unit that excites the synchronous motor while changing the current phase of the excitation current from a preset initial value, and a torque zero determination unit that determines whether the torque generated by the rotor has reached zero, the excitation command unit: continuously executing an operation for exciting the synchronous motor using, as the current phase of the excitation current, a value obtained with a subtraction process for subtracting, from the initial value, a phase angle corresponding to the cumulative value of the movement amount of the rotor from the starting point of excitation at the initial value of the current phase, during the period after the synchronous rotor was excited at the initial value of the current phase until the torque is determined to have reached zero; and acquiring, as the magnetic pole initial position, the value obtained with the subtraction process when the torque is determined to have reached zero.