A motor control apparatus includes: a main power conversion circuit that converts power that is supplied from a power supply into alternating current power for driving a motor, and outputs the alternating current power; a counter electromotive force protection circuit including a rectifier unit that rectifies alternating current power based on counter electromotive force of the motor and outputs direct current power, a short-circuit unit that short-circuits terminals on a direct current output side of the rectifier unit, and an alarm signal output unit that outputs an alarm signal at occurrence of an abnormality; a monitoring unit that monitors whether the alarm signal is output from the alarm signal output unit; and a protection operation unit that performs a protection operation for preventing damage to the main power conversion circuit when the monitoring unit determines that the alarm signal is output from the alarm signal output unit.

A solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) with self-diagnostic, self-maintenance, and self-protection capabilities includes: a power semiconductor device; an air gap disconnect unit connected in series with the power semiconductor device; a sense and drive circuit that switches the power semiconductor device OFF upon detecting a short circuit or overload of unacceptably long duration; and a microcontroller unit (MCU) that triggers the air gap disconnect unit to form an air gap and galvanically isolate an attached load, after the sense and drive circuit switches the power semiconductor device OFF. The MCU is further configured to monitor the operability of the air gap disconnect unit, the power semiconductor device, and other critical components of the SSCB and, when applicable, take corrective actions to prevent the SSCB and the connected load from being damaged or destroyed and/or to protect persons and the environment from being exposed to hazardous electrical conditions.

A combination motor control device includes a power circuit (180) structured to sense voltage and/or current flowing through the combination motor control device, a semiconductor switching and interruption circuit (170) including a number of solid state transistors and being operable to turn on to allow power to flow through the combination motor control device and to turn off to stop allowing power to flow through the combination motor control device, and a control circuit (190) structured detect faults in power flowing through the combination motor control device based on the sensed voltage and/or current, to control the semiconductor switching and interruption circuit (170) to provide a motor starter and/or motor controller functionality, and to control the semiconductor switching and interruption circuit (170) to turn off in response to detecting a fault in power flowing through the combination motor control device.

An overvoltage protecting system and method of a motor pre-driver are provided. An overvoltage protecting circuit compares a first reference voltage with a common voltage inputted to a single phase motor to output a first comparison signal. When a controller circuit determines that the common voltage is higher than the first reference voltage according to the first comparison signal, the controller circuit turns off a first high-side switch and a second high-side switch, and turns on the first low-side switch and the second low-side switch, during a phase time of a phase transition signal of the single phase motor. After the phase time ends, the controller circuit alternately turns on the first low-side switch and the second low-side switch according to a level of the phase transition signal.

An electronically commutated motor driving module for driving a motor includes a voltage detector, an electronically commutated motor driver, a current detector, a voltage converter, and a controller. The voltage detector detects supply voltage to generate a voltage detection signal. The electronically commutated motor driver is supplied by the supply voltage to generate, according to an electronically commutated signal, an operating current for driving the motor. The current detector detects the operating current to generate a current detection signal. The voltage converter converts the supply voltage into an internal voltage. The controller is supplied by the internal voltage and generates the electronically commutated signal according to a plurality of control parameters. When the controller determines that a specific event has happened according to the control parameters, the controller stops generating the electronically commutated signal and then stores the control parameters.

An electrical combination, a motorized device system, a motor assembly, a battery pack, and operating methods. The combination may include an electrical device including a device housing, a load supported by the device housing, the load being operable to output at least about 1800 watts (W), and a device terminal electrically connected to the load; a battery pack including a pack housing, battery cells supported by the pack housing, the battery cells being electrically connected and having a nominal voltage of up to about 20 volts, and a pack terminal electrically connectable to the device terminal to transfer current between the battery pack and the electrical device; and a controller operable to control the transfer of current.

A load protection system and a method of protecting a load. The load protection system includes a PLC transmitter module and a PLC receiver module, which are configured to communicate a plurality of bits of data, each bit transmitted near a zero-crossing of a voltage on the power lines supplying power to the load, in the form of a high frequency burst of pulses. The pulses are structured in two patterns. The first pattern serves to identify the start of the second pattern, and the second pattern includes the data. The first pattern is unique and not represented within the second pattern. The load may be a motor, and the data may include a parameter value representing a parameter of the motor.

A combination motor control device includes a power circuit structured to sense voltage and/or current flowing through the combination motor control device, a semiconductor switching and interruption circuit including a number of solid state transistors and being operable to turn on to allow power to flow through the combination motor control device and to turn off to stop allowing power to flow through the combination motor control device, and a control circuit structured detect faults in power flowing through the combination motor control device based on the sensed voltage and/or current, to control the semiconductor switching and interruption circuit to provide a motor starter and/or motor controller functionality, and to control the semiconductor switching and interruption circuit to turn off in response to detecting a fault in power flowing through the combination motor control device.

A circuit with a Safe-Torque-Off (STO) functionality and a frequency converter including the same are provided. According to embodiments, the circuit may include a first STO channel configured to control on/off of power supply to a high-side driver of a frequency converter based on a first STO signal, a second STO channel configured to control on/off of power supply to a low-side driver of the frequency converter based on a second STO signal, and a third STO channel configured to control supply of a drive control signal from a controller of the frequency converter to the high-side driver and the low-side driver based on a result of a logical operation of the first STO signal and the second STO signal, wherein the logical operation is configured to make the result active in response to at least one of the first and second STO signals being active.

An electrical combination, a motorized device system, a motor assembly, a battery pack, and operating methods. The combination may include an electrical device including a device housing, a load supported by the device housing, the load being operable to output at least about 1800 watts (W), and a device terminal electrically connected to the load; a battery pack including a pack housing, battery cells supported by the pack housing, the battery cells being electrically connected and having a nominal voltage of up to about 20 volts, and a pack terminal electrically connectable to the device terminal to transfer current between the battery pack and the electrical device; and a controller operable to control the transfer of current.