A brushless DC motor identification method capable of identifying information on a brushless DC motor, particularly without performing any handshaking, includes supplying an input voltage from an identifier to a brushless DC motor including at least one resistor connected between a power supply line and a GND line, reading a resistance value of at least one resistor in a state where the inverter of the brushless DC motor is off, and identifying information on the brushless DC motor based on the read resistance value.

An integrated circuit includes an H-bridge circuit having a first output node for coupling to a high-side terminal of an inductor and a second output node for coupling to a low-side terminal of the inductor. A current sense FET is coupled between a current source and the lower supply voltage to provide a reference current that includes a peak current limit at a sensing node. A current-sense comparator has a first input coupled to the sensing node, a second input coupled to the second output node and an output coupled to send an output signal towards a driver control circuit. A FET linear detection circuit is coupled to receive a gate voltage of an active low-side power FET and has an output coupled to enable the current-sense comparator when the active low-side power FET is operating in a linear region.

A circuit, which might be a full-bridge driver circuit, comprises a first PMOS high-side transistor device and a first NMOS low-side transistor device. The circuit further comprises turn-on circuitry configured to turn on the first PMOS high-side transistor device while simultaneously turning on the first NMOS low-side transistor device, by routing charge stored in a gate of the first PMOS high-side transistor device to a gate of the first NMOS low-side transistor device, to charge the gate of the first NMOS low-side transistor device.

A motor drive unit for driving a motor of a motorized window treatment may comprise software-based and hardware-based implementations of a process for detecting and resolving a stall condition in the motor, where the hardware-based implementation is configured to reduce power delivered to the motor if the software-based implementation has not first reduced the power to the motor. A control circuit may detect a stall condition of the motor, and reduce the power delivered to the motor after a first period of time from first detecting the stall condition. The motor drive unit may comprise a stall prevention circuit configured to reduce the power delivered to the motor after a second period of time (e.g., longer than the first period of time) from determining that a rotational sensing circuit is not generating a sensor signal while the control circuit is generating a drive signal to rotate the motor.

A steer by wire system includes at least a steering wheel actuator for operating steering wheel and steering column. The steering wheel actuates the steering wheel actuator by way of a brushless DC motor. The steering wheel actuator adjusts the steering column in a tilt direction by way of a first brushed DC motor and in a telescopic direction by way of a second brushed DC motor. The first brushed DC motor and the second brushed DC motor are configured to operate via two separate H bridges having a shared arm of switches. The brushless DC motor is configured to operate with two three-phase H bridges of which one three-phase H bridge is the network of switches of the first brushed DC motor and the second brushed DC motor.

A driver circuit includes a first switch which has a first terminal coupled to a voltage supply terminal, a second terminal coupled to a high-side gate, and a third terminal coupled to receive a voltage supply enable signal. The first switch is operable to connect the voltage supply terminal to the high-side gate responsive to the voltage supply enable signal. The driver circuit includes a second switch which has a first terminal coupled to a charge pump terminal, a second terminal coupled to the high side gate, and a third terminal coupled to receive a charge pump enable signal. The second switch is operable to connect the charge pump terminal to the high-side gate responsive to the charge pump enable signal.

Disclosed are apparatus and method for measuring an electric current flowing through an inductive load energized by a half-bridge circuit with at least two semiconductor switches. The semiconductor switches are switched on and off in a complementary manner according to PWM. The apparatus comprises: a monitoring device determining the switched-on states and switched-off states of at least one of the at least two semiconductor switches; a synchronous measurement amplifier controlled by the monitoring device measuring voltage drop at the semiconductor switch during the switched-on state of the semiconductor switch and multiplying it to form multiplied voltage; and a synchronous voltage follower controlled by the monitoring device generating a voltage signal characteristic of the current in the inductive load, which in the switched-on state of the semiconductor switch follows the multiplied voltage and in the switched-off state of the semiconductor switch remains substantially constant or decreases according to a predefined profile.

A lead-frame based packaged half-bridge circuit is provided that is useful in power electronics applications, such as DC-DC converters and motor controllers. The circuit reduces or eliminates unwanted additional resistance and inductance produced from interconnections that degrade performance in typical packaged half-bridge circuits.

A washing machine having a first single phase electric motor, a second single phase electric motor and an electric drive unit for the electric motors. The electric drive unit is connected to power supply lines and comprises three first legs, each leg comprising a pair of switches. Electrical terminals of the first electric motor are connected to the first and second legs of the electric drive unit and electrical terminals of the second electric motor are connected to the second and third legs of the electric drive unit.

A power-saving control device for operation of an electronic garbage can includes a rotation-blocked current setting register, a sampling resistor, an analog-digital converter, an analog-digital conversion result register, and a comparing unit, which are electrically connected in sequence. The comparing unit compares a current value obtained in real time with a reference current value in the rotation-blocked current setting register, and when the real-time current value is greater than the reference current value, the microcomputer control unit stops supplying power to a motor by controlling the motor positive and negative rotation driving circuit. The power-saving control device has greatly reduced power consumption during operation of an electronic garbage can and a prolonged service life of its battery.