A system and a method detects blockage of an actuating assembly in a drug delivery device with a brushless DC or stepper motor. The Back EMF voltage is periodically measured at the driving contacts of the motor. A blockage indication value is periodically calculated based on the divergence of voltages measured at different driving contacts, and an alarming and/or mitigation action is initiated if the blockage indication value meets a predefined criterion such as exceeding a minimum or maximum value.

In accordance with at least one example of the description, a circuit is adapted to be coupled to a coil of a motor via an H-bridge circuit. The circuit includes a duty sensor, a subtractor, and a comparator. The duty sensor is coupled to the coil of the motor and is configured to provide raw run duty data responsive to a coil current through the coil. The subtractor is coupled to the duty sensor and is configured to provide a differential duty signal responsive to a stall duty signal and a run duty signal obtained using the raw run duty data. The comparator is coupled to the subtractor and is configured to provide a stall signal indicative of a stall condition for the motor responsive to the differential duty signal and a threshold value.

In accordance with at least one example of the description, a circuit is adapted to be coupled to a coil of a motor via an H-bridge circuit. The circuit includes a duty sensor, a subtractor, and a comparator. The duty sensor is coupled to the coil of the motor and is configured to provide raw run duty data responsive to a coil current through the coil. The subtractor is coupled to the duty sensor and is configured to provide a differential duty signal responsive to a stall duty signal and a run duty signal obtained using the raw run duty data. The comparator is coupled to the subtractor and is configured to provide a stall signal indicative of a stall condition for the motor responsive to the differential duty signal and a threshold value.

A motor control device includes a driving circuit, a generator configured to generate a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal, a resistor, an amplifier, a detector configured to detect a driving current flowing through a winding based on the signals output from the amplifier, a phase determiner configured to determine a rotational phase using the driving current detected by the detector and a control value set in advance, a controller configured to control the driving current based on a torque current component so that a deviation between the rotational phase and an instruction phase becomes small, and a setting unit configured to set the control value based on both a local maximum value and a local minimum value of the driving current flowing through the winding by a voltage applied to the winding based on the PWM signal of which a duty cycle is set to a predetermined value.

A bipolar stepper motor driving device drives a stepper motor including stator coils having plural phases. The bipolar stepper motor driving device includes H-bridge circuits, a current detector, a control circuit, and a re-turning-on instruction unit. The H-bridge circuits are provided correspondingly to the phases of the respective stator coils. The current detector detects current flowing in the stator coils. The control circuit executes drive control of the H-bridge circuits. The re-turning-on instruction unit commands the control circuit to switch into a short-circuited state a stator coil which has shifted from an energized state to an off-state among the stator coils, on a condition that an absolute value of a reverse current detected by the current detector has changed from a value larger than a threshold current value to a value smaller than the threshold current value.

A bipolar stepper motor driving device drives a stepper motor including stator coils having plural phases. The bipolar stepper motor driving device includes H-bridge circuits, a current detector, a control circuit, and a re-turning-on instruction unit. The H-bridge circuits are provided correspondingly to the phases of the respective stator coils. The current detector detects current flowing in the stator coils. The control circuit executes drive control of the H-bridge circuits. The re-turning-on instruction unit commands the control circuit to switch into a short-circuited state a stator coil which has shifted from an energized state to an off-state among the stator coils, on a condition that an absolute value of a reverse current detected by the current detector has changed from a value larger than a threshold current value to a value smaller than the threshold current value.

A step motor drive device includes a step motor including a rotor, stators, and a coil, a drive circuit that outputs a drive signal including a plurality of partial signals that are output intermittently, a detecting circuit that detects an electromagnetic induced current that is generated in the coil after the partial signals are output, and a control unit that controls the drive circuit. The drive circuit outputs one of the partial signals included in the drive signal to the coil, and, in response to a change in an electromagnetic induced current generated in the coil after the partial signal is output, outputs a next partial signal to the coil. The control unit determines a control method of the step motor based on an interval of the plurality of partial signals, and controls the drive circuit based on the determined control method.

In accordance with at least one example of the description, a circuit is adapted to be coupled to a coil of a motor via an H-bridge circuit. The circuit includes a duty sensor, a subtractor, and a comparator. The duty sensor is coupled to the coil of the motor and is configured to provide raw run duty data responsive to a coil current through the coil. The subtractor is coupled to the duty sensor and is configured to provide a differential duty signal responsive to a stall duty signal and a run duty signal obtained using the raw run duty data. The comparator is coupled to the subtractor and is configured to provide a stall signal indicative of a stall condition for the motor responsive to the differential duty signal and a threshold value.

In accordance with at least one example of the description, a circuit is adapted to be coupled to a coil of a motor via an H-bridge circuit. The circuit includes a duty sensor, a subtractor, and a comparator. The duty sensor is coupled to the coil of the motor and is configured to provide raw run duty data responsive to a coil current through the coil. The subtractor is coupled to the duty sensor and is configured to provide a differential duty signal responsive to a stall duty signal and a run duty signal obtained using the raw run duty data. The comparator is coupled to the subtractor and is configured to provide a stall signal indicative of a stall condition for the motor responsive to the differential duty signal and a threshold value.

There is provided a driving circuit for a stepping motor, including: a counter electromotive force detection circuit configured to detect a counter electromotive force generated in a coil; a current value setting circuit configured to generate a current set value based on the counter electromotive force; a constant current chopper circuit configured to generate a pulse-modulated signal which is pulse-modulated so that a detected value of a coil current flowing through the coil approaches a target amount based on the current set value; and a logic circuit configured to control a bridge circuit connected to the coil according to the pulse-modulated signal, wherein the driving circuit is configured to output the current set value to outside or to access the current set value from the outside.