A control unit for a solenoid pump, the solenoid pump including: an inlet port, an outlet port, and a first through-bore connecting the inlet and outlet ports; a plunger disposed within the first through-bore and including a second through-bore; a spring arranged to urge the plunger toward the outlet port; a solenoid coil disposed about a portion of the plunger and arranged to displace the plunger toward the inlet port in response to direct current coil power applied to the solenoid coil, the control unit including a microcontroller operatively arranged to control the solenoid coil, a first transistor operatively arranged to receive an external signal and communicate the signal to the microcontroller to control the solenoid coil, and a second transistor, arranged between the microcontroller and the solenoid coil, the second transistor operatively arranged to energize and de-energize the solenoid coil in response to the microcontroller.

A linear motion control device for use in a linear control system is presented. The linear motion control device includes a coil driver to drive a coil that, when driven, effects a linear movement by a motion device having a magnet. The linear motion control device also includes a magnetic field sensor to detect a magnetic field associated with the linear movement and an interface to connect an output of the magnetic field sensor and an input of the coil driver to an external controller. The interface includes a feedback loop to relate the magnetic field sensor output signal to the coil driver input.

A linear motion control device for use in a linear control system is presented. The linear motion control device includes a coil driver to drive a coil that, when driven, effects a linear movement by a motion device having a magnet. The linear motion control device also includes a magnetic field sensor to detect a magnetic field associated with the linear movement and an interface to connect an output of the magnetic field sensor and an input of the coil driver to an external controller. The interface includes a feedback loop to relate the magnetic field sensor output signal to the coil driver input.

There are provided a row of external permanent magnets and a row of internal permanent magnets; a floating output ring is provided on which is wound a 3-phase coil, between these rows. The floating output ring has no mechanical restraining relationship with any other member in the linear motor). Instead, a controller that controls a PWM inverter that injects AC exciting current into the 3-phase coil brings the central axes of the double cylinder and the floating output ring into coincidence by generating supporting force with respect to the floating output ring by magnetism, by controlling the d axis current component of the exciting current.

Described herein is a vehicle side window system and method for implementing an ice breaking strategy. The ice breaking strategy receives and analyzes sensor information from one or more environmental sensors to determine when to preemptively implement an ice breaking routine. The ice breaking strategy is also capable of monitoring one or more components of the vehicle side window system to determine when to cease the ice breaking routine.

To be able to activate a smoothing filter for a setpoint, with which the movement of a drive axis (A, Ai) of a drive unit (AE) can also be controlled during the movement without a negative effect on the movement, it is provided that the smoothing filter (10) is initialized with a setpoint profile (S.sub.init) so that a current movement phase ((S.sub.0, {dot over (S)}.sub.0, . . . , S.sub.0.sup.(x))) is continued continuously and the repeated time derivative (S.sup.(x+1)) of the highest time derivative (S.sup.(x)) of the setpoint (S(t), S(k)) is limited.

To be able to activate a smoothing filter for a setpoint, with which the movement of a drive axis (A, Ai) of a drive unit (AE) can also be controlled during the movement without a negative effect on the movement, it is provided that the smoothing filter (10) is initialized with a setpoint profile (S.sub.init) so that a current movement phase ((S.sub.0, {dot over (S)}.sub.0, . . . , S.sub.0.sup.(x))) is continued continuously and the repeated time derivative (S.sup.(x+1)) of the highest time derivative (S.sup.(x)) of the setpoint (S(t), S(k)) is limited.

A slack compensator includes a stator fixedly attachable to a base and a shuttle. The shuttle is selectably movable from a first position on the stator to a second position on the stator. The shuttle is selectably releasably attached to the stator in the first position. The shuttle is to be permanently captured upon reaching the second position. The slack compensator is attachable to an SMA wire for removing slack that develops in the SMA wire during a plurality of break-in cycles.

A multi-stage system includes a stator including a plurality of electric coils; a first stage including a first magnet assembly, the first stage moveable relative to the stator; a second stage including a second magnet assembly, the second stage moveable relative to the stator; a controller configured to position the first and the second stage relative to the stator by activating, respectively, a first subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the first magnet assembly and a second subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the second magnet assembly, the controller adapted to prevent at least one electric coil, to be simultaneously shared by the first and the second subset to position the first and the second stage on the stator, from activating.

A machine tool includes a drive unit driving a tool for machining a workpiece, and a control unit controlling the drive unit. The machine tool further includes an abnormality determining unit that determines whether machining can be continued, based on operation information of the drive unit, and a power failure detection unit that switches the power source of the control unit from a normal power supply unit to an emergency power supply unit if power failure is detected, and switches the power source from the emergency power supply unit to the normal power supply unit if recovery of power supply is detected after power failure. The control unit stops operation of the drive unit when power failure is detected, and thereafter, if recovery of power supply is detected, and the abnormality determining unit determines that machining can be continued, the control unit drives the drive unit, thereby automatically resuming machining.