In a motor driving apparatus having an inverter for driving a motor capable of switching between a star connection and a delta connection, when currents detected by winding current detecting elements detecting currents flowing through windings become excessive, the inverter is made to stop. Moreover, inverter output currents are calculated after removing a circulating current component at the time of the delta connection, from the winding currents detected by the winding current detecting elements, and the inverter is controlled using the calculated inverter output currents. Because over-current protection is performed based on the detected values of the winding currents, it is possible to prevent demagnetization taking account oSf the circulating current. Also, the inverter control is prevented from being affected by the circulating current in the delta connection. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the number of the current detecting elements, and perform the over-current protection and control properly.

An over-current protection circuit for a motor capable of selecting one of a plurality of connection states has a plurality of decision circuits, a combining circuit, and a nullifying circuit. The combining circuit combines results of the comparisons in the plurality of decision circuits. The nullifying circuit nullifies part of the comparisons in the plurality of decision circuits. The number of outputs of the over-current protection circuit is one, so that for controlling the driving and stopping of the inverter needs just one terminal is required for receiving the output of the combining circuit. Moreover, because the over-current protection circuit is formed of hardware, the protection can be performed at a high speed.

A drive apparatus for an electric motor includes an inverter, an inverter substrate, a wire connection switching unit, a control unit, and an alternating-current wire electrically connected at one end to the inverter and at the other end to one end of the windings of an electric motor. The drive apparatus for an electric motor includes an alternating-current wire electrically connected at one end to the alternating-current wires and electrically connected at the other end to one end of the wire connection switching unit, and an alternating-current wire electrically connected at one end to the other end of the wire connection switching unit and electrically connected at the other end to the other end of the windings of the electric motor. The drive apparatus for an electric motor includes a noise suppression unit provided at least on the alternating-current wires to suppress noise that occurs in the alternating-current wire.

A wall-mountable load control device may include an illuminated rotary knob for providing a nightlight feature. The load control device may be configured to control an intensity of a lighting load. The load control device may include a yoke adapted to be mounted to an electrical wall box, an enclosure attached to the yoke, a faceplate attached to the yoke and having an opening, a mounting member attached to the yoke, and/or a potentiometer located within the enclosure and having a shaft extending through an opening in the yoke and the opening of the faceplate. The load control device may include a collar attached to the boss of the mounting member and surrounding the shaft of the potentiometer. The mounting member may be configured to conduct light from at least one light source housed within the enclosure to illuminate the faceplate.

A driving device includes a connection switching unit that switches connection condition of a coil between Y connection and delta connection, an inverter, and a control device that controls a carrier frequency of the inverter. The carrier frequency is set at a first carrier frequency when the connection condition of the coil is the Y connection. The carrier frequency is set at a second carrier frequency when the connection condition of the coil is the delta connection.

A motor drive device capable of switching the connection configuration of the stator windings of a motor includes three relays each including a first contact, a second contact, and a contact plate, where the contact plate has one terminal coupled to a stator winding of one phase among the stator windings and the contact plate has another terminal to be connected to the first contact or to the second contact; and a control unit to control the three relays to cause all the three relays to have a same connection state in a case in which not all the three relays have a same connection state with respect to connections between the another terminal of the contact plate and the first contact and the second contact.

A driving device includes a connection switching unit to switch a connection state of coils between a first connection state and a second connection state in which a line voltage is lower than in the first connection state, a controller to control a motor and the connection switching unit, and a rotation speed detector to detect a rotation speed of the motor. When the connection state of the coils is the first connection state and the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detector becomes higher than or equal to a first rotation speed, the controller causes the motor to rotate at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed, and then causes the connection switching unit to switch the connection state of the coils from the first connection state to the second connection state.

Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of motor starters are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a synchronous machine including a plurality of stator phase windings, a rotor, a motor starter, and a controller. The motor starter includes a plurality of wye semiconductor switches and a plurality of delta semiconductor switches. The controller is structured to operate the plurality of wye semiconductor switches and the plurality of delta semiconductor switches so as to couple the plurality of stator phase windings in a delta configuration while an angular speed of the rotor is less than a synchronous speed, and structured to operate the plurality of wye semiconductor switches and the plurality of delta semiconductor switches so as to couple the plurality of stator phase windings in a wye configuration in response to the angular speed of the rotor being equal to the synchronous speed.

A wall-mountable load control device may include an illuminated rotary knob for providing a nightlight feature. The load control device may be configured to control an intensity of a lighting load. The load control device may include a yoke adapted to be mounted to an electrical wall box, an enclosure attached to the yoke, a faceplate attached to the yoke and having an opening, a mounting member attached to the yoke, and/or a potentiometer located within the enclosure and having a shaft extending through an opening in the yoke and the opening of the faceplate. The load control device may include a collar attached to the boss of the mounting member and surrounding the shaft of the potentiometer. The mounting member may be configured to conduct light from at least one light source housed within the enclosure to illuminate the faceplate.

A driving device drives a motor including a rotor having a neodymium rare earth magnet. The driving device includes an inverter, a first detector that outputs a first detection signal corresponding to a motor driving current supplied to the motor, a protection level setting unit that sets an overcurrent protection level, a second detector that outputs a second detection signal corresponding to a driving state of the motor, and a control device. The control device executes first control of lowering the motor driving current immediately after the motor driving current corresponding to the first detection signal exceeds the overcurrent protection level. When the protection level setting unit lowers the overcurrent protection level to a new current level based on the second detection signal, the control device executes second control of lowering the motor driving current to a level lower than the new current level.