Improved sub-assemblies and methods of control for use in a diagnostic assay system adapted to receive an assay cartridge are provided herein. Such sub-assemblies include: a brushless DC motor, a door opening/closing mechanism and cartridge loading mechanism, a syringe and valve drive mechanism assembly, a sonication horn, a thermal control device and optical detection/excitation device. Such systems can further include a communications unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile device of a user so as to receive a user input relating to functionality of the system with respect to an assay cartridge received therein and relaying a diagnostic result relating to the assay cartridge to the mobile device.

A haptic engine includes a haptic actuator having a double-wound driving coil in which the two windings are connected with each other either in series or in parallel. By using the double-wound driving coil in which the two windings are connected with each other in series, an instant back EMF voltage induced in either of the two windings can be determined without having to measure in real time a resistance of the corresponding winding, and without having to sense a driving current through the double-wound driving coil. By using the double-wound driving coil in which the two windings are connected with each other in parallel, an instant back EMF voltage induced in either of the two windings can be determined without having to measure in real time a resistance of the corresponding winding.

An apparatus for estimating a motor RPM in an electronic brake system may include: a current signal amplifier configured to amplify a voltage applied across a motor driver by a current which flows while the motor driver is turned on, the motor driver being included in a motor driving circuit configured to apply motor driving power to a motor or remove the motor driving power according to a switch-on/off of the motor driver; and a controller configured to detect a waveform with a one-period time from periodically repeated waveforms by processing the signal waveform amplified by the current signal amplifier, calculate a one-rotation time based on the one-period time and the number of commutators of the motor, and calculate a motor RPM using the one-rotation time.

A motor controller comprises a switch circuit and a control unit. The switch circuit is coupled to a motor for driving the motor. The control unit is configured to generate a plurality of control signals to control the switch circuit. The motor controller sequentially determines a first phase, a second phase, a third phase, and a fourth phase based on a rotation direction. When the motor controller is in the first phase and the motor controller is unable to detect a phase switching time point within a starting time, the motor controller switches from the first phase to the second phase, the third phase, or the fourth phase. The motor controller is configured to increase a success rate of starting the motor.

A motor controller comprises a switch circuit and a control unit. The switch circuit is coupled to a motor for driving the motor. The control unit is configured to generate a plurality of control signals to control the switch circuit. The motor controller sequentially determines a first phase, a second phase, a third phase, and a fourth phase based on a rotation direction. When the motor controller is in the first phase and the motor controller is unable to detect a phase switching time point within a starting time, the motor controller switches from the first phase to the second phase, the third phase, or the fourth phase. The motor controller is configured to increase a success rate of starting the motor.

Residual voltage measurements taken after removal of electric power to an electric motor are used to improve the functioning of an electric motor monitoring system. For example, an intelligent electronic device (IED) may acquire residual voltage measurements of a motor after disconnected electric power to the motor. The IED may determine a thermal condition of the motor based at least in part on the residual voltage measurement. The IED may prevent starting of the motor based at least in part on the thermal condition.

Residual voltage measurements taken after removal of electric power to an electric motor are used to improve the functioning of an electric motor monitoring system. For example, an intelligent electronic device (IED) may acquire residual voltage measurements of a motor after disconnected electric power to the motor. The IED may determine a thermal condition of the motor based at least in part on the residual voltage measurement. The IED may prevent starting of the motor based at least in part on the thermal condition.

Systems and methods for auto-calibration of current supplied to a motor of an actuator may include supplying an initial electrical current to the motor. One or more sensors may measure a condition corresponding to the motor as the initial electrical current is supplied to the motor. A processing circuit may compare the measured condition to an expected condition. The processing circuit may adjust a supply of the initial electrical current to the motor until the measured condition substantially matches the expected condition. The processing circuit may store data regarding an association between the adjusted supply of initial electrical current and the expected condition.

Provided is a method of estimating a rotor operational parameter of an electrical machine including multiple winding sets wound to have a phase-shift between winding sets, the rotor operational parameter including rotor position and/or rotor speed, the method including: deriving, for each winding set, a preliminary rotor operational parameter based on a current and a voltage of the respective winding set; calculating for at least two winding sets and for at least one predefined harmonic, a rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term based on the preliminary rotor operational parameter of at least two winding sets; calculating for at least one winding set, a corrected rotor operational parameter based on the preliminary operational parameter of this winding set and the rotor operational parameter harmonic correction term of this winding set, wherein in particular the corrected rotor operational parameter has at least one predefined harmonic removed or at least attenuated.

A method for determining a rotor position of a BLDC motor with a magnetic rotor and stator having at least one exciter coil to which an exciter voltage is applied in accordance with a commutation process, comprises: interrupting the exciter voltage applied to the exciter coil, wherein the exciter voltage has a profile with at least one first section in which the profile of the exciter voltage has a non-vanishing finite gradient, wherein the exciter voltage in the first section is interrupted, and wherein at the time of interruption the exciter voltage has a value different from zero; capturing a voltage induced in the exciter coil by the magnetic rotor; restoring the exciter voltage to a value different from zero; and determining a rotor position of the rotor with respect to the exciter coil on the basis of the captured induced voltage.