An apparatus includes a controller. To control current through a motor winding, the controller monitors a magnitude of current supplied through the motor winding. The controller compares the magnitude of current to a threshold value. In response to detecting that the magnitude of current crosses the threshold value, the controller terminates a flow of the current through the motor winding. In one application, termination of the current through the motor winding supports more efficient use of energy to drive the motor winding. For example, via the controller, terminating the current through the motor winding to prevent the current from flowing in a reverse direction through the motor winding.

A motor control system providing at least seventeen speed settings using industry standard control signals and an industry standard five pin speed connector. One speed monitoring pin transmits an output signal for monitoring the speed of the motor, and four speed setting pins receive input signals for setting the speed. One of the speed setting pins receives and decodes two binary states and two frequency states, thereby providing a total of thirty-two speed settings. A non-regulated isolated winding is added to an internal transformer to provide an internal isolated flyback power supply for the motor, thereby liberating a pin on the industry standard five pin speed connector to provide the fourth speed setting input pin. Transmission circuitry is associated with the speed monitoring pin, and the non-regulated isolated winding is used to provide a direct current bias to the transmission circuitry.

A motor control system providing at least seventeen speed settings using industry standard control signals and an industry standard five pin speed connector. One speed monitoring pin transmits an output signal for monitoring the speed of the motor, and four speed setting pins receive input signals for setting the speed. One of the speed setting pins receives and decodes two binary states and two frequency states, thereby providing a total of thirty-two speed settings. A non-regulated isolated winding is added to an internal transformer to provide an internal isolated flyback power supply for the motor, thereby liberating a pin on the industry standard five pin speed connector to provide the fourth speed setting input pin. Transmission circuitry is associated with the speed monitoring pin, and the non-regulated isolated winding is used to provide a direct current bias to the transmission circuitry.

A motor controlling circuit is provided. A first terminal of a first high-side transistor and a first terminal of a second high-side transistor are coupled to a common voltage. A first terminal of a first low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of the first high-side transistor. A first node between the first terminal of the first low-side transistor and the second terminal of the first high-side transistor is connected to a first terminal of a motor. A first terminal of a second low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of the second high-side transistor. A second node between the first terminal of the second low-side transistor and the second terminal of the second high-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of the motor. The driver circuit regulates at least one of the transistors such that no current flows to the common voltage.

A motor current controlling circuit having a voltage detection mechanism is provided. A first terminal of a first low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of a first high-side transistor. A node between the first terminal of the first low-side transistor and the second terminal of the first high-side transistor is connected to a first terminal of a motor. A first terminal of a second low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of a second high-side transistor. A zero current detector circuit detects a voltage of the node and determines whether or not a current flowing through the motor is equal to a zero value to output a zero current detected signal according to the detected voltage. A controller circuit controls a driver circuit to turn on or off the high-side transistors and the low-side transistors according to the zero current detected signal.

A method is provided for electrically driving a motor having a plurality of phase windings such that EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) is improved and the running performance of the motor is simultaneously kept constant. At least one of the phase windings is not supplied with a current pulse during a complete revolution of the rotor, or at least one switchable electrical resistor is switched on, for at least one subsequent commutation phase by means of an electrical switching element, if the detected rotor speed is greater than the specified target speed.

A method is provided for electrically driving a motor having a plurality of phase windings such that EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) is improved and the running performance of the motor is simultaneously kept constant. At least one of the phase windings is not supplied with a current pulse during a complete revolution of the rotor, or at least one switchable electrical resistor is switched on, for at least one subsequent commutation phase by means of an electrical switching element, if the detected rotor speed is greater than the specified target speed.

A motor driver for driving a rotor of a single coil motor in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation direction concerning a stator of the single coil motor is adapted for generating a position signal which is representative for the angular position of the rotor regarding the stator and comprises a controller which comprises a direction input to define the rotation direction of the rotor, and which is adapted for generating a driving signal for rotating the rotor in the defined rotation direction, wherein the driving signal is based on the position signal and is based on a signal indicative for an electrical lead angle wherein the signal indicative for the electrical lead angle is set such that the total lead angle is positive in both rotation directions of the rotor.

An active gate driver suitable for activating an electronic switch of an electric motor. The active gate driver includes a pull up branch, a pull down branch and a current and voltage feedback from an output of the active gate driver to at least one input of the active gate driver, wherein the current and voltage feedback is common to both the pull up branch and the pull down branch.

A motor driver for driving a single coil motor, the motor driver includes: a bridge driver configured for applying a driving signal to the single coil by commuting a motor voltage (Vmot) or a motor current (Imot), supplied to the bridge driver, between terminals (OUT1, OUT2) of the single coil; a controller configured for controlling the commuting of the bridge driver and for setting a preferred value of the motor voltage in function of a preferred operating point; a first voltage regulator configured for regulating the motor voltage or the motor current to the preferred value.