Frequency Converter

• US 20170357556A1
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schmidhauser AG (Lenze AG /Mair/)
• Original Assignee: Schmidhauser AG (Lenze AG /Mair/)
• Inventors: BISIG, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 10,346,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1604 where the fault affects the clock signals of a processing unit and the redundancy is at or within the level of clock signal generation hardware
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/45 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/19 Monitoring patterns of pulse trains indicating amplitude G01R19/00; indicating frequency G01R23/00; measuring characteristics of individual pulses G01R29/02
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/1803 the counter or frequency divider being connected to a cycle or pulse swallowing circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5674 Synchronisation, timing recovery or alignment

Abstract

A frequency converter has a control unit. The control unit has: a serial control unit interface, a control unit clock pulse generator for generating a control unit clock pulse, wherein data are transmitted via the serial control unit interface depending on the control unit clock pulse, and a control unit processor which is designed to define at least one control parameter depending on at least one actual value. The frequency converter furthermore has a power unit which has a data connection to the control unit and has: a number of power semiconductors, a power unit clock pulse generator for generating an adjustable power unit clock pulse, a serial power unit interface which is connectable to the control unit interface in order to set up a data connection, a clock pulse generator adjustment unit which has a signal connection to the power unit interface and which is designed to adjust the power unit clock pulse depending on signals which are received by the power unit on the power unit interface, a power unit processor which is designed to control the power semiconductors depending on the control parameter and the power unit clock pulse, and at least one sensor unit which is designed to determine the at least one actual value, wherein the control unit is designed to transmit the at least one control parameter via the control unit interface to the power unit, and wherein the power unit is designed to transmit the at least one actual value via the power unit interface to the control unit.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A frequency converter, comprising:

a control unit, comprising;

a serial control unit interface,

a control unit clock pulse generator for generating a control unit clock pulse, wherein data are transmitted via the serial control unit interface depending on the control unit clock pulse, and

a control unit processor which is designed to define at least one control parameter depending on at least one actual value, and

a power unit which is in data connection to the control unit and comprises;

a number of power semiconductors,

a power unit clock pulse generator for generating an adjustable power unit clock pulse,

a serial power unit interface which is connectable to the control unit interface in order to set up a data connection,

a clock pulse generator adjustment unit which is in signal connection to the power unit interface and which is designed to adjust the power unit clock pulse depending on signals which are received by the power unit on the power unit interface,

a power unit processor which is designed to control the power semiconductors depending on the control parameter and the power unit clock pulse, and

at least one sensor unit which is designed to determine the at least one actual value,

wherein the control unit is designed to transmit the at least one control parameter via the control unit interface to the power unit, and

wherein the power unit is designed to transmit the at least one actual value via the power unit interface to the control unit.

13. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the control unit is designed to transmit data packets with a predefined duration and/or with a predefined time interval between one another via the control unit interface, and

the clock pulse generator adjustment unit is designed to adjust the power unit clock pulse depending on the predefined duration and/or the predefined time interval.

14. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the control unit is designed to transmit data packets periodically with a predefined cycle time via the control unit interface, and

the clock pulse generator adjustment unit is designed to adjust the power unit clock pulse depending on the cycle time.

15. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the clock pulse generator adjustment unit comprises a counter unit which is clocked depending on the power unit clock pulse, wherein the clock pulse generator adjustment unit is designed to define an associated counter status on reception of a respective data packet, to calculate a difference between counter statuses belonging to successive data packets and to adjust to the power unit clock pulse depending on the difference between the counter statuses.

16. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the control unit is designed to perform repeated control unit processes synchronously with the transmitted data packets, and

the power unit is designed to perform repeated power unit processes synchronously with the received data packets.

17. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the control unit is designed to perform repeated control unit processes synchronously with the transmitted data packets, and

the power unit is designed to perform repeated power unit processes synchronously with the received data packets.

18. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the control unit is designed to perform repeated control unit processes synchronously with the transmitted data packets, and

the power unit is designed to perform repeated power unit processes synchronously with the received data packets.

19. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the clock pulse generator adjustment unit is designed to define an associated counter status as a local timestamp on reception of a respective data packet and to adapt the power unit clock pulse on the basis of a difference between the defined counter status and a predefined phase reference value in such a way that the power unit operates synchronously with the control unit with a phase relationship which is dependent on the phase reference value.

20. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

the clock pulse generator adjustment unit is designed to define an associated counter status as a local timestamp on reception of a respective data packet and to adapt the power unit clock pulse on the basis of a difference between the defined counter status and a predefined phase reference value in such a way that the power unit operates synchronously with the control unit with a phase relationship which is dependent on the phase reference value.

21. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the frequency converter is designed to implement a closed control loop, wherein a controller of the control loop for calculating the control parameter is disposed in the control unit, an adjustment device of the control loop is disposed in the power unit, and the sensor unit forms a measuring device of the control loop.

22. The frequency converter as claim in claim 21, wherein the closed control loop is a current control loop.

23. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the at least one control parameter is selected from a group having the following control parameters;

reference motor currents,

reference motor voltages,

a reference motor torque, and

a reference pulse duty factor of a pulse width modulation.

24. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 23, wherein:

the at least one actual value is selected from a group having the following actual values;

motor currents,

motor voltages,

rotation angle settings of a rotor shaft,

an intermediate loop voltage, and

a temperature.

25. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the at least one actual value is selected from a group having the following actual values;

motor currents,

motor voltages,

rotation angle settings of a rotor shaft,

an intermediate loop voltage, and

a temperature.

26. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the control unit interface and the power unit interface form an electrically isolating 2-line interface, wherein, in relation to the control unit, data are transmitted on a first line of the two lines and data are received on a second line of the two lines.

27. The frequency converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the control unit interface and the power unit interface are Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) interfaces.