General purpose motor controller
First Claim
1. A motor control for providing signals to a motor drive to vary current in a DC motor, characterized by:
- means for providing two binary primary motor control signals to determine motor direction and initiate motor operation;
a programmable memory containing operating characteristics for the motor;
communication means for receiving said two primary motor control signals comprising a first state machine with a plurality of states accessed in response to the binary status of said primary motor control signals relative to each other to operate the motor in different modes associated with said operating characteristics, said communication means comprising means for supplying program data to the programmable memory in response to externally supplied signals containing said program data, the first state machine being inactive when said externally supplied signals are applied;
pulse width modulation means comprising a second state machine responsive to a signal from the communication means to provide a pulse width modulation address signal in the presence of a pulse width modulation signal identifying either digital or analog pulse width modulation;
means for providing said pulse width modulation signal;
lookup table means for providing a secondary motor control signal to control motor speed in response to said pulse width modulation address signal; and
multiplexing means for directing the pulse width modulation address signal from the pulse width modulation means to the lookup table, for receiving the secondary motor control signal from the lookup table and for directing said signal to the pulse width modulator means, said pulse width modulator means providing a variable duty cycle signal in response to said secondary motor control signal to vary current flow in the motor.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A general purpose or universal motor control is constructed as integrated circuit using a plurality of state machines and memories. The specific characteristics of a motor are programmed into a programmable "features" memory. A lookup table contains parameters for operating the motor that are accessed as a function of the features. The features memory and the lookup table may be programmed and tested through a communications state machine. External and internal pulse width modulation is provided along with dynamic braking as options that are utilized by the state machines depending upon the features. A multiplexer acts a switch between the state machines, the memories and the motor drive.
67 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A motor control for providing signals to a motor drive to vary current in a DC motor, characterized by:
-
means for providing two binary primary motor control signals to determine motor direction and initiate motor operation; a programmable memory containing operating characteristics for the motor; communication means for receiving said two primary motor control signals comprising a first state machine with a plurality of states accessed in response to the binary status of said primary motor control signals relative to each other to operate the motor in different modes associated with said operating characteristics, said communication means comprising means for supplying program data to the programmable memory in response to externally supplied signals containing said program data, the first state machine being inactive when said externally supplied signals are applied; pulse width modulation means comprising a second state machine responsive to a signal from the communication means to provide a pulse width modulation address signal in the presence of a pulse width modulation signal identifying either digital or analog pulse width modulation; means for providing said pulse width modulation signal; lookup table means for providing a secondary motor control signal to control motor speed in response to said pulse width modulation address signal; and multiplexing means for directing the pulse width modulation address signal from the pulse width modulation means to the lookup table, for receiving the secondary motor control signal from the lookup table and for directing said signal to the pulse width modulator means, said pulse width modulator means providing a variable duty cycle signal in response to said secondary motor control signal to vary current flow in the motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for controlling a DC motor characterized by the steps:
-
operating a motor control switch to provide a first pair of signals indicating motor direction and commanding motor operation; accessing a memory containing stored data for the motor type and its operating characteristic to provide a first control signal; applying the first control signal to a first state machine that accesses a lookup table to provide a second control signal associated with a stored motor performance table; applying the second control signal to a second state machine if pulse width modulation motor speed is an operating characteristic stored in the memory, the state machine providing a pulse width modulation signal in response to the second control signal; and applying the pulse width modulation signal from the state machine to a motor drive that powers the DC motor in response to said first pair of signals. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
15. A method for controlling a DC motor characterized by the steps:
-
applying a motor control signal to a communication unit comprising a state machine with different states manifesting different modes of motor control determined by the state of said motor control signal; applying motor characteristic signals to the communication unit for storage in a first memory; accessing motor features in the first memory with the communication unit identified by the control signal to select a type of speed control for the motor and using said type to provide motor speed control signal by addressing a lookup table containing basic motor operating characteristics for said type of speed control and provide, from said speed control signal, a signal to control motor current; and varying the duty cycle of current applied to the motor from a motor drive in response to said signal to control motor current. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification