Motor controller

• US 7,590,334 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Doogue, Michael C., Milano, Shaun D., Kozomora, Nevenka, Yabusaki, Hitoshi, Milesi, Alejandro G.
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/835,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20090039807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 318/400.05, 318/400.06, 318/400.24, 318/400.26, 318/254, 318/439, 318/430, 318/599, 318/400.17, 388/811, 363/98
• US Class Current: 388/811
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/18 with arrangements for switching the windings, e.g. with mechanical switches or relays

Abstract

In one aspect, a control circuit to control a speed of a motor includes a PWM oscillator configured to generate a PWM output signal having a duty cycle. The speed of the motor is controlled by the PWM output signal to be proportional to the duty cycle. The control circuit also includes a duty cycle control circuit responsive to a duty cycle selection signal and coupled to the PWM oscillator. The duty cycle control circuit is configured to compare a voltage reference and a supply voltage. The duty cycle control circuit controls the duty cycle of the PWM output signal to be inversely proportional to the supply voltage.

Claims

1. A control circuit to control a speed of a motor, comprising:

a PWM oscillator configured to generate a PWM output signal having a duty cycle, wherein the speed of the motor is controlled by the PWM output signal to be proportional to the duty cycle; and

a duty cycle control circuit responsive to a duty cycle selection signal and coupled to the PWM oscillator, the duty cycle control circuit being configured to compare a voltage reference and a supply voltage,

wherein the duty cycle control circuit controls the duty cycle of the PWM output signal to be inversely proportional to the supply voltage, and

wherein the speed of the motor is substantially constant with respect to variations in the supply voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a comparator configured to compare a second voltage reference to the duty cycle selection signal to generate a comparator output signal coupled to the duty cycle control circuit.

3. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an enable circuit having an input coupled to the PWM oscillator and an output at which the PWM output signal is provided in response to an enable signal.

4. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a PWIIVI sequencer comprising the PWM oscillator and the duty cycle control circuit.

5. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the speed of the motor is determined from a rotor commutation signal generated from a magnetic field sensor sensing a magnetic field generated by the motor.

6. A control circuit to control a speed of a motor, comprising:

a timer configured to measure from a first time based on an activation signal and to provide an enable signal based on the timer reaching a second time, wherein the second time occurs after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed following the first time; and

a PWM sequencer responsive to a duty cycle selection signal and configured to generate a PWM output signal having a duty cycle, wherein the speed of the motor is controlled by the PWM output signal to be proportional to the duty cycle,

wherein the PWM output signal is generated in response to the enable signal and the duty cycle selection signal.

7. The circuit of claim 6, further comprising circuitry configured to receive an input signal provided by a user and configured to provide the activation signal based on the input signal.

8. The circuit of claim 6 wherein the speed of the motor is initially proportional to a 100 percent duty cycle and wherein the speed of the motor is proportional to the duty cycle of the PWM output signal after the timer reaches the second time.

9. The circuit of claim 6 wherein the PWM sequencer comprises:

a PWM oscillator configured to generate the PWM output signal; and

a duty cycle control circuit coupled to the PWM oscillator,

wherein the duty cycle control circuit is configured to compare a voltage reference to the duty cycle selection signal.

10. The circuit of claim 9, further comprising an enable circuit having an input coupled to the PWM oscillator and an output at which the PWM output signal is provided in response to the enable signal.

11. The circuit of claim 6 wherein the speed of the motor is determined from a rotor commutation signal generated from a magnetic field sensor sensing a magnetic field generated by the motor.

12. A control circuit configured to control a speed of a motor, comprising:

comparator circuitry configured to evaluate a rotor commutation signal having a frequency proportional to the speed of the motor using a clock reference signal having a fixed frequency and to provide an enable signal in response to the evaluation; and

a PWM sequencer configured to generate a PWM output signal having a duty cycle, wherein the speed of the motor is controlled by the PWM output signal to be proportional to the duty cycle, and

wherein the PWM output signal is determined by the duty cycle selection signal in response to a transition of the enable signal.

13. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the enable signal is at a first logic level when the frequency of the rotor commutation signal is equal to or greater than the fixed frequency and wherein the enable signal is at a second logic level when the frequency of the rotor commutation signal is less than the fixed frequency.

14. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the comparator circuitry comprises:

a counter responsive to the rotor commutation signal and to the clock reference signal to generate a count signal indicative of a number of pulses of the rotor commutation signal occurring within a predetermined time period equal to a time duration of a clock pulse from the clock reference signal; and

a comparator configured to provide the enable signal in response to a comparison between the count signal and a predetermined threshold value.

15. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the comparator circuitry comprises:

a counter responsive to the clock reference signal to generate a count signal indicative of a number of pulses of the clock reference signal while the rotor commutation signal is in a first logic state; and

a comparator configured to provide the enable signal in response to a comparison of the count signal and a predetermined threshold value,

wherein the counter is reset when the rotor commutation signal is in a second logic state, the second logic state being an alternative to the first logic state.

16. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the comparator circuitry comprises:

a capacitor; and

a voltage comparator configured to provide the enable signal based on a comparison of the voltage across the capacitor and a fixed voltage reference.

17. The circuit of claim 16 wherein a lower voltage across the capacitor than the fixed reference voltage corresponds to a high motor speed and a lower voltage across the capacitor than the fixed reference voltage corresponds to a low motor speed.

18. The circuit of claim 16, further comprising a current source coupled to the capacitor and configured to be enabled to charge the capacitor in response to receiving an activation signal from sleep control circuitry configured to receive a sleep signal.

19. The circuit of claim 16, further comprising reset circuitry configured to provide a reset signal to discharge the capacitor.

20. The circuit of claim 19 wherein the reset circuitry comprises an AND gate coupled to a one-shot generator configured to receive the rotor commutation signal and coupled to the sleep control circuitry, the AND gate configured to provide the reset signal based on the rotor commutation signal and the activation signal.

21. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the rotor commutation signal is generated from a magnetic field sensor sensing a magnetic field generated by the motor.

22. A control circuit to control a speed of a motor, comprising:

speed detection circuitry to detect the speed of the motor, comprising;

comparator circuitry configured to receive a clock reference signal having a fixed frequency and a rotor commutation signal having a frequency proportional to the speed of the motor and to provide a brake enable signal in response to the speed of the motor being below a predetermined threshold; and

power control circuitry configured to place transistors in an H-bridge circuit in an off state based on the brake enable signal.

23. The circuit of claim 22 further comprising a driving and braking logic circuit configured to receive a sleep signal and to provide a motor direction signal to the motor to reduce the speed of the motor based on the sleep signal,

wherein the driving and braking logic circuit is configured to provide a braking signal based on the sleep signal, and

wherein the motor direction signal reverses a rotational direction of the motor.

24. The circuit of claim 23 wherein the power control circuitry is configured to place transistors in an H-bridge circuit in an off state based on the brake enable signal and the braking signal.

25. The circuit of claim 22 wherein the rotor commutation signal is generated from a magnetic field sensor sensing a magnetic field generated by the motor.