METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR MOTOR DRIVE INFORMATION CAPTURE

• US 20080074075A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Pande, Manish, Davis, Wayne Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/800
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/0077 Characterised by the use of a particular software algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 388/909 Monitoring means

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for capturing and saving motor drive information in a non-volatile memory to facilitate troubleshooting and motor fault analysis. The motor drive includes a power conversion system that provides electrical power to an electric motor and a control system providing a control input to the power conversion system, and an information capture system is provided with an information capture component to capture motor drive information and a non-volatile memory component to store the captured information.

Claims

1. A motor drive system for operating an electric motor, the motor drive system comprising:

a power conversion system operative to selectively provide electrical power from a power source to an electric motor according to at least one control input;

a control system providing the control input to the power conversion system for controlling operation of the electric motor; and

an information capture system with an information capture component operative to capture motor drive information and a non-volatile memory component to store the captured information.

2. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the power conversion system comprises a switching system with a plurality of switching devices coupled between the power source and the electric motor;

and wherein the control system comprises a motor controller providing a motor controller output for controlling the motor operation according to at least one desired profile or setpoint, and a switch control circuit providing a plurality of switch control signals to control operation of the switching devices of the switching system according to the controller output.

3. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the information capture system is operative to capture and store a given amount of motor drive information at least until a trigger event occurs and to thereafter maintain the stored information in the non-volatile memory component.

4. The motor drive system of claim 3, wherein the trigger event is one of a motor drive fault condition, a watchdog timer condition in the control system, and a preconfigured condition in the control system.

5. The motor drive system of claim 3, wherein the control system provides a trigger signal to the information capture component.

6. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the captured and stored motor drive information comprises at least one of a feedback value from the power conversion system and a control signal value.

7. The motor drive system of claim 6, wherein the captured and stored motor drive information comprises at least one of a voltage value, a current value, a control input value, a digital I/O value, a firmware value from the control system, and a control system firmware state.

8. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory component comprises at least one of battery backed RAM, flash memory, and ferroelectric memory.

9. The motor drive system of claim 8, wherein the non-volatile memory component is removable from the motor drive system.

10. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory component is removable from the motor drive system.

11. The motor drive system of claim 10, wherein the non-volatile memory component is a USB memory key.

12. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the information capture component obtains the motor drive information at least partially from a memory of the control system.

13. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the information capture component obtains the motor drive information at least partially from a processor of the control system.

14. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the information capture component is a processor of the control system.

15. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the information capture component obtains the motor drive information at least partially from an I/O component of the control system.

16. A method for operating an electric motor, the method comprising:

providing electrical power from a power source to an electric motor using a power conversion system;

controlling the power conversion system according to at least one desired profile or setpoint using a control system;

capturing motor drive information from at least one of the power conversion system and the control system; and

storing a given amount of motor drive information in a non-volatile memory at least until a trigger event occurs.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the trigger event is one of a motor drive fault condition, a watchdog timer condition in the control system, and a preconfigured condition in the control system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the motor drive information comprises at least one of a feedback value from the power conversion system and a control signal value.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the motor drive information comprises at least one of a voltage value, a current value, a control input value, a digital I/O value, a firmware value from the control system, and a control system firmware state.

20. A system for capturing information in a motor drive, the system comprising:

an information capture system with an information capture component operative to capture motor drive information at least until a trigger event occurs; and

a non-volatile memory component operatively coupled with the information capture system to receive and store the captured information;

wherein the motor drive information comprises at least one of feedback values, motor controller output values, motor drive state values, and plant condition values.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the motor drive information comprises at least one of a voltage value, a current value, a control input value, a digital I/O value, a firmware value from a control system, and a control system firmware state.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the motor drive information comprises at least one of an indication of a user pressing a reset button or other motor drive user interface control implement, an indication of a motor drive start operation, an indication of a motor drive stop operation, an indication of a change to data in a real time clock of the motor drive, an indication of cycling of motor drive power, retentive alarm queues, an indication of loss of parameter data, and an indication of a change to a setup parameter.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the motor drive information captured by the information capture system is programmable.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the trigger event is at least one of a motor drive fault condition, a watchdog timer condition in a control system, and a preconfigured condition in the control system.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the trigger event is provided by an external device or system.