In one aspect, a control circuit to control a speed of a motor includes a control logic circuit connected to a multifunction port. The control logic circuit is configured to receive a control signal provided at the multifunction port and to provide response signals based on the control signal to place the motor in at least two of a sleep mode, a brake mode and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) mode. The motor control circuit also includes an H-bridge circuit configured to control the motor based on the response signals.

Motor controller having a multifunction port

A cooling module includes, for certain embodiments, a brushless DC fan and integral fan control circuitry which independently implements a self-contained start and run motor control loop and also includes a communications port to accept commands from a host processor and to provide status and other data in response to queries from the host processor. In one embodiment, a fan module interfaces with a two-wire serial bus, such as an I2C bus or SMbus, and accepts commands and provides status and data in a serial digital format. A variety of commands such as on/off, and various speed control settings may be received from the host system, and the actual speed of the fan may be reported back when queried by the host system. In some embodiments a temperature within or near the fan housing or of the air flow through the fan may be reported back when queried. The entire fan control circuit may preferably be incorporated within the fan housing, including a serial interface and power terminals for the fan, resulting in a compact four-wire interface for the fan module.

Cooling module and related control circuits useful therefor incorporating a communication port for receiving digital command signals to control module

The invention relates to an electronically commutated motor in which both the drive current (i2) and the brake current (i2') are monitored. If the drive current is too high, a pulse duty factor is reduced that influences the current in the motor. If the brake current is too high, said pulse duty factor is increased. To this end, an analogous circuit with two current limiting members (131, 161) is provided and a circuit in which these functions are realized by the software of a microcontroller so that the measurement of current is no longer necessary. A combination of the two methods is also possible according to which hardware current limitation and software current limitation interact.

Electronically commutated motor

A fan module includes integral fan control circuitry which independently implements a self-contained start and run motor control loop and also includes a communications port to accept commands from a host processor and to provide status and other data in response to queries from the host processor. In one embodiment, the fan module interfaces with a two-wire serial bus, such as an I 2 C bus or SMbus, and accepts commands and provides status and data in a serial digital format. A variety of commands such as on/off, and various speed control settings may be received from the host system. The actual speed of the fan may be reported back when queried by the host system. In some embodiments the temperature of the fan or of the air flow through the fan may be reported back when queried. The entire fan control circuit may be incorporated within the fan housing and a simple serial two-wire interface may be provided in addition to the two power terminals for the fan, resulting in a compact four-wire interface for the fan module.

Brushless DC fan module incorporating integral fan control circuit with a communication port for receiving digital commands to control fan

A drive circuit for a brushless DC motor (100) controls at least one of a number of possible operation features of the motor. The drive circuit includes a driver stage for providing a current for a stator coil and varies which of the number of possible operation features of the motor are controlled. The operation features of the motor include inrush current limit control, PWM speed control, analog speed control, detecting a locked rotor condition, setting an alarm following detection of the locked rotor condition, restarting the motor following the locked rotor condition, detecting a low speed condition, and setting an alarm following detection of the low speed condition. Some of the operation features of the motor utilize at least one parameter that defines the desired operation of the feature. The drive circuit further varies the parameters of the operation features without changing the physical configuration of the brushless DC motor.

Drive circuit for a brushless dc motor

A device with an electromotor (10) has a microcontroller (12) for influencing at least one motor function and a non-volatile storage element (14) for storing at least one variable as a specification for this motor function. The device also has an interface (13a) for a data line (13) for transmitting the at least one variable, especially a current limit value (Iref), from or to a storage element (14) with the help of the microcontroller (12) and optionally, via an internal data bus (15). The invention also relates to the use of the device in ventilator batteries and to programme-controlled current limitation for running up an electromotor (10).

Device with an electromotor

The rotation speed of an electric motor (9) is controlled by a controller (6) which receives its setpoint from a characteristic function (23). The characteristic function (23) calculates a setpoint for the controller (6) on the basis of an originally analog variable A (2) that is converted to digital by an A/D converter AD (10), with the aid of support values of a “MEM+DATA” characteristic that are stored in a memory (4); those values not predefined by the support values are calculated by interpolation.

Arrangement with an electric motor

When a motor is defective, e.g. stops running, runs too slow or overheats, many clients demand that an alarm signal be generated, that is, an alarm device included in the motor. In order to configure said alarm signal, the following method is used: at least one parameter for the configuration of the alarm device of the motor is inputted by means of an input interface (80, 82); the at least one parameter is stored in a parameter storage (74; 109); the execution of at least one routine of the alarm device provided in the microprocessor (23) is influenced by said stored parameter or by parameters derived therefrom. The invention also relates to a motor for implementing said method. Said motor makes it possible to easily configure the alarm device according to the actual requirements of a client.

Method for configuring the alarm device of an electrical motor and motor for implementing said method

Eine Anordnung mit einem Elektromotor (10) hat einen Mikrocontroller (12) zum Beeinflussen mindestens einer Motorfunktion. Ferner hat sie ein nichtfluchtiges Speicherglied (14) zum Speichern mindestens einer Variablen als Vorgabe fur diese Motorfunktion, und sie hat ein Interface (13a) fur eine Datenleitung (13) zum Ubertragen der mindestens einen Variablen, insbesondere eines Strom-Grenzwerts (Iref), vom oder zum Speicherglied (14) unter Mitwirkung des Mikrocontrollers (12), und ggf. uber einen internen Datenbus (15). Die Verwendung bei Lufterbatterien wird beschrieben, ebenso die programmgesteuerte Strombegrenzung beim Hochlauf eines Elektromotors (10).

Anordnung mit einem elektromotor

The motor (9) has its speed regulated by a variable physical parameter (2), especially a temperature. A characteristic field is stored as individual digital values for associating values of the physical parameter with corresponding motor revolution rate values. A microcontroller or microprocessor has access to the stored digital values. An Independent claim is also included for a method of regulating a physical parameter.

Electric motor has characteristic field stored as digital values for associating parameter and motor speed values, and microcontroller or microprocessor

Hansjoerg Kaltenbrunner

Papers

Device with an electromotor

Arrangement with an electric motor

Method for configuring the alarm device of an electrical motor and motor for implementing said method

Anordnung mit einem elektromotor

Electric motor has characteristic field stored as digital values for associating parameter and motor speed values, and microcontroller or microprocessor