TWI852229B - Motor controller - Google Patents

Abstract

A motor controller comprises a switch circuit, a control circuit, and a function pin. The switch circuit is coupled to a motor for driving the motor. The control circuit generates a plurality of control signals to control the switch circuit. The function pin is coupled to the control circuit for receiving a function signal. The function signal is configured to inform the motor controller to execute a braking function. The braking function enables a braking time to be a variable value.

Description

Motor controller

The present invention relates to a motor controller, in particular to a motor controller applicable to a single-phase motor or a three-phase motor. The motor controller may be a fan motor controller.

Traditionally, a motor controller may have a brake function to stop a motor. However, when the brake function is executed, the braking time is a fixed value. If the motor load changes from a light load to a heavy load, the fixed braking time may not be able to successfully stop the motor. Therefore, a new technology is needed to solve this problem.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a motor controller that can adjust a braking time.

According to the present invention, the motor controller is provided. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the motor controller is used to drive a motor. The motor can be a single-phase motor or a three-phase motor. The motor controller has a switch circuit, a control circuit, and a function pin. The switch circuit is coupled to the motor to drive the motor, wherein the switch circuit has a plurality of upper bridge switches and a plurality of lower bridge switches. The control circuit generates a plurality of control signals to control the switch circuit. The function pin is coupled to the control circuit to receive a function signal. The function signal is used to notify the motor controller to perform a brake function. The brake function makes the brake time a variable value.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the function signal conforms to a first form, the control circuit may activate a braking mode, wherein the first form may be a predetermined form. The first form may have a first pulse, wherein a width of the first pulse may be greater than a predetermined time. The first form may further have a second pulse, wherein a width of the second pulse may be greater than a predetermined time. When the function signal conforms to a second form, the control circuit may continue to execute the braking mode. The second form may be adjacent to the first form. The second form may have N pulses, N being a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. In addition, a duration of the second form may be related to the braking time. When the duration of the second state is longer, the braking time is longer. When the function signal no longer conforms to the second state, the control circuit can terminate the braking mode. A system can adjust the braking time according to a motor load. Therefore, the motor controller can enable the motor to be successfully braked.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control circuit can perform the braking function by turning on the plurality of upper bridge switches and not turning on the plurality of lower bridge switches. The control circuit can also perform the braking function by not turning on the plurality of upper bridge switches and turning on the plurality of lower bridge switches. The function signal can be a rotation direction control signal, a motor speed-related signal, or a motor-related function signal. In addition, the function signal can be a multi-function signal. The function pin can be a multi-function pin. The motor controller can be arranged on an integrated circuit chip. When the motor controller is arranged on the integrated circuit chip, one pin number of the integrated circuit chip can be saved by setting the multi-function pin. The motor controller can be a fan motor controller.

10: Motor controller

100:Switching circuit

110: Control circuit

120: Functional pin

FUN: Function signal

101: first transistor

102: Second transistor

103: The third transistor

104: Fourth transistor

105: Fifth transistor

106: Sixth transistor

V: First endpoint

U: Second endpoint

W: Third endpoint

VCC: Fourth terminal

GND: Fifth terminal

COM: Sixth endpoint

C1: First control signal

C2: Second control signal

C3: The third control signal

C4: Fourth control signal

C5: Fifth control signal

C6: Sixth control signal

L1: First coil

L2: Second coil

L3: The third coil

M: Motor

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a motor controller of an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a timing diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

The following description will make the purpose, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent. The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a motor controller 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The motor controller 10 is used to drive a motor M, wherein the motor M may have a first coil L1, a second coil L2, and a third coil L3. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the motor M may be a three-phase motor. The motor controller 10 has a switch circuit 100, a control circuit 110, and a function pin 120. The switch circuit 100 may have a first transistor 101, a second transistor 102, a third transistor 103, a fourth transistor 104, a fifth transistor 105, a sixth transistor 106, a first terminal V, a second terminal U, a third terminal W, a fourth terminal VCC, and a fifth terminal GND, wherein the switch circuit 100 is coupled to the motor M to drive the motor M. The first transistor 101 is coupled to the fourth terminal VCC and the first terminal V, and the second transistor 102 is coupled to the first terminal V and the fifth terminal GND. The third transistor 103 is coupled to the fourth terminal VCC and the second terminal U, and the fourth transistor 104 is coupled to the second terminal U and the fifth terminal GND. The fifth transistor 105 is coupled to the fourth terminal VCC and the third terminal W, and the sixth transistor 106 is coupled to the third terminal W and the fifth terminal GND. The first transistor 101, the third transistor 103, and the fifth transistor 105 can be a P-type metal oxide semi-transistor, respectively. The second transistor 102, the fourth transistor 104, and the sixth transistor 106 can be an N-type metal oxide semi-transistor, respectively. The first transistor 101, the third transistor 103, and the fifth transistor 105 can be a bridge switch, respectively. The second transistor 102, the fourth transistor 104, and the sixth transistor 106 can be a lower bridge switch respectively. In addition, the fourth terminal VCC has an input voltage, wherein the input voltage can be a power voltage. The fifth terminal GND has a ground voltage. The system can provide an input voltage to the motor controller 10 via the fourth terminal VCC so that the motor controller 10 can operate normally. For example, the input voltage can be 12 volts and the ground voltage can be 0 volts. Therefore, the motor controller 10 can be applied to a high voltage configuration.

The first coil L1 is coupled to the first terminal V and a sixth terminal COM. The second coil L2 is coupled to the second terminal U and the sixth terminal COM. The third coil L3 is coupled to the third terminal W and the sixth terminal COM. That is, the first coil L1, the second coil L2, and the third coil L3 are configured in a Y-shaped manner. The control circuit 110 generates a first control signal C1, a second control signal C2, a third control signal C3, a fourth control signal C4, a fifth control signal C5, and a sixth control signal C6 to control the conduction of the first transistor 101, the second transistor 102, the third transistor 103, the fourth transistor 104, the fifth transistor 105, and the sixth transistor 106, respectively. The function pin 120 is coupled to the control circuit 110 to receive a function signal FUN.

FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The function signal FUN can be used to notify the motor controller 10 to execute a braking function, wherein the braking function can make a braking time a variable value. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the function signal FUN conforms to a first form, the control circuit 110 can activate a braking mode, wherein the first form can be a predetermined form. The first form can have a first pulse and a second pulse. In addition, in order to avoid erroneous actions caused by noise, a width of the first pulse can be greater than a predetermined time and a width of the second pulse can be greater than the predetermined time, wherein the predetermined time can be 16 microseconds. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first form can have a change from a low level to a high level. Similarly, the first type may also have a change from a high level to a low level.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the function signal FUN conforms to a second form, the control circuit 110 may continue to execute the braking mode. The second form may be adjacent to the first form. The second form may have N pulses, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. In addition, a duration of the second form may be related to the braking time. For example, when the duration of the second form is longer, the braking time is longer. When the function signal FUN no longer conforms to the second form, the control circuit 110 may terminate the braking mode. Therefore, the system can adjust the braking time according to the motor load. When the motor load is a light load, the system can make the braking time shorter through the function signal FUN. On the contrary, when the motor load is a heavy load, the system can make the braking time longer through the function signal FUN so that the motor M can be successfully stopped. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first state can also be used to adjust the braking time. For example, when the duration of one of the first states is longer, the braking time is longer. In other words, the second state can be ignored.

Specifically, the motor controller 10 can perform the braking function by the following implementation method:

1. The control circuit 110 turns on the first transistor 101, the third transistor 103, and the fifth transistor 105, and turns off the second transistor 102, the fourth transistor 104, and the sixth transistor 106. At this time, the energy stored in the motor coil can be used to perform the braking function through a discharge process.

2. The control circuit 110 turns off the first transistor 101, the third transistor 103, and the fifth transistor 105 and turns on the second transistor 102, the fourth transistor 104, and the sixth transistor 106. At this time, the energy stored in the motor coil can be used to perform the braking function through a discharge process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the function signal FUN may be a rotation direction control signal, wherein the rotation direction control signal can be used to control a forward direction and a reverse direction of a fan. In addition, the function signal FUN may also be a motor speed-related signal or a motor-related function signal. Therefore, the function signal FUN may be a multi-function signal, wherein the multi-function signal can be used to execute an original function or the brake function. In other words, the function pin 120 may be a multi-function pin, wherein the multi-function pin can be used to execute an original function or the brake function. Furthermore, the motor controller 10 may be disposed on an integrated circuit chip. When the motor controller 10 is disposed on the integrated circuit chip, one pin number of the integrated circuit chip can be saved by providing the multi-function pin.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the motor controller 10 can be applied to a single-phase motor, a three-phase motor, a DC motor, or a brushless motor. In addition, the motor controller 10 can be a fan motor controller to drive a fan motor. According to the above disclosed technology, the motor controller 10 can adjust the braking time so that the motor M can be successfully stopped.

Although the present invention has been described by way of example with reference to preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and similar configurations that are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the patent application should be interpreted in the broadest sense to include all such modifications and similar configurations.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

10: Motor controller

100:Switching circuit

110: Control circuit

120: Functional pin

FUN: Function signal

101: first transistor

102: Second transistor

103: The third transistor

104: Fourth transistor

105: Fifth transistor

106: Sixth transistor

V: First endpoint

U: Second endpoint

W: Third endpoint

VCC: Fourth terminal

GND: Fifth terminal

COM: Sixth endpoint

C1: First control signal

C2: Second control signal

C3: The third control signal

C4: Fourth control signal

C5: Fifth control signal

C6: Sixth control signal

L1: First coil

L2: Second coil

L3: The third coil

M: Motor

Claims (25)

A motor controller is used to drive a motor. The motor controller includes: a switch circuit coupled to the motor to drive the motor; a control circuit to generate a plurality of control signals to control the switch circuit; and a function pin coupled to the control circuit to receive a rotation direction control signal, wherein the rotation direction control signal is used to notify the motor controller to perform a braking function, and the rotation direction control signal is used to control a forward direction and a reverse direction of a fan, and the braking function makes a braking time a variable value. A motor controller as described in Item 1 of the patent application, wherein when the rotation direction control signal conforms to a first form, the control circuit activates a braking mode. A motor controller as described in item 2 of the patent application, wherein the first shape is a predetermined shape. A motor controller as described in item 2 of the patent application, wherein the first form has a first pulse. A motor controller as described in Item 2 of the patent application, wherein the first state has a change from a low level to a high level. A motor controller as described in Item 2 of the patent application, wherein the first state has a change from a high level to a low level. A motor controller as described in Item 4 of the patent application, wherein a width of the first pulse is greater than a predetermined time. The motor controller as described in item 4 of the patent application, wherein the first form further has a second pulse. A motor controller as described in Item 8 of the patent application, wherein a width of the second pulse is greater than a predetermined time. As described in item 2 of the patent application scope, the motor controller, wherein when the rotation direction control signal conforms to a second form, the control circuit continues to execute the braking mode. The motor controller as described in item 10 of the patent application, wherein the second state is adjacent to the first state, the second state has N pulses, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. A motor controller as described in claim 10, wherein the duration of one of the second states is related to the braking time. The motor controller as described in Item 12 of the patent application, wherein the longer the duration of the second state is, the longer the braking time is. A motor controller as described in Item 10 of the patent application, wherein when the rotation direction control signal no longer conforms to the second form, the control circuit terminates the braking mode. A motor controller as described in Item 1 of the patent application, wherein a system adjusts the braking time according to a motor load. A motor controller as described in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller enables the motor to be successfully braked. As described in item 1 of the patent application scope, the switch circuit has a plurality of upper bridge switches and a plurality of lower bridge switches, and the control circuit performs the braking function by turning on the plurality of upper bridge switches and not turning on the plurality of lower bridge switches. As described in item 1 of the patent application scope, the switch circuit has a plurality of upper bridge switches and a plurality of lower bridge switches, and the control circuit performs the braking function by turning off the plurality of upper bridge switches and turning on the plurality of lower bridge switches. A motor controller as described in Item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller is disposed on an integrated circuit chip. A motor controller as described in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller is applied in a high voltage configuration. A motor controller as described in Item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller is applied to a single-phase motor. A motor controller as described in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller is applied to a three-phase motor. A motor controller as described in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller is applied to a DC motor. A motor controller as described in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller is applied to a brushless motor. The motor controller as described in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the motor controller is a fan motor controller.

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