Rotary electric machine with remote position sensor

Abstract

A rotary electric motor includes a shaft angle sensor that communicates with an external controller via differential communication. This configuration allows the controller to be positioned away from the axial end of the motor while reliably transmitting rotor angle or speed information to the controller via a relatively long wiring harness. The shaft angle sensor is mounted on a sensor plate, which is carried by the machine housing at the non-drive end of the rotor shaft. Alternatively, the sensor plate can function as a hub where signals from multiple machine sensors are collected and positioned to communicate with the controller via the same wiring harness used to transmit sensor information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to rotating electric machines and related sensors and systems. Background Technology

[0002] Shaft angle sensors provide real-time information indicating the angular position of the output shaft of an electric motor, which is useful for determining the motor's angular velocity and the rotor's relative position to the stator at any given time. In electric and hybrid vehicles, drive motors are typically paired with inverters to convert DC power, usually supplied by one or more batteries, into AC power, or otherwise modulate electrical power between the power source and the motor. Shaft angle sensors are typically mounted on the inverter control board, which is then positioned near some form of sensor target (e.g., a magnet, a toothed wheel / disc, etc.) at the non-drive end of the motor shaft. However, in some applications, there is insufficient axial enclosure space, requiring the inverter to be positioned away from the motor end, leading to problems associated with reliably transmitting angular position data to the control board. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one embodiment, an electronically controlled motor includes a rotary motor, a sensor target, a sensor board, a machine control board, and a wiring harness. The rotary motor includes a housing and a rotor shaft rotatably supported by the housing. The rotor shaft has a drive end and an opposite end on which the sensor target is mounted. The sensor board is supported by the housing and includes an axis angle sensor positioned at the opposite end of the rotor shaft. The axis angle sensor is configured to generate an electrical signal in response to movement of the sensor target relative to the axis angle sensor. The machine control board is located outside the housing and includes a controller. The wiring harness interconnects the sensor board and the machine control board and transmits a differential electrical signal pair corresponding to the electrical signal generated by the axis angle sensor from the sensor board to the machine control board.

[0004] In some implementations, the electronically controlled motor includes an inverter that includes a machine control board. The inverter includes a power module that communicates with the controller to modulate the phase voltage supplied to the rotating motor, in part based on an electrical signal generated by an shaft angle sensor.

[0005] In some implementations, the sensor board includes a transmitter that converts the electrical signal generated by the shaft angle sensor from a single-ended electrical signal into a differential electrical signal pair, and the machine control board includes a receiver that converts the received differential electrical signal pair into a single-ended electrical signal indicating the angular position of the rotor shaft.

[0006] In some implementations, the transmitter and receiver communicate with each other via low-voltage differential communication (LVDS).

[0007] In some embodiments, the shaft angle sensor generates multiple single-ended electrical signals in response to rotation of the rotor shaft. Each single-ended electrical signal is converted into a corresponding differential electrical signal pair for transmission from the sensor board to the machine control board via a wiring harness. Each differential electrical signal pair received by the machine control board is converted into a single-ended electrical signal indicating the angular position of the rotor shaft.

[0008] In some implementations, the shaft angle sensor uses orthogonal coding to generate multiple single-ended electrical signals, including a first signal indicating a first angular position of the rotor shaft, a second signal indicating different second angular positions of the rotor shaft, and a third signal indicating the index position of the rotor shaft.

[0009] In some implementations, the electronically controlled motor is configured to transmit additional electrical signals between the shaft angle sensor and the controller via a wiring harness. These additional electrical signals are digital signals relevant to the configuration or diagnostics of the shaft angle sensor. The additional electrical signals may include two or more signals transmitted between the controller and the shaft angle sensor. The additional electrical signals may be Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) signals communicated via Low Voltage Differential Communication (LVDS).

[0010] In some implementations, the sensor board includes a transmitter that transmits differential signal pairs to a machine control board, and the transmitter receives a supply voltage derived from a higher supply voltage provided by the machine control board. The supply voltage received by the transmitter can be monitored at the machine control board via a wiring harness.

[0011] In some implementations, the sensor target is a magnet magnetized along the diameter direction.

[0012] In some implementations, the wiring harness is constructed as a flexible circuit or a ribbon cable.

[0013] In some embodiments, signals from at least one additional sensor within the housing of the rotating electric motor are provided to a control board via a sensor board and a wiring harness. The at least one additional sensor may include a temperature sensor or a current sensor. The at least one additional sensor may be powered by a supply voltage from the control board via the wiring harness and the sensor board, and the supply voltage may be a pass voltage relative to the sensor board. The at least one additional sensor may include multiple additional sensors electrically connected to the sensor board via the sensor wiring harness and a common connector. The sensor wiring harness may be at least partially configured as a flexible circuit or ribbon cable, and the sensor wiring harness may be attached to the motor housing along a portion of the sensor wiring harness between each additional sensor and the sensor board. The sensor wiring harness may include a reinforcing portion coupled to a flat, flexible, insulated conductor portion and mounted to the housing via the reinforcing portion.

[0014] It is conceivable that any number of individual features of the above embodiments and any other embodiments depicted in the following figures or description can be combined in any combination to define the invention, unless the features are incompatible. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an isometric sectional view of an embodiment of an electronically controlled motor including a rotating motor having a sensor board located away from an inverter including a control board; Figure 2 It is related to rotating electric motors (such as...) Figure 1 A perspective view from the axial outside of an embodiment of a remote motor position sensor (RMPS) system used in conjunction with a rotary motor. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An inside perspective view of the RMPS system; Figure 4 From Figure 2 The advantageous position 4 Figure 2 A perspective view of the RMPS system; Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of the portion; Figure 6 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the selection section of the electronically controlled motor, including an axis angle sensor that communicates with the control board via differential communication; Figure 7 This is a simplified diagram of the selection portion of the illustrated power supply architecture of an RMPS system; Figure 8 It is an isometric view of the illustrated sensor harness, including the reinforced portion; Figure 9 It is an isometric view of the sensor wiring harness including different reinforcement sections; Figure 10 yes Figure 2-4 A perspective view of the outer side of the sensor harness; and Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A perspective view of the inside of the sensor harness. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The following describes an embodiment of a rotary motor (REM) with an axis angle sensor that communicates with an external controller via differential communication. This configuration allows the machine controller to be positioned away from the axial end of the machine while reliably transmitting rotor angle or rotor speed information to the machine controller via a relatively long wiring harness. A rotary motor may be referred to as a rotating electric machine. As used herein, a rotary motor includes an electric motor, an alternator, a generator, or any other machine that converts energy between electrical energy and rotational motion in either direction.

[0017] Figure 1 This is an isometric sectional view of portions of an illustrated electronically controlled motor 10, including a rotating motor 12 and an inverter 14. In this example, the rotating motor 12 is an electric motor that converts electricity into rotational motion, and can also operate as a generator that converts rotational motion into electricity. Although the machine 10 is disclosed by way of example as having an electric motor 12 with generator functionality, it should be understood that these teachings are equally applicable to other types of rotating motors. The illustrated electric motor 12 includes a sensor board 16, and the inverter 14 includes a machine control board 18. To clearly describe the environment of the remote motor position sensor (RMPS) system, Figure 1 The connection between sensor board 16 and control board 18 is omitted.

[0018] Motor 12 includes a housing 20 that houses a stator (not shown) in a fixed position relative to the housing. Housing 20 rotatably supports a rotor (not shown) along a rotation axis A, which is also the central axis of the stator. The rotor includes a rotor shaft 22 having a drive end 24 projecting from housing 20 and configured for connection to a transmission or wheels if machine 10 is part of a vehicle. Figure 1 In one example, the outer portion of housing 20 is cut open to reveal the inner portion of the housing with coolant recesses. In one embodiment, the rotary motor 12 is a permanent magnet motor. In a more specific embodiment, motor 12 is a multiphase (e.g., three-phase) permanent magnet AC motor. However, the remote motor position sensor (RPMS) system described herein is applicable to any type of motor or electric motor in which information from sensors within the machine housing must be transmitted to an external location, to name just a few examples, including AC induction motors, DC motors, and generators with any number of phases, as well as rotary motors with permanent magnet stators and / or wound rotors.

[0019] Inverter 14 includes a machine control board 18 and power modules 26 for each electrical phase. In the example shown, the motor is a three-phase AC motor and includes three power modules 26. Figure 1 (Only two are visible in the example). Each power module 26 includes a power source connector 28 and a bus connector 30. In this example, each power module 26 has a pair of power source connectors 28, across which a voltage potential from a power source is applied—for example, one power source connector 28 may be electrically connected to the cathode side of a DC power source (e.g., 48V, 400V, 800V), while the other power source connector of the same module 26 is connected to the anode side of the power source (e.g., ground or 0V). One or more bus connectors 30 of each power module 26 are configured to be electrically connected to a bus 32 associated with the electrical phase of the respective power module. For example, in Figure 1A portion of the busbar 32 shown, extending below the control board 18, can extend to the busbar connector 30 shown, where they are soldered or otherwise electrically attached. Figure 1 The middle section is cut off to better show the connectors 28 and 30.

[0020] Each power module 26 functions as a high-current electronically controlled switcher that controls the flow of current from a power source or from ground along its associated bus 32. Current in each bus 32 can flow in either direction, depending on where the signal needs to be relative to other phases within the corresponding AC phase. A capacitor bank may be provided across the power source connection 28 to supply the necessary surge current when the power modules switch under the control of the control module 18. In the illustrated embodiment where the inverter 14 and motor 12 are integrated as part of the motor 10, each bus 32 extends from its corresponding bus connection 30 at the corresponding power module and passes through the housing 20 of the rotating motor 12, where it is connected via the bus assembly 50. Figure 2 It is electrically connected to the corresponding phase of the stator.

[0021] Inverter 14 can primarily operate to convert DC power from a power source into AC power for use by motor 12. Inverter 14 and its control board 18 can also modulate or control other characteristics of the power it receives and transmits, including the amplitude, frequency, and / or phase timing of each electrical phase of motor 12. Inverter 14 can also be configured to operate as a rectifier, converting AC power from motor 12 into DC power for energy storage or use by DC-powered devices.

[0022] The sensor plate 16 is supported by the machine housing 20 at the end of the rotor shaft 22 opposite to the drive end 24, and includes a shaft angle sensor. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image), the shaft angle sensor is configured to generate an electrical signal indicating the angular position of the rotor shaft 22. The sensor plate 16 is described in more detail below.

[0023] Control board 18 includes a controller configured to receive information relating to the operation of motor 12 and / or power module 26, and to control one or more operating parameters of the motor and / or inverter based on that information. Control board 18 may be interchangeably referred to as a machine control board or inverter control board, meaning that it controls the operation of motor 12 via inverter 14. Some of the information received by the controller is in the form of one or more electrical signals corresponding to electrical signals generated by the axis angle sensor of sensor board 16. In the case where machine 10 is part of a vehicle, the controller may communicate with other vehicle controllers or components to receive various information, such as power requirements of the vehicle accelerator, braking requirements, or other information relating to the operation of motor 12. These examples are not limiting. Control board 18 may include more than one controller and / or be considered itself a multi-functional controller.

[0024] The control board 18 is supported by or adjacent to the power module 26, away from the axial end of the motor 12, and located outside the housing 20. In the illustrated example, the inverter 14 and its control board 18 are located radially outside the housing 20. At least a portion of the inverter 14 and / or its control board 18 is located between the opposing axial ends of the motor 12 and the housing 20. No part of the inverter 14 or its control board 18 is positioned along the motor axis A or within the axial projection area of ​​the housing 20. The illustrated control board 18 is a printed circuit board (PCB) having integrated circuits and / or other electronic devices mounted and electrically interconnected thereon. The control board 18 may also take other forms, such as flexible circuitry.

[0025] Inverter 14, sensor board 16, electrical connections between sensor board and control board, electrical connections between motor 12 and inverter, and at least a portion of motor can be encapsulated together in housing 34 to form electronically controlled motor 10. A portion of housing 34 is... Figure 1 The housing 34 is omitted and may include, for example, a cover for inverter 14. The housing 34 forms the outer surface of the machine 10 and may include portions of housing 20, while other portions of housing 20 extend into the interior of housing 34. The housing may also provide at least a portion of the inverter heat sink.

[0026] Figure 2-4 Is it suitable for and Figure 1 A perspective view of a portion of the illustrated Remote Motor Position Sensor (RMPS) system 36 used together with motor 12 and inverter 14. As used herein, "remote" means that the shaft angle sensor is located in motor housing 20 or otherwise remote from inverter 14 and its control board 18. Figure 1-4 A reference coordinate system is provided to indicate the expected orientation of the sensor system 36 relative to the motor 12. Figure 2 This is an axially outer view of system 36. Figure 3 It is a view of the system's axial inner side, and Figure 4 From Figure 2 The advantageous position 4 provides a view. The RMPS system 36 includes a rotor position or shaft angle sensor 38 ( Figure 3 The sensor board 16, the wiring harness 40 for interconnecting the sensor board 16 with the control board 18 of the inverter 14, and the optional sensor wiring harness 42 for connecting one or more additional sensors to the sensor board.

[0027] As used herein, a wire harness is any flexible assembly of two or more elongated electrical conductors electrically insulated from each other along their length, wherein each conductor terminates at a common connector at each end. The conductors and insulators may be bundled together, allowing the wire harness to be handled as a single unit. "Flexible" means that the wire harness can bend along its length without losing functionality. A wire harness may comprise bundles of individually insulated copper wires between connectors. In some embodiments, the wire harness comprises multiple individually insulated wires arranged in a flat configuration and joined together as a flexible flat cable or ribbon cable. In other embodiments, the wire harness is constructed as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or flexible circuit, wherein the wires or printed conductors are encased in a flexible polymer insulator (e.g., polyimide). The flexible circuit construction may include multiple layers of conductor and insulating materials. Each wire harness may also include one or more shielding layers (e.g., metal foil).

[0028] Additional sensors may include sensors for monitoring parameters of the rotating motor 12 other than the shaft angle. In this example, the additional sensors include a pair of phase current sensors 44 and one or more temperature sensor assemblies 46. Figure 4 System 36 may further include control board 18 or one or more components mounted on control board to the extent necessary for the operation of the RMPS system. Additional sensors may generate analog signals transmitted to control board 18 in analog form, analog signals converted into digital signals before transmission to control board, or digital signals transmitted to control board as digital signals.

[0029] Figure 2-4 Also shown is a portion of the motor 12 that interacts with the components of the RMPS system, including the part with the drive end 24 ( Figure 1 The non-drive end 48 of the rotor shaft 22 and the bus assembly 50 are opposite. The bus assembly includes a housing 52 and a bus 54 for each stator phase. A portion of each bus 54 is housed within the housing 52, and a portion of each bus 54 extends from the upper side of the housing to be electrically connected to a bus 32 extending from the inverter 14. The bus 54 may be electrically connected to its corresponding stator winding at the outside of the housing 52.

[0030] In this example, portions of two of the three busbars 54 extend through openings in the phase current sensor 44 on their way to the power module 26, and temperature sensors 46 are housed within the busbar assembly 50. Each of the one or more temperature sensor assemblies 46 may include one or more temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors). In one embodiment, the temperature sensor assembly 46 includes a plurality (e.g., two or more) of sensors configured to measure the internal temperature of the busbar assembly 50 at different locations. The temperature sensors may be located at the stator windings, stator core, housing 20, or other internal components of the motor 12 and configured to measure the temperature of the stator windings, stator core, housing 20, or other internal components of the motor 12.

[0031] Sensor board 16 is configured to be mounted on motor housing 20. Figure 1 The sensor board 16 is supported by the motor housing 20 in one or other ways and includes an axis angle sensor 38 and a connector 56. The sensor board 16 can be mounted to the motor housing by fasteners as shown or any other suitable means. When the board 16 is mounted to the motor housing, the axis angle sensor 38 is mounted on the inside of the board and positioned along the motor axis A. The connector 56 is configured to receive a mating connector 58 of the wiring harness 40 leading to the control board 18. The sensor board 16 shown is a printed circuit board (PCB) having integrated circuits and / or other electronic devices mounted and electrically interconnected thereon. The sensor board 16 may take other forms, such as a flexible circuit form, or may be integrated with the wiring harness 40 in FPC form without separable connectors 56, 58.

[0032] In the case where system 36 includes an additional sensor communicating with sensor board 16, an additional connector 60 is disposed on sensor board 16 to receive mating connector 62 of sensor harness 42. In this example, sensor harness 42 includes mating connector 62 for sensor board connector 60, a pair of current sensor connectors 64 and temperature sensor connector 66. Wires or other conductors from each of sensor connectors 64, 66 all lead to mating connector 62 for connection to sensor board 16 via a common connector 62. As with harness 40 connecting sensor board 16 to inverter 14, sensor harness 42 may be constructed as a bundle or multiple bundles of individual wires, individual wires combined in a flat configuration (e.g., ribbon cable), or have a flexible circuit (FPC) construction.

[0033] Figure 5 yes Figure 4An enlarged view of the portion showing the sensor plate 16 and the shaft angle sensor 38 associated with the non-driven end 48 of the rotor shaft 24. In this example, the non-driven end 48 of the rotor shaft is provided with a non-ferromagnetic housing (e.g., aluminum, copper, plastic, etc.), and the magnetic sensor target 68 is mounted in or on the non-ferromagnetic housing. The sensor target housing may be coupled to the main portion of the rotor shaft, which supports the rotor's magnetic poles and is rotatably supported by the machine housing 20. For example, the target housing may be press-fitted to or otherwise attached to the steel portion of the rotor shaft. The depth of this press-fit allows for controllable manufacturing process variables affecting the air gap between the end 48 of the rotor shaft and the shaft angle sensor 38.

[0034] The shaft angle sensor 38 shown is a non-contact sensor. An example of a non-contact sensor is a Hall effect sensor, configured to detect the presence and / or change of a nearby magnetic field. The sensor target 68 can be a magnet magnetized along its diameter—that is, a magnet with opposite magnetic poles across its diameter. The polarity of the magnet 68 can be correlated with the angular position of the rotor shaft 22, such that an analog or digital signal from the shaft angle sensor 38 indicates the angular position of the rotor shaft and rotor of the rotating motor 12. Other types of shaft angle sensors are conceivable, including but not limited to inductive sensors or optical sensors.

[0035] In some embodiments, the shaft angle sensor 38 uses orthogonal encoding to generate multiple single-ended electrical signals, including a first signal representing a first angular position of the rotor shaft, a second signal representing different second angular positions of the rotor shaft, and a third signal representing a marked position of the rotor shaft. As used herein, each “angular position” of the rotor shaft is represented by a discrete angular step size resolved by the shaft angle sensor. For example, the first, second, and third signals may be provided by the shaft angle sensor 38 at the corresponding A, B, and I (or Z) terminals of a sensor capable of implementing ABI. Through orthogonal encoding, the edge of each generated signal represents the angular step size of the rotor shaft rotation. In one embodiment, the shaft angle sensor 38 is configured to resolve 4096 discrete angular steps (i.e., 0.087890 per step). For each rotation of the rotor shaft, each of the A and B signals has 2048 edges. The A and B signals are interleaved such that an A edge is located in the middle between two B edges, and vice versa. Thus, the direction of rotation of the rotor shaft can be determined based on the relative order of the rise and fall of the two signals (A and B).

[0036] In one embodiment, the shaft angle sensor 38 is an integrated circuit with onboard analog-to-digital processing, capable of generating a digital signal for each rotation or half-rotation of the sensor target 68, for example, with a signal frequency proportional to the rotational speed of the motor 12. The signal generated by the shaft angle sensor 38 and transmitted to the control board 18 is preferably an ABI signal—i.e., orthogonal encoding with flags. Compared to other types of signals (e.g., SPI), the ABI signal provides the processor 70 with the rotor shaft angle much faster because the controller only needs to count the “edges” of the received signal, where each edge represents a known angular position of the shaft. SPI signals can be subject to delays and require more time to transmit shaft angle information, which can be problematic at high motor speeds. Digital SPI signals may be useful for initial system configuration and / or diagnostics.

[0037] In the illustrated environment, transmitting an electrical signal from the shaft angle sensor 38 to the control board 18 via a cable of any perceptible length can be problematic. This is partly due to the fact that conventional shaft angle sensors generate analog or single-ended digital signals. The combination of high-frequency single-ended signals and an electromagnetically noisy environment can result in inaccurate or corrupted signals being received at the control board 18.

[0038] To counteract or eliminate such signal degradation, the RMPS system 36 can be configured to convert at least one electrical signal generated by the shaft angle sensor 38 into a differential signal pair at the sensor board 16 before the signal is transmitted to the control board 18. This conversion may include generating a second signal (e.g., an inverse signal) complementary to the original sensor signal, which is then paired with the original signal in two different conductors such that the potential between the signal pairs is independent of the common ground of the single-ended signals. Once received at the control board 18, each differential signal pair can be converted into a corresponding single-ended signal indicating the angular position of the rotor shaft 22 based on the potential between the signal pairs. This information can be further processed at the control board 18 for use by the controller in controlling the operation of the motor 12. For example, information from the shaft angle sensor can be used by the controller of the control board in a control algorithm to appropriately pulse-width modulate each of the power modules 26 to generate multiphase power signals for the corresponding stator windings, to achieve a desired torque or speed output to the rotor when the machine 12 is operating as a motor, or to apply a desired negative torque to the rotor when the machine 12 is operating as a generator.

[0039] Figure 6This is a simplified schematic diagram showing selected components of the inverter 14, sensor board 16, and RMPS system 36. Sensor board 16 includes a shaft angle sensor 38 magnetically connected to the non-drive end of the rotor shaft 22 of motor 12 (e.g., via a sensor target in the housing portion of the shaft), and control board 18 includes a controller 70 communicating with one or more power modules 26. Sensor board 16 includes a transmitter (also referred to as a differential line driver) 72, and control board 18 includes a receiver (also referred to as a differential receiver) 74. Transmitter 72 is configured to convert a single-ended signal from shaft angle sensor 38 into a differential signal pair for transmission to receiver 74, and receiver 74 is configured to convert the received differential signal back into a single-ended signal for supply to controller 70. One or both of transmitter 72 and receiver 74 may be in the form of a transceiver capable of both transmitting and receiving electrical signals.

[0040] Transmitter 72 and receiver 74 may employ Low Voltage Differential Communication (LVDS) protocols, such as TIA / EIA-485, TIA / EIA-644, CAN (Controller Area Network), FlexRay, or derivatives thereof. Some implementations employ a dual-driver / dual-receiver setup for both the transmitter and receiver. In one implementation, transmitter 72 receives multiple electrical signals from axis angle sensor 38 and converts these signals into corresponding differential signal pairs for transmission to control board 18. For example, an ABI-enabled sensor may generate three distinct but related signals at the corresponding A, B, and I (or A, B, and Z) terminals of axis angle sensor 38, which transmitter 72 converts into three corresponding differential signal pairs for transmission to control board 18. The two signals of each differential signal pair are transmitted through wire harness 40 in physically adjacent conductors. A digital ground signal may also be provided to the control board via wire harness 40. Other differential communication protocols are possible, and sensor board 16 and control board 18 may include other components through which signals pass (e.g., A / D converters, amplifiers, processors, etc.).

[0041] exist Figure 6In this example, sensor board 16 functions as a hub for other motor sensors, including phase current sensor 44 and one or more temperature sensors 46 (e.g., stator winding temperature, housing 20 temperature, bus assembly 50 temperature, etc.). Signals from these and other motor sensors are transmitted to control board 18 via sensor board 16 and wiring harness 40. Here, all additional sensor signals are received at sensor board 16 via the same sensor wiring harness 42 and sensor board connector 60, pass through sensor board 16 (e.g., via traces), and reach control board 18 via the same wiring harness 40 as the differential pair with the shaft angle sensor signal. This eliminates the conventional wiring from individual motor sensors to inverter 14, resulting in lighter weight, lower cost, and a smaller package size required within the entire machine 10. Figure 6 An onboard temperature sensor 76 is also shown, configured to monitor the temperature of a sensor board and communicate with the control board 18 via the same wiring harness 40 as other sensors. In one embodiment, the onboard temperature sensor is a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor. In another embodiment, the shaft angle sensor 38 includes an integrated temperature sensor that is communicated as a value (parameter) within an SPI data packet.

[0042] In some embodiments, the electronically controlled motor 10 is configured to transmit and receive additional electrical signals between the shaft angle sensor 38 and the controller 70 via a wiring harness 40. These additional electrical signals may be digital signals related to the configuration and / or diagnostics of the shaft angle sensor 38. In one example, the additional signals include at least one signal transmitted from the shaft angle sensor 38 to the controller 70 and at least one signal transmitted from the controller 70 to the shaft angle sensor 38. For example, an internal integrated circuit (I2C) protocol using only two wires for bidirectional communication between the shaft angle sensor 38 and the controller 70 may be implemented. In another embodiment, the additional signals include two or more signals (e.g., CLK and MOSI) transmitted from the controller 70 to the shaft angle sensor 38, and one or more signals (e.g., MISO) transmitted from the shaft angle sensor to the controller. In a particular example, the additional electrical signals include three signals (e.g., CS, CLK, MOSI) transmitted from the controller 70 to the shaft angle sensor 38 and one signal (e.g., MISO) transmitted from the shaft angle sensor 38 to the controller 70. These signals can be Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) signals and communicate between the sensor board 16 and the control board 18 via LVDS in the same manner as the signals indicating the rotor shaft angle.

[0043] Shaft angle information can be communicated between shaft angle sensor 38 and controller 70 via an SPI signal during startup. At this time, ABI shaft angle information is unavailable until sensor target 68 has rotated sufficiently to generate a flag (I) pulse. Once the flag pulse is generated, controller 70 can then rely on the ABI signal to determine the shaft angle, ignoring the specific angle SPI signal for motor control purposes. As part of diagnostics and fault detection, controller 70 can be configured to compare the shaft angle reported by SPI with that reported by ABI (e.g., via edge counting) to ensure a basic match. If the two reported shaft angles differ by more than a predetermined angle, a fault indication can be provided and remedial measures (e.g., stopping the motor) can be taken.

[0044] LVDS devices 72 and 74 can operate at a lower supply voltage than the other components of the shaft angle sensor 38, controller 70, and system 36. Figure 7 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the illustrated power supply architecture. The sensor board 16 shown includes a regulator or low-voltage power supply 78 that receives nominal power (e.g., 5V) from the control board power supply 80 and supplies a lower voltage (e.g., 3.3V) to one or more transmitters 72. The control board 18 may also include a buck regulator (not shown) to supply the control board receiver 74. Onboard regulation of the supply voltage for the sensor board transmitter 72 allows the use of a single power supply line from the control board 18 to the sensor board 16 to power the axis angle sensor 38, transmitter 72, and other sensor board components. In other embodiments, the low-voltage supply to the sensor board transmitter 72 is transmitted via a wiring harness 40 from a low-voltage power supply on the control board 18 (such as the same low-voltage power supply that powers the LVDS receiver 74 on the control board).

[0045] As shown, the input and output voltages supplied by the low-voltage power supply 78 can be monitored at the control board 18 to verify correct operation, wherein each of the input and output voltages is transmitted to the control board via the same wiring harness 40 as the sensor signal. This arrangement allows identification of whether the input voltage signal from the control board 18 to the power supply 78 has encountered any problems during its initial transmission through the wiring harness 40. In another embodiment, the input voltage of the low-voltage power supply 78 is monitored at the control board 18.

[0046] In the illustrated example, sensor board 16 further functions as a power supply hub for phase current sensor 44 and / or other additional sensors located remotely from sensor board 16 and control board 18. Power from control board power supply 82 reaches sensor 44 via wiring harness 40, sensor board 16, and sensor harness 42. Analog-to-digital converter 84 receives a reference voltage from both power supplies 80, 82 and from low-voltage power supply 78 to allow board controller 70 to monitor the power supplied to various components. As shown, power supply 82, which powers an additional motor sensor, can be capacitively decoupled at sensor board 16. Similarly, power supply 80, which powers low-voltage power supply 78, can be capacitively decoupled at sensor board 16 (not shown). In yet another embodiment, the same power supply to control board 18 powers both shaft angle sensor 38 (via regulator 78) and additional sensors (current sensor 44 in this case).

[0047] Figure 8 and Figure 9 An embodiment of the sensor harness 42 is shown, each of which includes a flat, flexible, insulated conductor portion 86 and a reinforcing portion 88. The insulated conductor portion 86 may be a ribbon cable or configured as a flexible circuit as described above. The reinforcing portion 88 includes one or more segments 90 of rigid or semi-rigid material attached to the flexible portion 86 to provide rigidity to the sensor harness 42 where desired and / or to provide mounting features 92 for attaching the sensor harness 42 to the housing 20. Each segment 90 may be referred to as a reinforcement and may be metal, plastic, composite material, fiberboard, or other suitable rigid material, and is capable of reliably maintaining the sensor harness 42 in position on the machine housing 20 by preventing movement of the otherwise flexible harness when subjected to vibration and other forces during use of the machine 10. Each reinforcement 90 may be bonded to the flexible portion 86 via adhesive or other suitable means. Some of the reinforcements 90 are located at connectors 62, 64 to prevent bending at pads where the connectors connect to the wires or conductors of the sensor harness 42.

[0048] The mounting feature 92 shown is an opening formed through the reinforcing portion 88, sized for threaded fasteners to pass through to engage the threads of the motor housing 20, and sized for a compression-limiting feature of the motor housing to extend through to provide a clearance for controlled clamping of the reinforcing portion to the motor housing. Other types of mounting features 92 are conceivable (e.g., snap-fit ​​features). In some embodiments, the mounting feature is simply an additional surface area to be clamped or adhered to the motor housing.

[0049] Figure 8The reinforcing section 88 includes six reinforcing members 90: three reinforcing members with mounting features 92, one reinforcing member located at the sensor board connector 62, and two reinforcing members located at the current sensor connector 64. The reinforcing members 90 with mounting features provide only localized reinforcement of the sensor harness 42. This lightweight option can be used in applications where flexibility of the sensor harness 42 is required or where there are few concerns regarding the mounting features 92.

[0050] Figure 9 The reinforcing part 88 includes four reinforcing members 90, which have positions relative to... Figure 8 Mounting features 92 are located in the same position. Four reinforcements 90 include: one reinforcement along a large portion of the sensor harness 42 having all three mounting features 92, one reinforcement at the sensor board connector 62, and two reinforcements at the current sensor connector 64. This implementation provides additional rigidity between the mounting features 92, all positioned along a large reinforcement 90, to prevent the otherwise flexible harness from shifting during use. Only the portion of the sensor harness 42 closest to connectors 62, 64 remains flexible to eliminate any need for strict tolerances to the connector position.

[0051] Figure 10 and Figure 11 They are Figure 2-4 Top and bottom views of the sensor harness 42. In this embodiment, the reinforcing portion 88 includes a total of six reinforcing members 90: a large C-shaped reinforcing member including three mounting features 92, a reinforcing member supporting the sensor board connector 62, two reinforcing members supporting the current sensor connector 64, a reinforcing member supporting the temperature sensor connector 66, and optionally a reinforcing member on the flexible portion 86 of the sensor harness 42 between the large reinforcing member and the sensor board connector 62, here used to protect the flexible portion of the cable from unrelated mounting features in the motor housing. This example provides high strength, where flexibility is maintained only near the connectors 62, 64, 66 where necessary. The large reinforcing member 90 is mounted along the bottom side of the flexible portion 86 (i.e., relative to the inside of the motor). However, in alternative embodiments, a reversed topology may be advantageous. For example, this may be advantageous if the reinforcing members comprise conductive or electromagnetically conductive materials (e.g., steel, stainless steel, aluminum) and are used to provide additional noise shielding for the conductive path electrically coupled to the housing through the mounting features. The flexible portion 86 in this example includes a through opening 92 larger than the orifice 92 of the lower reinforcement 90 to provide a surface area on the reinforcement for controllable abutment clamping of the fastener head.

[0052] It should be understood that the foregoing description is a description of one or more embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but is defined solely by the following claims. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to specific embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention or the definition of terms used in the claims, except where terms or phrases are expressly defined above. Various other embodiments, as well as various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments, will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0053] As used in this specification and claims, the terms “e.g.,” “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “similar,” as well as the verbs “comprise,” “have,” “include,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a list of one or more components or other items, are each interpreted as open-ended, meaning that the list should not be construed as excluding other additional components or items. Other terms should be interpreted using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled motor, comprising: A rotary electric motor includes a housing and a rotor shaft rotatably supported by the housing, the rotor shaft having a drive end and an opposite end; The sensor target is mounted on the opposite end of the rotor shaft; A sensor plate, supported by the housing, includes a shaft angle sensor positioned at the opposite end of the rotor shaft and configured to generate an electrical signal in response to movement of the sensor target relative to the shaft angle sensor. A machine control panel, located outside the housing, and including a controller; and A wiring harness interconnects the sensor board and the machine control board, wherein the wiring harness transmits differential electrical signal pairs corresponding to the electrical signals generated by the axis angle sensor from the sensor board to the machine control board. The shaft angle sensor generates multiple single-ended digital electrical signals, including ABI and SPI signals, in response to the rotation of the rotor shaft. Each single-ended electrical signal is converted into a corresponding differential electrical signal pair for transmission from the sensor board to the machine control board via a wiring harness. Each differential electrical signal pair received by the machine control board is converted into a corresponding single-ended electrical signal indicating the angular position of the rotor shaft. Specifically, the shaft angle information is communicated between the shaft angle sensor and the controller via an SPI signal when the rotary motor starts and until a flag pulse is generated. The controller relies on the ABI signal to determine the shaft angle and ignores the SPI signal after generating the flag pulse for the purpose of rotating motor control.

2. The motor of claim 1, further comprising an inverter, the inverter including the machine control board, the inverter further comprising a power module in communication with the controller to modulate the phase voltage supplied to the rotating motor in part based on the electrical signal generated by the shaft angle sensor.

3. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor board includes a transmitter that converts each single-ended electrical signal generated by the shaft angle sensor into a corresponding differential electrical signal pair, and wherein the machine control board includes a receiver that converts each received differential electrical signal pair into a corresponding single-ended electrical signal indicating the angular position of the rotor shaft.

4. The motor of claim 3, wherein the transmitter and the receiver communicate with each other via Low Voltage Differential Communication (LVDS).

5. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the shaft angle sensor uses orthogonal encoding to generate single-ended ABI electrical signals, each ABI signal including a first signal representing a first angular position of the rotor shaft, a second signal representing a different second angular position of the rotor shaft, and a third signal representing a marker position of the rotor shaft, the marker pulse being the third signal.

6. The motor of claim 1, further configured to transmit an additional electrical signal between the shaft angle sensor and the controller via the wiring harness, the additional electrical signal being a digital signal related to the configuration or diagnosis of the shaft angle sensor.

7. The motor of claim 6, wherein the additional electrical signal comprises two or more signals transmitted between the controller and the shaft angle sensor.

8. The motor according to claim 6, wherein the additional electrical signal is a serial peripheral interface (SPI) signal communicated via Low Voltage Differential Communication (LVDS).

9. The motor of claim 1, wherein the sensor board includes a transmitter for transmitting the differential electrical signal pair to the machine control board, the transmitter receiving a supply voltage derived from a higher supply voltage provided by the machine control board.

10. The motor of claim 9, wherein the supply voltage received by the transmitter is monitored at the machine control board via the wiring harness.

11. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor target is a magnet magnetized along the diameter direction.

12. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the wiring harness is constructed as a flexible circuit or a ribbon cable.

13. The motor of claim 1, wherein a signal from at least one additional sensor within the housing of the rotary motor is provided to the control board via the sensor board and the wiring harness.

14. The motor of claim 13, wherein the at least one additional sensor comprises a temperature sensor or a current sensor.

15. The motor of claim 13, wherein the at least one additional sensor is powered by a supply voltage from the control board via the wiring harness and the sensor board, the supply voltage being a pass voltage relative to the sensor board.

16. The motor of claim 13, wherein the at least one additional sensor comprises a plurality of additional sensors electrically connected to the sensor board via a sensor harness and a common connector.

17. The motor of claim 16, wherein the sensor harness is at least partially configured as a flexible circuit or a ribbon cable.

18. The motor of claim 16, wherein the sensor harness is attached to the motor housing along a portion of the sensor harness between each additional sensor and the sensor board.

19. The motor of claim 16, wherein the sensor harness includes a reinforcing portion joined to a flat, flexible, insulated conductor portion and mounted to the housing via the reinforcing portion.

20. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor board is a printed circuit board, and the shaft angle sensor is an integrated circuit of the printed circuit board, the sensor being axially spaced from the opposite end of the rotor shaft.

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