Digital Control Unit for BLDC Motor Gain Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for controlling BLDC motors in image forming apparatuses are inflexible, as they require manual adjustment of control gain values through external components, making it difficult to change the gain values without modifying the circuit.
Innovation Solution
A digital control system for BLDC motors that includes a communication interface, sensor units, and a digital control unit capable of receiving digital control commands, detecting driving information, computing error values, and generating PWM signals based on digital gain values, allowing for easy adjustment of control gain values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an analog PLL driving circuit is used to control the BLDC motor, then the control can be implemented, but the control gain value cannot be changed without modifying the circuit components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the analog PLL driving circuit with a digital control system. The digital control unit receives digital control commands and digitally adjusts the control gain value through software programming, eliminating the need to physically modify circuit components (resistors, capacitors) to change gain values. This substitution of digital for analog control enables flexible gain adjustment without circuit modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control gain value by modifying digital parameters in the digital control unit rather than changing physical component values. The digital control unit stores and processes control gain values as digital data, allowing easy adjustment by changing software parameters or registered values, which directly resolves the inability to adjust gain in analog circuits without hardware modification.
2Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of control gain value is performed using external resistors or capacitors, then the control can be implemented, but the adjustment process becomes difficult and requires component replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual physical adjustment of external resistors and capacitors with automated digital control. The digital control unit programmatically sets control gain values based on digital control commands, eliminating the need for manual component replacement and making adjustment as easy as changing software parameters or registered data.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital control unit automatically manages control gain value adjustment through its internal processing capabilities. Instead of requiring external manual intervention to replace components, the system self-adjusts by digitally programming the appropriate gain values based on control commands or pre-stored parameters, making the adjustment process trivial and error-free.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an engine unit to perform an image forming job; an engine control unit to control the operation of the engine unit; a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor to drive the engine unit; a sensor unit to sense electric angle information and driving velocity information of the BLDC motor; a communication interface to receive a digital control command with respect to the BLDC motor from the engine control unit; a driving signal unit to generate a driving signal to control the BLDC motor; and a digital control unit to control the operation of the driving signal unit in a digital phase locked loop (PLL) manner for feedback controls the BLDC motor, based on the received digital control command, the detected electric angle information and the driving velocity information and a digital gain value as a control factor with respect to the BLDC motor.