Brushless DC Motor Type Identification via Pull-Up Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for identifying brushless DC motors require complex handshaking between system controllers and motors, making it difficult to easily distinguish between different types of brushless DC motors.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a method that uses pull-up resistances on the motor's circuit board to output a unique voltage value, allowing the identification apparatus to determine the motor type without handshaking, by supplying a power supply voltage and measuring the pull-up voltage value from terminals such as the PWM terminal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If handshaking communication is used to identify motor type, then compatibility can be determined, but the system requires complicated software and complex communication protocols

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility determinationVSAvoidsoftware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the software-based handshaking communication system with a hardware-based electrical resistance measurement system. The identification is achieved by measuring the pull-up resistance value in the motor's circuit board, which varies by motor type, eliminating the need for complex communication protocols and software handshaking while maintaining reliable compatibility determination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the identification parameter from communication-based data exchange to electrical resistance measurement. By utilizing the inherent pull-up resistance values in the motor's circuit board (which differ across motor types), the system achieves simple and reliable identification without requiring complex software or communication protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If handshaking communication is used to identify motor type, then motor type can be determined, but the identification process becomes time-consuming and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor type identificationVSAvoididentification speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the time-consuming handshaking communication process with an instantaneous electrical resistance measurement. The microcontroller simply measures the pull-up resistance value on the connected motor, which immediately identifies the motor type without requiring multiple communication cycles, thereby significantly improving identification speed while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If simple resistance measurement is used for identification, then the process becomes simple and fast, but the ability to differentiate between motor types may be insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification process simplicityVSAvoidmotor type differentiation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning unique pull-up resistance values to different motor types. Each motor type has a specific resistance value (e.g., 10kΩ for one type, 20kΩ for another) incorporated into its circuit board, allowing the simple measurement process to accurately differentiate between various motor types through these distinct local electrical characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes variations in electrical resistance parameters to enable precise motor type differentiation. By designing motors with distinct pull-up resistance values, the system achieves accurate identification through simple voltage division measurements, where the measured voltage directly corresponds to a specific motor type based on its unique resistance characteristic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables efficient and straightforward identification of brushless DC motor types, reducing the complexity of the identification process and eliminating the need for handshaking, while allowing for the differentiation of multiple types based on unique resistance values.

Implementation Method 1

at least one terminal with a pull-up resistance incorporated therein is mounted on the circuit board. The pull-up resistances vary among a plurality of types of brushless DC motors.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical Resistance: Electrical Resistance

Data Source

PatentUS10439521B2Brushless DC motor, and identification method and identification apparatus of identifying type of brushless DC motor

Publication Date: 2019.10.08 NIDEC CORP(JP)

AI summary

Provided is an identification method for use in an identification apparatus that identifies types of brushless DC motors. Each brushless DC motor includes a circuit board on which at least one terminal with a pull-up resistance incorporated therein is mounted. The pull-up resistances vary among multiple types of brushless DC motors. A power supply voltage is supplied from the identification apparatus to a brushless DC motor, a pull-up voltage value set by the pull-up resistance and outputted from the at least one terminal of the brushless DC motor is inputted to the identification apparatus, and the identification apparatus identifies the type of the brushless DC motor based on the pull-up voltage value.