Patent ID: 9136784
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: H02P

Abstract:
1. A universal control unit for either a brushed or brushless DC motor, comprising: a processing device having an electronic processor and electronic memory for storing at least one of a brushed motor algorithm or a brushless motor algorithm; and an output stage being coupled to the processing device and having a plurality of high-side and low-side switches, a plurality of nodes, and a plurality of output connections that are arranged in a multi-phase configuration and connect the universal control unit to either a brushed or a brushless DC motor; when the universal control unit is manufactured in a brushed operating mode, the brushed motor algorithm is stored on the electronic memory and the processing device is selectively configured to execute the stored brushed motor algorithm for a brushed DC motor and the output connections are spliced together, wherein the processing device at the direction of the brushed motor algorithm is configured to control the plurality of switches such that none of the high-side switches are ‘on’ at the same time that one or more of the low side switches are ‘on’ when the output connections are spliced together; and when the universal control unit is manufactured in a brushless operating mode, the brushless motor algorithm is stored on the electronic memory and the processing device is selectively configured to execute the stored brushless motor algorithm for a brushless DC motor and the output connections are not spliced together, wherein the processing device at the direction of the brushless motor algorithm is configured to control the plurality of switches such that one of the high-side switches is ‘on’ at the same time that one or more of the low side switches are ‘on’ when the output connections are not spliced together.