An apparatus for assisting a defective heart of a patient, the apparatus comprising: a pump; a motive drive operably connected to drive the pump (1 06); the motive drive, further comprising an impeller for motivating blood flow from and to a native heart of a patient; a sensor operably connected to the motive drive to detect a avalue of an operational parameter of the motive drive; and a system controller having a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected to the motive drive and the sensor to retrieve information from the sensor, and to perform an operational process comprising: a first set step for setting system state parameters at a nominal value; a second set step for setting a corresponding motor control status for the system controller to apply to the motive drive, the corresponding motor control status reflecting correlation between the system state parameters as set in the first set step, and reflecting a desired physiological condition of the patient; a monitor step for monitoring data reflecting an operation of the motive drive; and a test step for determining a state of the physiological condition of the patient based on the monitor step, wherein a finding that the state of the physiological condition of the patient is stable results in continuation of the monitor step; wherein if the state of the physiological condition of the patient drifts away from a desired value, a pre-set step is performed for changing the nominal value of the first set step and resuming with the second set step. a pump; a motive drive operably connected to drive the pump (1 06); the motive drive, further comprising an impeller for motivating blood flow from and to a native heart of a patient; a sensor operably connected to the motive drive to detect a avalue of an operational parameter of the motive drive; and a system controller having a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected to the motive drive and the sensor to retrieve information from the sensor, and to perform an operational process comprising: a first set step for setting system state parameters at a nominal value; a second set step for setting a corresponding motor control status for the system controller to apply to the motive drive, the corresponding motor control status reflecting correlation between the system state parameters as set in the first set step, and reflecting a desired physiological condition of the patient; a monitor step for monitoring data reflecting an operation of the motive drive; and a test step for determining a state of the physiological condition of the patient based on the monitor step, wherein a finding that the state of the physiological condition of the patient is stable results in continuation of the monitor step; wherein if the state of the physiological condition of the patient drifts away from a desired value, a pre-set step is performed for changing the nominal value of the first set step and resuming with the second set step. a first set step for setting system state parameters at a nominal value; a second set step for setting a corresponding motor control status for the system controller to apply to the motive drive, the corresponding motor control status reflecting correlation between the system state parameters as set in the first set step, and reflecting a desired physiological condition of the patient; a monitor step for monitoring data reflecting an operation of the motive drive; and a test step for determining a state of the physiological condition of the patient based on the monitor step, wherein a finding that the state of the physiological condition of the patient is stable results in continuation of the monitor step; wherein if the state of the physiological condition of the patient drifts away from a desired value, a pre-set step is performed for changing the nominal value of the first set step and resuming with the second set step.