Patent ID: 12259433

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the drawings indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”. Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure.

The terms used herein generally have their ordinary meanings in the art. In the case of conflict, the present document, including any definitions given herein, will prevail. The same thing can be expressed in more than one way. Alternative language and synonyms can be used for any term(s) discussed herein, and no special significance is to be placed upon whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as “first”, “second” or “third” can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from another one only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like.

Reference is made toFIGS.1to3, in whichFIG.1is a block diagram of a motor, a control circuit, a driver circuit, an output stage circuit and a motor commutation testing circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG.2is a block diagram of the motor commutation testing circuit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG.3is a flowchart diagram of the motor commutation testing circuit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown inFIG.1, a motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure is suitable for testing a state such as reliability of a motor MT and a motor controller circuit. The motor controller circuit may include a control circuit40, a driver circuit50and an output stage circuit60as shown inFIG.1.

In the motor controller circuit, the driver circuit50is connected to the control circuit40and the output stage circuit60. The output stage circuit60is connected to the motor MT.

It is worth noting that, the motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a commutation testing circuit10, a commutation signal generating circuit20, a motor rotation detecting circuit21and a selector circuit30as shown inFIGS.1and2.

The motor rotation detecting circuit21of the motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure may be connected to a first terminal OT1and a second terminal OT2of the motor MT such as a single-phase motor, or may be connected to the first terminal OT1, the second terminal OT2and a third terminal OT3of the motor MT such as a three-phase motor.

The commutation testing circuit10may be connected to the selector circuit30and an external circuit. The selector circuit30is connected to the commutation signal generating circuit20, the motor rotation detecting circuit21and the control circuit40.

First, in step S101ofFIG.3, the commutation testing circuit10may receive a mode instruction signal from the external circuit through a pin P1of the motor controller circuit as shown inFIG.1. In practice, the commutation testing circuit10may receive one or more pattern signals from the external circuit through one or more pins such as an SCL pin and an SDA pin that are applicable to an I2C protocol, and uses any one or each one of the pattern signals as the mode instruction signal. It should be understood that, the present disclosure is not limited to a source of the mode instruction signal.

Then, in step S103ofFIG.3, the commutation testing circuit10may, according to the mode instruction signal, determine which one of a test mode and a rotation detection mode is a mode that the motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure enters.

It is worth noting that, when the motor MT cannot commutate to generate a commutation signal due to not all of components (such as blades) of a fan are assembled together, the blades of the fan are not driven by the motor MT yet or other factors, the mode instruction signal received by the commutation testing circuit10has a test mode message. The commutation testing circuit10, according to the mode instruction signal having the test mode message, determines that the motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure enters the test mode to output a mode switching signal having the test mode message.

In the test mode, the motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure performs testing operations of steps S105to S107, S113and S115, as described in detail in the following.

In step S105ofFIG.3, in the test mode, the selector circuit30, according to the mode switching signal having the test mode message from the commutation testing circuit10, selects the commutation signal generating circuit20among the motor rotation detecting circuit21and the commutation signal generating circuit20.

In step S107ofFIG.3, in the test mode, the commutation signal generating circuit20generates a simulated commutation signal. For example, the commutation signal generating circuit20may include an oscillator or other circuit components. The oscillator is configured to generate an oscillating signal as the simulated commutation signal.

If necessary, in the test mode, the commutation signal generating circuit20may determine a target frequency according to a target rotation speed of the motor MT, and may output the simulated commutation signal having the target frequency. The target rotation speed of the motor MT may be written in a storing component such as a register (through the one or more pins of the motor controller circuit, such as the SCL pin and the SDA pin that are applicable to the I2C protocol) from the external circuit. The commutation signal generating circuit20may determine the target frequency according to the target rotation speed stored in the storing component, and may output the simulated commutation signal having the target frequency.

For example, in the test mode, the commutation signal generating circuit20may store a plurality of reference target rotation speeds and a plurality of reference frequencies on a lookup table. The plurality of reference frequencies respectively correspond to the plurality of reference target rotation speeds. The commutation signal generating circuit20may look up one of the plurality of reference frequencies that corresponds to the reference target rotation speed being equal to the target rotation speed of the motor MT. The commutation signal generating circuit20may determine that the target frequency is equal to the one of the plurality of reference frequencies. The commutation signal generating circuit20outputs the simulated commutation signal having the target frequency. The target frequency of the simulated commutation signal is equal to the one of the plurality of reference frequencies that corresponds to the target rotation speed.

In the test mode, the selector circuit30obtains and transmits the simulated commutation signal from the commutation signal generating circuit20such as the oscillator to the control circuit40.

After step S107ofFIG.3is performed, step S113ofFIG.3is performed. In step S113ofFIG.3, in the test mode, the control circuit40receives the simulated commutation signal through the selector circuit30from the commutation signal generating circuit20such as the oscillator, and outputs a control signal to the driver circuit50according to the simulated commutation signal. The driver circuit50outputs a driving signal to the output stage circuit according to the control signal from the control circuit40.

Then, in step S115ofFIG.3, in the test mode, the output stage circuit (including a bridge circuit having a plurality of high-side switches and a plurality of low-side switches) operates to output an output stage signal to the motor MT to control the state of the motor MT, according to the driving signal from the driver circuit50.

After the above-mentioned testing operations are performed in the test mode, the reliability and other states of circuit components such as coils of the motor MT, the control circuit40, the driver circuit50and the output stage circuit60may be determined according to operational state data such as signals that are outputted by these circuit components.

When the motor MT rotates and commutates to generate the commutation signal, the commutation testing circuit10receives the mode instruction signal having a motor rotating detected message from the external circuit. The commutation testing circuit10, according to the mode instruction signal having the motor rotating detected message, determines that the motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure enters the rotation detection mode to output the mode switching signal having the motor rotating detected message.

In the rotation detection mode, the motor commutation testing circuit1000of the embodiment of the present disclosure performs detection operations of steps S109to S115, as described in detail in the following.

In step S109ofFIG.3, in the rotation detection mode, the selector circuit30, according to the mode switching signal having the motor rotating detected message from the commutation testing circuit10, selects the motor rotation detecting circuit21among the commutation signal generating circuit20and the motor rotation detecting circuit21.

In step S111ofFIG.3, in the rotation detection mode, the motor rotation detecting circuit21detects the commutation state of the motor MT to generate the commutation signal as the detected commutation signal.

For example, the motor rotation detecting circuit21may include a motor rotor detecting circuit such as but not limited to a Hall sensor. The motor rotation detecting circuit21may detect a position of a rotor of the motor MT. Then, the motor rotation detecting circuit21may, according to a change in the position of the rotor of the motor MT, determine the commutation state of the motor MT to generate the commutation signal as the detected commutation signal. The selector circuit30transmits the detected commutation signal from the motor rotation detecting circuit21to the control circuit40.

After step S111ofFIG.3is performed, step S113is performed. In step S113, in the rotation detection mode, the control circuit40outputs the control signal according to the detected commutation signal from the selector circuit30.

Then, in step S113ofFIG.3, the output stage circuit60(including the bridge circuit having the plurality of high-side switches and the plurality of low-side switches) operates to output the output stage signal to the motor MT to control the state of the motor MT, according to the driving signal from the driver circuit50.

After the above-mentioned detection operations are performed in the rotation detection mode, the reliability and other states of circuit components such as the coils of the motor MT, the control circuit40, the driver circuit50and the output stage circuit60may be determined according to the operational state data such as the signals that are outputted by these circuit components.

That is, when the motor MT cannot generate the commutation signal, the commutation signal generating circuit20generates the commutation signal (for example, the oscillator generates the oscillating signal) as the simulated commutation signal, and then the selector circuit30selects to transmit the simulated commutation signal from the commutation signal generating circuit20to the control circuit40for testing.

However, when the motor MT rotates and commutates to generate the commutation signal, the motor rotation detecting circuit21detects the commutation signal of the motor MT as the detected commutation signal, and then the selector circuit30selects to transmit the detected commutation signal from the motor rotation detecting circuit21to the control circuit40.

In brief, the selector circuit30(, according to the operational state of the motor MT,) selects one of the commutation signal generating circuit20and the motor MT for generating the commutation signal. Performance (such as the reliability) of the motor MT and the motor controller circuit are tested according to the commutation signal.

Beneficial Effects of the Embodiments

In conclusion, the present disclosure provides the motor commutation testing circuit. The motor commutation testing circuit of the present disclosure is switched between the rotation detection mode and the test mode. In the rotation detection mode, the motor commutation testing circuit of the present disclosure detects the commutation signal of the motor being driven to rotate, and tests the reliability of the motor and the circuit components for driving the motor to rotate according to the commutation signal.

However, when the motor cannot rotate to generate the commutation signal due to the fan does not have blades or other factors, the motor commutation testing circuit of the present disclosure enters the test mode. In the test mode, the commutation signal generating circuit such as the oscillator of the motor commutation testing circuit of the present disclosure generates the simulated commutation signal. In the test mode, the motor commutation testing circuit of the present disclosure tests the reliability of the motor and the circuit components for driving the motor to rotate, according to the simulated commutation signal.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.