Patent ID: 7187147

Claim:
A motor drive, in which a power supply voltage is applied across an output circuit having switching elements making a bridge connection, a motor coil is connected on a midpoint of the output circuit, and an energizing polarity to the motor coil is switched by turning on/off a pair of the switching elements on opposite sides of the bridge connection, the motor drive comprising: a current detecting switching element connected in series with the output circuit, a current detection circuit for detecting, in response to a torque command signal, a current applied to the current detecting switching element, a PWM signal generation circuit for generating a PWM signal according to an output signal of the current detection circuit, a power switch circuit for determining an energization phase to the motor coil, and a synthesizing circuit for synthesizing an output signal of the PWM signal generation circuit and an output signal of the power switch circuit, wherein PWM operation of a first state and a second state is repeated to control current supply to the motor coil, the first state enabling current supply to the motor coil when the switching elements making a bridge connection are such that the switching element on one side determined by the power switch circuit is conducting, the switching element on the other side is nonconducting, and the current detecting switching element is conducting, the second state bringing the current detecting switching element out of conduction and bringing into conduction all the switching elements making a bridge connection in the output circuit.