Position detection of a 1-coil or 2- coil motor

A method of determining an initial position of a single-phase DC motor, or of a two-phase DC motor without parallel wound coils, the motor having a stator comprising magnetic material and at least one but less than three coils, and a rotor movably mounted with respect to the stator, the method comprising the steps:

• a) applying at least one first probe pulse to the at least one coil thereby generating a first response pulse having a first direction or a first polarity, and measuring an effect of the at least one first probe pulse;
• b) applying at least one second probe pulse to the at least one coil thereby generating a second response pulse having a second direction or second polarity, and measuring an effect of the at least one second probe pulse;
• wherein the at least one first probe pulse and the at least one second probe pulse have a shape and size sufficiently small for not substantially moving the rotor relative to the stator, and have a shape and size sufficiently large so as to cause at least partial saturation of the magnetic stator material;
• c) determining the initial position of the rotor with respect to the stator by comparing the measured effect of the at least one first probe pulse and the measured effect of the at least one second probe pulse.