Digital rotary optical accelerator

A method for controlling a motor, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating a plurality of optically encoded controller position signals associated with an operator motor control input, wherein each of the optically encoded controller position signals comprises at least two states;
• (b) reading the states of the plurality of optically encoded controller position signals;
• (c) determining a motor control signal state based on the states of a plurality of optically encoded controller position signals;
• (d) determining a motor control direction based on the states of a plurality of optically encoded controller position signals;
• (e) outputting a motor control signal based on the motor control signal state;
• and
• (f) outputting a motor control direction signal based on the motor control direction.

An apparatus for controlling a motor, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) an input device for allowing an operator motor control input, the operator motor control input having a position signal;
• (b) an optical encoder in physical communication with the input device and for optically encoding the position signal associated with the input device, wherein the optical encoder comprises a plurality of optical encoder output signals;
• (c) a programmable controller device in circuit communication with the optical encoder and for controlling the motor;
• the programmable controller device comprising:
• (1) an optical encoder input port for reading the plurality of optical encoder output signals;
• (2) motor control logic for controlling the motor;
• and
• (3) an output port for outputting a first motor control signal;
• (d) an output circuit in circuit communication with the programmable controller device and for outputting a second motor control signal to the motor.