Motor control system

An addressable electric motor system, comprising:

• an electric motor including a motor housing and a motor shaft, the motor responsive to motor drive signals to rotationally drive the motor shaft;
• a motor controller circuit for controlling the electric motor in response to motor commands received on a motor control bus from a host controller, the motor commands in the form of serial data words comprising a plurality of data bits, the motor controller circuit comprising:
• a motor driver circuit for providing motor driver signals to the motor in response to motor driver commands;
• and
• a control logic circuit responsive to command words from the host controller for generating motor drive control signals, the control logic circuit having an associated motor identification, each command word having associated therewith a motor identification portion and a motor command portion, the control logic including circuitry for converting the motor command portion into said motor driver control signals if said motor identification portion corresponds to the motor identification;
• and
• a closed loop motor control circuit for controlling the motor in accordance with said motor command words;
• and wherein said control logic circuit and said closed loop motor control circuit are integrated on a single integrated circuit chip.

A motor control system for controlling a plurality of electric motors, comprising:

• a serial data bus for carrying motor commands words in serial form;
• a plurality of motor circuits, each including an electric motor and a motor controller circuit, each motor controller circuit including a control logic circuit responsive to command words addressed to the motor controller for generating motor drive control signals, the control logic circuit having an associated motor identification, each command word having associated therewith a motor identification portion and a motor command portion, the control logic including circuitry for converting the motor command portion into said motor driver control signals if said motor identification portion corresponds to the motor identification;
• and
• wherein the plurality of motor controllers are connected in a cascaded configuration on the bus, and each controller includes a bus input terminal and a bus output terminal.

A motor controller circuit for controlling an electric motor in response to motor commands from a host controller provided on a motor control bus, the motor commands in the form of serial data words comprising a plurality of data bits, the motor controller circuit comprising:

• a motor driver circuit for providing motor driver signals to the motor in response to motor driver commands;
• a control logic circuit responsive to command words received on the motor control bus from the host controller for generating motor drive control signals, the control logic circuit having an associated motor identification, each command word having associated therewith a motor identification portion and a motor command portion, the control logic including circuitry for converting the motor command portion into said motor driver control signals if said motor identification portion corresponds to the motor identification;
• and
• a closed loop motor control circuit for controlling the motor in accordance with said motor command words;
• and wherein said control logic circuit and said closed loop motor control circuit are integrated on a single integrated circuit chip.

A method for controlling a network of electric motors, each having a corresponding motor controller associated therewith, comprising:

• connecting each of the motor controllers in a series, daisy-chained configuration on a serial data bus;
• assigning each of the motors a unique motor designation;
• sending serial motor drive commands over the data bus, wherein each motor command includes a motor designation corresponding to that particular motor which is to execute the command;
• processing the motor command to determine the particular motor to which the motor command is addressed;
• and
• driving the particular motor drive signals in accordance with the motor drive command.