Apparatus and method for controlling drive of plural actuators

An apparatus for controlling drive of a plurality of actuators, comprising:

• a plurality of drive circuits respectively driving the actuators and respectively mounted on a plurality of circuit boards each formed as a module for driving each of the actuators, each module being detachable to the apparatus;
• a plurality of capacitors each mounted on each of the circuit boards, the capacitors having capacitance values different from each other;
• a charging unit charging the capacitors;
• a measuring unit measuring a period of time during which a charged potential of each of the capacitors rises up to a predetermined potential;
• and
• a module type determining unit determining a type of each of the modules in accordance with the period of time for each capacitor measured by the measuring unit.

An apparatus for controlling drive of a plurality of actuators, comprising:

• a plurality of drive circuits respectively driving the actuators and respectively mounted on a plurality of circuit boards each formed as a module for driving each of the actuators, each module being detachable to the apparatus;
• a plurality of capacitors each mounted on each of the circuit boards, the capacitors having capacitance values different from each other;
• a charging unit charging the capacitors;
• a measuring unit measuring a period of time during which a charging potential at each of the capacitors rises up to a predetermined potential;
• a module type determining unit determining a type of each of the modules in accordance with the period of time for each capacitor measured by the measuring unit;
• and
• a unit for taking countermeasures depending on a result determined by the module type determining unit.

A method for controlling drive of a plurality of actuators respectively driven by a plurality of drive circuits respectively mounted on a plurality of circuit boards each formed as a module for driving each of the actuators, each module being detachable to the apparatus, a plurality of capacitors each being mounted on each of the circuit boards, and the capacitors having capacitance values different from each other, comprising:

• measuring a period of time during which a charging potential at each of the capacitors charged by a charging unit rises up to a predetermined potential;
• determining a type of each of the modules in accordance with the period of time for each capacitor measured;
• and
• taking countermeasures depending on a result determined by the module type determining unit.