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US 9,300,235 B2Granted
System and method for serial communication by an electronic circuit
AssigneeAllegro MicroSystems, LLC
InventorsChee-Kiong Ng, Christopher Alger, Timothy Reynolds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor driver includes at least two terminals suitable for being coupled to a motor controller and to receive a motor command signal and transmit a motor status signal when the motor driver is controlling a motor. A serial data communication circuit may be configured to send and receive serial data over the at least two terminals when the at least two terminals are idle.
Claims19
A motor driver comprising:
- a motor coil driver responsive to a motor command signal to control a motor;
- a feedback circuit to provide a feedback signal representing a status of the motor;
- a first terminal coupled to receive the motor command signal when the motor driver is controlling a motor;
- a second terminal coupled to transmit the feedback signal when the motor driver is controlling the motor;
- a motor control logic module that receives the motor command sign as an input from the first terminal, sends control signals to the motor coil driver to drive the motor in response to the command signal, receives the feedback signal from the feedback circuit, and generate a motor status signal representing the status of the motor as an output to the second terminal in response to the feedback signal;
- a serial data communication circuit configured to send and receive a serial data signal in accordance with a serial communication protocol over the first and second terminals when the motor is stopped or when a voltage on the first and/or second terminals is not pulled high or low;
- and
- a multiplexor coupled to the motor control logic module and the serial data communication circuit to selectively couple the second terminal feedback signal to the motor control logic module and the serial communication module in response to a determination that the motor is stopped or a voltage on the first and/or second terminals is not pulled high or low.
5 more elements
A method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, by a motor coil driver circuit, a motor command signal to control a motor;
- providing, by a feedback circuit, a feedback signal representing a status of the motor;
- receiving, by a motor driver circuit, a motor command signal on a first terminal when the motor coil driver circuit is controlling a motor;
- transmitting, by the motor control circuit, motor status signal on a second terminal when the motor coil driver circuit is controlling the motor;
- and
- receiving, by a motor control logic module, the motor command signal as an input from the first terminal;
- sending, by the motor control logic module, control signal the motor coil driver to drive the motor in response to the command signal;
- receiving, by the motor control logic module, the feedback signal from the feedback circuit;
- transmitting, by the motor control logic module, a motor status signal representing the status of the motor as an output of a second terminal in response to the feedback signal when the motor coil driver is controlling the motor;
- sending and receiving serial data communication signals, by a serial data communication circuit, in accordance with a serial data communication protocol, over the first, and second terminals when the motor is stopped or when a voltage on the first and/or second terminals is not pulled high or low;
- and
- selectively coupling the second terminal feedback signal to the motor control logic module to the serial communication module in response to a determination that the motor is stopped or a voltage on the first and/or second terminals is not pulled high or low.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.