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US 9,431,934 B2Granted
Motor controller with drive-signal conditioning
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsFrederic Bonvin, Ezio Galbiati
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An embodiment of a motor controller includes a motor driver and a signal conditioner. The motor driver is operable to generate a motor-coil drive signal having a first component at a first frequency, and the signal conditioner is coupled to the motor driver and is operable to alter the first component. For example, if the first component of the motor-coil drive signal causes the motor to audibly vibrate (e.g., “whine”), then the signal conditioner may alter the amplitude or phase of the first component to reduce the vibration noise to below a threshold level.
Claims20
A motor controller, comprising:
- a motor driver configured to generate a motor-coil drive signal having a first component at a first frequency corresponding to a cogging frequency of a motor to be controlled by the motor driver, and
- a signal conditioner coupled to the motor driver and configured to alter the first component and wherein
- the signal conditioner is operable to generate a conditioning signal;
- and
- wherein the motor driver comprises:
- a signal generator operable to generate an initial drive signal;
- a combiner operable to generate an intermediate drive signal from the initial drive signal and the conditioning signal;
- and
- a converter operable to convert the intermediate drive signal into the motor-coil drive signal.
6 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a motor having a coil;
- and
- a motor controller, comprising:
- a motor driver configured to generate a drive signal having a first component at a first frequency and to drive the motor coil with the drive signal, the first component being based on a cogging frequency of the motor;
- and
- a signal conditioner coupled to the motor driver and configured to alter the first component, wherein the signal conditioner is operable to generate a conditioning signal;
- and
- wherein the motor driver includes:
- a signal generator operable to generate an initial drive signal;
- a combiner operable to generate an intermediate drive signal from the initial drive signal and the conditioning signal;
- and
- a converter operable to convert the intermediate drive signal into the motor-coil drive signal.
9 more elements
A disk drive, comprising:
- a motor having a spindle and a coil;
- a data-storage disk attached to the spindle;
- and
- a motor controller, comprising:
- a motor driver that generates a drive signal having a first component at a first frequency based on a cogging frequency of the motor, the motor driver driving the motor coil with the drive signal;
- and
- a signal conditioner coupled to the motor driver and operable to alter the first component, wherein the signal conditioner is operable to generate a conditioning signal;
- and
- wherein the motor driver includes:
- a signal generator operable to generate an initial drive signal;
- a combiner operable to generate an intermediate drive signal from the initial drive signal and the conditioning signal:
- and
- a converter operable to convert the intermediate drive signal into the motor-coil drive signal.
10 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- a disk drive coupled to the controller and comprising:
- a motor having a spindle and a coil;
- a data-storage disk attached to the spindle;
- and
- a motor controller, comprising:
- a motor driver operable to generate a drive signal having a first component at a first frequency and to drive the motor coil with the drive signal, wherein the first frequency corresponds to a cogging frequency of the motor;
- and
- a signal conditioner coupled to the motor driver and operable to alter the first component, wherein the signal conditioner is operable to generate a conditioning signal:
- and
- wherein the motor driver includes:
- a signal generator operable to generate an initial drive signal;
- a combiner operable to generate an intermediate drive signal from the initial drive signal and the conditioning signal;
- and
- a converter operable to convert the intermediate drive signal into the motor-coil drive signal.
13 more elements
A method, comprising:
- driving a coil of a motor with a current;
- conditioning the current to maintain a magnitude of a vibration experienced by the motor below a threshold;
- generating with the coil a back-electromotive-force voltage having a component at a first frequency;
- wherein the vibration has a component at a second frequency;
- and
- wherein conditioning the current comprises causing the current to have a component at a third frequency having a value that is a function of the first and second frequencies.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- driving a coil of a motor with a current,
- determining a frequency component of the current at a first frequency, the first frequency having a non-zero frequency;
- and
- conditioning the current at approximately the frequency to maintain a magnitude of a vibration experienced by the motor below a threshold in response to the determining of the frequency component, wherein the vibration has a component substantially at a cogging frequency of the motor;
- generating with the coil a back-electromotive-force voltage having a component at a second frequency;
- wherein the vibration has a component at the first frequency;
- and
- wherein conditioning the current comprises controlling a component of the current at a third frequency such that a difference between the second and third frequencies substantially equals the first frequency.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.