Stall protection based on back EMF detection

1. Method of detecting a rotor condition of a dc motor, the motor being part of a motor control circuit, the motor control circuit having a free-wheeling diode in parallel with the motor, the method including:

establishing a threshold voltage for back emf evaluation by providing at least one diode connected in series with a positive motor terminal,

energizing the motor to operate at a certain speed,

cutting-off current to the motor for a time sufficient for current through the free-wheeling diode to decay to zero, and

comparing the back emf voltage detected at leads of the motor to the threshold voltage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of cutting-off current to the motor includes controlling a switch to be turned-off preventing current to the motor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein switch is a FET controlled by a pulse width modulated signal, and the method includes controlling the FET to cut-off current to the motor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the sufficient time does not exceed one pulse duration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of comparing the back emf includes using an open collector comparator and, the following formulas being used in the back emf voltage and threshold voltage comparison:

( In +)=[( M +)−2 *Vf]*k

( In −)=( M −)* k

( In +)−( In −)=[( M +)−( M −)−2 *Vf]*k

where:

In+ is the non-inverting input of the comparator

In− is the inverting input of the comparator

M+ is the positive terminal of the motor

M− is the negative terminal of the motor

Vf is the forward voltage across the at least one diode

k is a resistor divider ratio of values of resistors in series with the comparator,

wherein a stall condition is indicated when In−(M−) is greater than In+(M+) and the motor is considered to be running properly when In+(M+) is greater than In−(M−).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energizing step includes operating the motor in a DC control mode, and the cutting-off step includes controlling a switch to be off only when a stall condition of the motor is to be determined.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing a threshold voltage includes establishing a fixed threshold voltage.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of defining a threshold voltage includes establishing a threshold voltage proportional to an expected speed of the motor.

9. A motor control circuit for detecting a condition of a rotor of a motor of the circuit, the circuit comprising:

a dc motor having a rotor,

a free-wheeling diode in parallel with the motor,

diode means for establishing a threshold voltage for back emf evaluation, the diode means including at least one diode connected in series with a positive motor terminal,

means for energizing the motor to operate at a certain speed,

means for cutting-off current to the motor for a time sufficient for current through the free-wheeling diode to decay to zero, and

means for comparing the back emf voltage at leads of the motor to the threshold voltage.

10. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the means for cutting-off current to the motor is a switch.

11. The circuit of claim 10 , wherein switch is a FET controlled by a pulse width modulated signal.

12. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the sufficient time does not exceed one pulse duration.

13. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the means for comparing includes an open collector comparator, the following formulas being employed in the back emf voltage and threshold voltage comparison:

( In +)=[( M +)−2 *Vf]*k

( In −)=( M −)* k

( In +)−( In −)=[( M +)−( M −)−2 *Vf]*k

where:

In+ is the non-inverting input of the comparator

In− is the inverting input of the comparator

M+ is the positive terminal of the motor

M− is the negative terminal of the motor

Vf is the forward voltage across the free-wheeling diode

k is a resistor divider ratio of values of resistors in series with the comparator,

wherein a stall condition is indicated when In−(M−) is greater than In+(M+) and the motor is considered to be running properly when In+(M+) is greater than In−(M−).

14. A motor control circuit for detecting a condition for a rotor of a dc motor, the motor control circuit comprising:

a dc motor having a rotor,

a power supply supplying power to the motor,

a free-wheeling diode in parallel with the motor,

a switch for cutting-off current to the motor,

at least one diode, connected in series with a positive terminal of the motor for establishing a voltage threshold,

an open collector comparator,

a voltage tap for detecting voltage across leads of the motor, and

a controller constructed and arranged to control operation of the switch such that when the switch is turned off, cutting-off current to the motor, back emf voltage can be measured via the voltage tap and can be compared via the comparator to the threshold voltage.

15. The circuit of claim 14 , wherein the switch is a FET.

16. The circuit of claim 14 , wherein the switch is a relay.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of comparing the back emf includes using an open collector comparator.

18. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the means for comparing the back emf is an open collector comparator.

19. The circuit of claim 14 , wherein the comparator employs the following formulas in the back emf voltage and threshold voltage comparison:

( In +)=[( M +)−2 *Vf]*k

( In −)=( M −)* k

( In +)−( In −)=[( M +)−( M −)−2 *Vf]*k

where:

In+ is the non-inverting input of the comparator

In− is the inverting input of the comparator

M+ is the positive terminal of the motor

M− is the negative terminal of the motor

Vf is the forward voltage across the free-wheeling diode

k is a resistor divider ratio of values of resistors in series with the comparator,

wherein a stall condition is indicated when In−(M−) is greater than In+(M+) and the motor is considered to be running properly when In+(M+) is greater than In−(M−).