Apparatus and method for minimizing undesirable stepper motor rotor motions

1. An apparatus for reducing undesired motions during initialization of a stepper motor having a rotor and windings, said apparatus comprising:

a rotary encoder for sensing direction of rotor rotation;

a microcontroller responsive to signals from the rotary encoder for generating bidirectional motor control waveforms having variable digital amplitude values;

at least one motor driver for receiving the motor control waveforms and translating the waveforms, applying incremental step currents to the windings to form a magnetic field vector in a direction, to drive the motor windings; and

wherein the translated waveforms urge the rotor in a first direction and then a second direction to locate a desired rotor position and reduce the undesired motions during initialization.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the motor driver changes at least one motor phase current to rotate the magnetic field vector in a direction opposite to the direction of a first sensed rotor rotation by a first electrical angle and changes at least one motor phase current to rotate the magnetic field vector to a next position in a direction opposite to a second sensed rotor rotation by a second electrical angle;

whereby the rotor is aligned with the magnetic field vector in its next position.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a clockwise direction and the first mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the counterclockwise direction.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the second mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a counterclockwise direction and the second mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the clockwise direction.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a counterclockwise direction and the first mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the clockwise direction.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the second mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a counterclockwise direction and the second mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the clockwise direction.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller and the at least one motor driver are combined in a single stepper motor controller.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein translating the waveforms includes converting digital amplitude values into analog amplitude values.

9. A method for reducing undesired motions during initialization of a stepper motor having a rotary encoder coupled thereto, said stepper motor having a rotor and phase windings under control of a microcontroller, said method comprising:

applying incremental step currents to the phase windings to form a magnetic field vector in a direction;

at each incremental step, sensing if a rotor rotation occurs in a first direction;

if a rotation occurs, changing at least one motor phase current to rotate the magnetic field vector in a direction opposite to the direction of first sensed rotor rotation by a first electrical angle;

sensing if a rotor rotation occurs in a second direction;

changing at least one motor phase current to rotate the magnetic field vector to a next position in a direction opposite to the second sensed rotor rotation by a second electrical angle; and

ending initialization, whereby the rotor is aligned with the magnetic field vector in its next position.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first electrical angle is at least essentially 90 degrees.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second electrical angle is at least essentially 45 degrees.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a clockwise direction and the first mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the counterclockwise direction.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a counterclockwise direction and the second mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the clockwise direction.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a counterclockwise direction and the first mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the clockwise direction.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the second mentioned sensed direction of rotor rotation is in a counterclockwise direction and the second mentioned rotation of the magnetic field vector is in the clockwise direction.

16. An apparatus for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 10 .

17. A method for reducing undesired motions during initialization of a stepper motor having a rotary encoder coupled thereto, said stepper motor having a rotor and phase windings under control of a microcontroller, said method comprising:

applying incremental step currents to the phase windings to form a magnetic field vector in a direction until the rotor rotates in one of a clockwise or counterclockwise direction;

after rotation has occurred, changing at least one motor phase current to rotate the magnetic field vector in a direction opposite to the direction of rotor rotation by a first electrical angle and causing the rotor to either (i) rotate in an opposite direction from the first mentioned rotated direction or (ii) continue to rotate in the first mentioned rotated direction;

changing at least one motor phase current to rotate the magnetic field vector to a next position in a direction opposite to direction of rotor rotation by a second electrical angle; and

ending initialization, whereby the rotor is urged to an initialized position such that it is aligned with the next position of the magnetic field vector.