Apparatus for actuating and/or monitoring a brushless DC motor
A device for actuating and/or monitoring a brushless DC motor, preferably for safety-relevant applications, preferably while operating or controlling a vehicle or components of a vehicle and a method for reliably checking the functional capability of the device are provided. The device can be actuated by a motor control unit by using a control signal for actuating and/or monitoring a brushless direct current motor by using a converter circuit includes a switching-off apparatus, a driver circuit which acts on the converter circuit and a testable diagnosis unit for monitoring the device and/or the converter circuit and/or the brushless direct current motor. The switching-off apparatus acts on the driver circuit. The testable diagnosis unit can be tested for a malfunction by using a testing command transmitted by the motor control unit.
1. An apparatus for at least one of actuating or monitoring a brushless DC motor by using a converter circuit, the apparatus comprising:
a driver circuit acting on the converter circuit;
a switching-off apparatus acting on said driver circuit; and
a testable diagnosis unit configured for monitoring at least one parameter of at least one component selected from the group consisting of the switching-off apparatus and the brushless DC motor;
said testable diagnosis unit being configured to respond to a test command by ascertaining and outputting a fault state describing a malfunction of said testable diagnosis unit.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
a motor control unit; and
a reliable communication unit to be coupled to said testable diagnosis unit, said reliable communication unit transmitting the test command and the fault state of said testable diagnosis unit as ascertained in response to the test command to said motor control unit.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said testable diagnosis unit is configured to monitor a switching state of said converter circuit.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one position transmitter for ascertaining a position of a rotor of the brushless DC motor, said testable diagnosis unit monitoring an operability of said at least one position transmitter.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one position transmitter is a Hall sensor.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said testable diagnosis unit is configured to monitor a temperature of at least one of said converter circuit or at least one component of the apparatus.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said testable diagnosis unit monitors at least one of at least one supply voltage or at least one output voltage of said converter circuit.
8. A method for monitoring a testable diagnosis unit in an apparatus for at least one of actuating or monitoring a brushless DC motor by using a converter circuit, the apparatus including a driver circuit, a switching-off apparatus acting on the driver circuit, and the testable diagnosis unit, the method comprising the following steps:
executing a test command transmitted from a motor control unit to the testable diagnosis unit, including an adjustment of a test value for at least one limit value, corresponding to a monitored parameter, in a first processing step;
transmitting a fault state from the testable diagnosis unit to the motor control unit in a subsequent second processing step, with a positive fault state value denoting exceeding of at least one limit value of a monitored parameter;
recognizing a malfunction of the testable diagnosis unit given a non-positive fault state value in a subsequent first decision step;
resetting the fault state to a non-positive fault state value and resetting the at least one limit value for the at least one monitored parameter to an operate value in a third processing step;
transmitting the fault state from the testable diagnosis unit to the motor control unit in a subsequent fourth processing step;
recognizing a malfunction of the testable diagnosis unit given a positive fault state value in a subsequent third decision step; and
setting a successful test state in a subsequent fifth processing step.
9. The method according to claim 8 , which further comprises using the testable diagnosis unit to monitor an operability of at least one position transmitter for ascertaining a position of a rotor of a brushless DC motor, recognizing a malfunction of the testable diagnosis unit in a second decision step following the first decision step, if an interval of time between the transmission of the test command and the transmission of a positive fault state from the testable diagnosis unit to the motor control unit in the second processing step is outside a predetermined range of intervals of time.
10. The method according to claim 8 , which further comprises repeating the first method step and all subsequent steps at least once.