Motor drive control circuit and motor drive apparatus

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a motor drive control circuit of a position-sensorless type, and to a motor drive apparatus provided with such a motor drive control circuit.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] In conventional position-sensorless motor drive control circuits, one way to start a motor is by forcibly vibrating the motor with a predetermined sequence that is unrelated to the position of the rotor (hereinafter refereed to as “Method I”). Another way is by providing a current detection resistor and feeding the stator coils of the motor with current pulses before starting the motor so as to detect the energization status of the stator coils with the current detection resistor and then determine, according to the result of the detection, the starting logic state that permits the motor to be started in the forward direction (hereinafter refereed to as “Method II”).

[0005] FIG. 11 shows an example of the configuration of a position-sensorless motor drive apparatus that starts a motor by Method II described above. A drive portion 1 converts a drive voltage V_D into three-phase voltages, and outputs them to a three-phase brushless motor 2 (hereinafter referred to as the motor 2). A current detection resistor R5 detects the energization status of the drive portion 1. A motor drive control circuit 3′ detects the current that flows through the current detection resistor R5 before the motor 2 is started, then determines, according to the detected current, the starting logic state that permits the motor to be started in the forward direction, and then controls the drive portion 1 with drive signals generated on the basis of the starting logic state.

[0006] However, Method I described above has the disadvantage that, since the motor is fed with three-phase voltages generated on the basis of a starting logic state that is unrelated to the rotor position, the motor is not always started in the forward direction. On the other hand, Method II has the disadvantage that the current detection resistor produces a power loss. Thus, there have conventionally been available no motor derive apparatuses that are suitable for use in portable appliances, such as portable MD (minidisk) players, in which rotation of a disk is frequently started and stopped.

[0007] Incidentally, in the motor drive apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-268791, the rotor position is detected by monitoring zero-cross voltages in coils that are in a floating state. With this detection method, however, it is not possible to detect the rotor position unless the motor is rotating. Thus, with this detection method, it is possible to detect the rotor position when synchronism is recovered after being momentarily lost, but it is impossible to detect the rotor position before the starting of the motor.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a motor drive control circuit that operates with stable starting characteristics and with low power consumption, a motor drive apparatus employing such a motor drive control circuit, and an electric appliance employing such a motor drive apparatus.

[0009] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, a motor drive control circuit that controls, with drive signals, a drive portion that feeds drive currents to the stator coils of a motor is provided with: a drive signal output circuit that outputs rotor position detection drive signals to the drive portion before the starting of the motor; and a detection circuit that receives the common-terminal voltage of the stator coils when the drive signal output circuit is outputting the rotor position detection drive signals and that detects, according to the common-terminal voltage of the stator coils, the position of the rotor before the starting of the motor.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a motor drive apparatus is provided with: a motor; a drive portion that feeds drive currents to the stator coils of the motor; and a motor drive control circuit configured as described above which controls the drive portion with drive signals.

[0011] According to still another aspect of the present invention, an electric appliance is provided with: a motor drive apparatus configured as described above; and a rotating member that is driven by the motor drive apparatus

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a motor drive apparatus embodying the invention. Here, such circuit blocks and components as are also found in FIG. 11 are identified with the same reference numerals and symbols. The motor drive apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is designed for a three-phase motor, and is composed of a drive portion 1, a motor 2, and a motor drive control circuit 3.

[0026] The drive portion 1 is a three-phase drive circuit, and is composed of power transistors Q1 to Q6, which are n-channel MOSFETs [metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors]. The drains of the power transistors Q1 to Q3 are connected together, and are connected to a terminal to which a drive voltage V_D is applied. The source of the power transistor Q1 is connected to the drain of the power transistor Q4, the source of the power transistor Q2 is connected to the drain of the power transistor Q5, and the source of the power transistor Q3 is connected to the drain of the power transistor Q6. The sources of the power transistors Q4 to Q6 are connected together, and are connected to ground.

[0027] The motor 2 has three stator coils Lu, Lv, and Lw. One end of the stator coil Lu is connected to the node between the power transistors Q1 and Q4, one end of the stator coil Lv is connected to the node between the power transistors Q2 and Q5, and one end of the stator coil Lw is connected to the node between the power transistors Q3 and Q6. The other ends of the stator coils Lu, Lv, and Lw of the motor 2 are connected together.

[0028] The motor drive control circuit 3 is connected to the individual nodes between the drive portion 1 and the motor 2, is also connected to the other ends (connected together) of the stator coils Lu, Lv, and Lw of the motor 2, and is also connected, through terminals by way of which to output drive signals D₁ to D₆, to the individual gates of the power transistors Q1 to Q6 provided in the drive portion 1.

[0029] The drive portion 1 is controlled by the drive signals D₁ to D₆ output from the motor drive control circuit 3. Then, the drive portion 1 feeds drive currents to the motor 2 to rotate it.

[0030] Next, the motor drive control circuit 3 will be described. The motor drive control circuit 3 is composed of a pulse generator 4, a sequence circuit 5, a mode selector circuit 6, a coil common-terminal variation detection comparator 7, a detection level generation circuit 8, a register 9, a decoder 10, a preset circuit 11, a back electromotive force detection comparator 12, a switching noise mask circuit 13, and a drive waveform generation circuit 14. This configuration eliminates the need to provide a current detection resistor for detecting the conduction status of the stator coils of the motor, and thus helps reduce the power loss in the current detection resistor.

[0031] The pulse generator 4, on receiving an external signal (motor start request signal) from an unillustrated control circuit or the like, outputs a short-period pulse signal T₁ (for example, a pulse signal with 50 kHz pulses) for a predetermined period to the sequence circuit 5 and to the register 9.

[0032] The sequence circuit 5 operates only when it is receiving the short-period pulse signal T₁. During this period, on the basis of the short-period pulse signal T₁, the sequence circuit 5 generates signals S₁ to S₆ and a period switch timing signal T₂ that indicates time points t₁ , t₂, . . . , and t₆ (all these signals and time points are shown in a time chart in FIG. 2), and outputs the signals S₁ to S₆ and a start signal K to the mode selector circuit 6.

[0033] The signals S₁ to S₆ are output only for so short a period as not to cause the motor to start to rotate. In this embodiment, the periods from t₀ to t₁, from t₁ to t₂, . . . , and from t₅ to t₆ are each 600 μs. The signals S₁ to S₆ each have a high-level period, during which it remains high, a low-level period, during which it remains low, and a pulse period, during which it has the same waveform as the short-period pulse signal T₁. For example, the signal S₁ has a low-level period during the period from t₀ to t₂, a high-level period during the period from t₂ to t₃, a pulse period during the period from t₃ to t₄, a high-level period during the period from t₄ to t₅, and a low-level period during the period from t₅ to t₆,

[0034] The mode selector circuit 6, when it is receiving the start signal K, operates in a rotor position detection mode; specifically, it selects the signals S₁ to S₆ and outputs them as the drive signals D₁ to D₆ to the drive portion 1 in order to turn on and off the power transistors Q1 to Q6 provided in the drive portion 1. Specifically, during the period from t₀ to t₁, the power transistors Q1, Q5, and Q6 are off, the power transistors Q2 and Q3 are on, and the power transistor Q4 performs switching operation; during the period from t₁ to t₂, the power transistors Q1, Q2, and Q6 are off, the power transistors Q4 and Q5 are on, and the power transistor Q3 performs switching operation; during the period from t₂ to t₃, the power transistors Q2, Q4, and Q6 are off, the power transistors Q1 and Q3 are on, and the power transistor Q5 performs switching operation. Likewise, during the period from t₃ to t₄, the power transistors Q2, Q3, and Q4 are off, the power transistors Q5 and Q6 are on, and the power transistor Q1 performs switching operation; during the period from t₄ to t₅, the power transistors Q3, Q4, and Q5 are off, the power transistors Q1 and Q2 are on, and the power transistor Q6 performs switching operation; during the period from t₅ to t₆, the power transistors Q1, Q3, and Q5 are off, the power transistors Q4 and Q6 are on, and the power transistor Q2 performs switching operation. Accordingly, during the period from t₀ to t₆, the motor voltages V_uout, V_vout, and V_wout, i.e., the voltages at the individual nodes between the drive portion 1 and the motor 2, have waveforms as shown in a time chart in FIG. 3. In this way, short-period current pulses having the same period as the short-period pulse signal T₁ are fed to one of the stator coils Lu, Lv, and Lw at a time.

[0035] The rotor of the motor 2 is fitted with a magnet, and the magnetic field produced by this magnet causes the impedances of the stator coils to vary. Thus, the impedances of the stator coils vary with the position of the rotor. Accordingly, when short-period current pulses are fed to the stator coils, their common-terminal voltage CT varies with the rotor position. Incidentally, the aim of giving a short period to the current pulses fed to the stator coils is to increase the impedances of the stator coils and thereby increase the variation width of their common-terminal voltage CT.

[0036] The coil common-terminal variation detection comparator 7 compares the common-terminal voltage CT of the stator coils with a detection level output from the detection level generation circuit 8, and outputs their differential signal Co to the register 9.

[0037] The detection level generation circuit 8 receives the motor voltages V_uout, V_vout, and V_wout and the period switch timing signal T₂ output from the sequence circuit 5, and generates different detection levels corresponding to the different periods (i.e., the periods from t₀ to t₁, from t₁ to t₂, . . . , and from t₅ to t₆). Incidentally, how many times to feed the short-period current pulses, the frequency of the short-period current pulses, and the detection levels are determined to suit the motor 2.

[0038] The register 9 receives the short-period pulse signal T₁, and latches the differential signal Co on every trailing edge of the short-period pulse signal T₁. Moreover, the register 9 receives the period switch timing signal T₂, and successively stores, as resistor values R₁ to R₆, the differential signal Co latched at the time points t₁ to t₆, respectively. The register 9 then outputs the register values R₁ to R₆ to the decoder 10. Incidentally, if the differential signal Co is high when stored, the value “1” is stored as the register value corresponding to that time point, and, if the differential signal Co is low when stored, the value “0” is stored as the register value corresponding to that time point.

[0039] In this embodiment, the relationship between the resistor values R₁ to R₆ and the rotor position before the starting of the motor is as shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, rotor positions “1” to “12” correspond to the range of electrical angles from 0° to 30°, from 30° to 60°, . . . , and from 330° to 360°, respectively. In the decoder 10 is previously stored the relationship shown in FIG. 4 between the resistor values R₁ to R₆ and the rotor position before the starting of the motor, so that the decoder 10 detects, on the basis of the register values R₁ to R₆ output from the register 9, the rotor position before the starting of the motor. Also stored previously in the decoder 10 are different starting logic states for different rotor positions as shown in FIG. 5, so that the decoder 10 feeds the preset circuit 11 with a starting logic state, in the form of a combination of individual logic states Y₁ to Y₃, that corresponds to the rotor position detected before the starting of the motor. In FIG. 5, rotor positions “1” to “12” are the same as those shown in FIG. 4; moreover, “H” demands that the corresponding motor voltage be in a high-level (=the voltage V_D) period, “M” demands that the corresponding motor voltage be in a high-impedance period, and “L” demands that the corresponding motor voltage be in a low-level (=the ground potential) period; furthermore, the individual logic states Y₁, Y₂, and Y₃ indicate the logic states of the individual motor voltages V_uout, V_vout, and V_wout, respectively.

[0040] The sequence circuit 5, on completion of its operation sequence, feeds a preset signal PR to the preset circuit 11. On receiving the preset signal PR, the preset circuit 11 feeds the starting logic state Y₁ to Y₃ to the drive waveform generation circuit 14.

[0041] According to the starting logic state Y₁ to Y₃, the drive waveform generation circuit 14 generates signals MTX1 to MTX6, and feeds them to the mode selector circuit 6. The mode selector circuit 6, when it ceases to receive the start signal K from the sequence circuit 5, starts to operate in a sensorless drive mode; specifically, it selects the signals MTX1 to MTX6 and feeds them as the drive signals D₁ to D₆ to the drive portion 1.

[0042] The operation described above makes it possible to surely start the motor in the forward direction. After the motor is started, the back electromotive force detection comparator 12 detects, on the basis of the motor voltages V_uout, V_vout, and V_wout and the common-terminal voltage CT of the stator coils, the back electromotive forces appearing in the stator coils in a floating state, and outputs a detection signal of those back electromotive forces to the switching noise mask circuit 13. On receiving the detection signal of the back electromotive forces, the switching noise mask circuit 13 removes therefrom switching noise generated by the switching operation of the power transistors Q1 to Q6, and then outputs it to the drive waveform generation circuit 14. The drive waveform generation circuit 14 has already detected, on the basis of the detection signal of the back electromotive forces, the rotor position during the rotation of the motor, and generates the signals MTX1 to MTX6 according to the rotor position. Here, the mode selector circuit 6 is operating in the sensorless drive mode, and therefore it outputs the signals MTX1 to MTX6 as the drive signals D₁ to D₆ to the drive portion 1.

[0043] FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the coil common-terminal variation detection comparator 7 and the detection level generation circuit 8. The motor voltage V_vout is fed to one end of a resistor R1, the motor voltage V_vout is fed to one end of a resistor R2, and the motor voltage V_wout is fed to one end of a resistor R3. The other ends of the resistors R1 to R3 are connected together, and are connected to the non-inverting input terminal of a differential amplifier 15. The output terminal and inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 15 are connected to one end of a resistor R4. A terminal to which a constant voltage V_CC is applied is connected through a constant current source 16 to the other end of the resistor R4 and to the inverting input terminal of a comparator 18, and then through a constant current source 17 to ground. The comparator 18 receives, at its non-inverting input terminal, the common-terminal voltage CT of the stator coils. The comparator 18 outputs a differential signal Co.

[0044] The circuit configured as described above operates in the following manner. The resistors R1 to R3 produces a virtual common-terminal voltage from the motor voltages V_uout, V_vout, and V_wout. The differential amplifier 15 buffers the virtual common-terminal voltage.

[0045] The resistor R4, the constant current source 16, and the constant current source 17 produce a detection level by offsetting the virtual common-terminal voltage. The constant current sources 16 and 17 are turned on and off by a signal T₂′ based on the period switch timing signal T₂. During the periods from t₀ to t₁, from t₂ to t₃, and from t₄ to t₅, the constant current source 16 is off, and the constant current source 17 is on. This causes a current I₂ to be extracted from the resistor R4, and thus the level of the common-terminal voltage is shifted downward. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the level is shifted by −40 mV. On the other hand, during the periods from t₁ to t₂, from t₃ to t₄, and from t₅ to t₆, the constant current source 16 is on, and the constant current source 17 is off. This causes a current I₁ to be supplied to the resistor R4, and thus the level of the common-terminal voltage is shifted upward. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the level is shifted by +40 mV.

[0046] The comparator 18 corresponds to the coil common-terminal variation detection comparator 7 shown in FIG. 1. The comparator 18, when the motor coil common-terminal voltage CT is higher than the detection level, turns the differential signal Co high, and, when the motor coil common-terminal voltage CT is not higher than the detection level, turns the differential signal Co low.

[0047] FIGS. 9A and 9B are time charts showing the waveforms of the short-period pulse signal T₁ output from the pulse generator 4 and the voltages observed at relevant points in the circuit shown in FIG. 6 before and after the time point t₁. Here, CT₀ represents the voltage at the node between the resistors R1 to R3, i.e., the virtual common-terminal voltage, and LV represents the voltage fed to the inverting input terminal of the comparator 18, i.e., the virtual common-terminal voltage having its level shifted. FIG. 9A shows the voltage waveforms observed when the rotor position before the starting of the motor is “9” (in the range of electrical angles from 240° to 270°), and FIG. 9B shows the voltage waveforms observed when the rotor position before the starting of the motor is “1” (in the range of electrical angles from 0° to 30°).

[0048] Now, why the level of the virtual common-terminal voltage is shifted will be described. FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the common-terminal voltage CT of the stator coils as detected on the trailing edges of the short-period pulse signal T₁ with the motor voltages V_uout, V_vout, and V_wout applied to the motor 2 during the period from t₅ to t₆ shown in FIG. 3 and the electrical angle of the rotor position before the starting of the motor. The common-terminal voltage CT of the stator coils has a small peak around an electrical angle of 45° and a large peak around an electrical angle of 225°. If the detection level is lower than the small peak around an electrical angle of 45°, it is impossible to correctly detect the rotor position. For this reason, the level of the virtual common-terminal voltage is shifted so that the detection level never becomes lower than the small peak around an electrical angle of 45°.

[0049] Instead of the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the configuration shown in FIG. 7 may be used. The circuit shown in FIG. 7 differs from that shown in FIG. 6 in that the differential amplifier 15 and the resistor R4 are omitted from the circuit shown in FIG. 6 and instead the node between the resistors R1 to R3 is directly connected to the node between the constant current sources 16 and 17 and the comparator 18.

[0050] The circuits shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be additionally provided with another two serial pairs of constant current sources, each pair having two constant current sources connected in series. In that case, each serial pair of constant current sources is so set as to output a different current, and a selector circuit for selecting one constant current source from the three pairs of constant current sources is provided. This makes it possible to shift the level by different amounts in the different periods from t₀ to t₁, from t₁ to t₂, . . . , and from t₅ to t₆. This increases the number of level shift patterns to six, while there are two in the circuits shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Advisably, the number of level shift patterns is determined according to the type of the motor actually used.

[0051] Next, as an example of an electric appliance embodying the invention, an optical disk playback apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 10. An optical pickup apparatus 22 irradiates an optical disk 23, such as a minidisk, with laser light, then reads a signal from the laser light reflected from the optical disk 23, and then feeds the read signal to a microcomputer 20.

[0052] A driver circuit 21 drives the optical pickup apparatus 22 according to instructions from the microcomputer 20. The optical pickup apparatus 22 is moved, by a stepping motor (not illustrated) incorporated therein, stepwise in the radial direction of the optical disk 23 so as to be positioned at the track where to read a signal.

[0053] Moreover, a driver circuit 24 drives a spindle motor 25 according to instructions from the microcomputer 20. The optical disk 23 is rotated via a spindle by the spindle motor 25.

[0054] Here, used as the driver circuit 24 and the spindle motor 25 are the motor drive apparatus shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, as the spindle motor 25 is used the motor 2, and as the driver circuit 24 is used a circuit composed of the drive portion 1 and the motor drive control circuit 3. The motor drive apparatus shown in FIG. 1 never starts the motor in the reverse direction, and therefore never requires an unduly long time to start the spindle motor 25. Moreover, the motor drive apparatus shown in FIG. 1 operates with reduced power consumption, and is therefore suitable for use in a portable optical disk playback apparatus that operates from a battery.

[0055] Incidentally, detecting the rotor position before the starting of a motor and then starting the motor according to the detection result as practiced in the embodiments described above is called “sensing start.” The embodiments described hereinbefore deal with cases where the drive portion 1 and the motor drive control circuit 3 are formed in separate ICs. However, it is also possible to form the drive portion 1 and the motor drive control circuit 3 in a single IC.