Actuator control system utilizing circuit card assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11002569-B2
Application number	US-201815946980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2018
Priority date	Apr 6, 2018
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

An example actuator control system includes a variable differential transformer (VDT) configured to measure displacement of a motor, and a motor controller configured to control the motor based on displacement data from the VDT. A circuit card assembly (CCA) interconnects the VDT to the motor controller. The CCA includes memory storing configuration data of the VDT, and the CCA is configured to provide the configuration data to the motor controller to calibrate the motor controller for use of the VDT. A method of configuring a motor controller is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator control system, comprising:
a variable differential transformer (VDT) configured to measure displacement of a motor;
a motor controller configured to control the motor based on displacement data from the VDT; and
a circuit card assembly (CCA) that is separate from the VDT and motor controller and that provides a communication link between the VDT and motor controller by interconnecting a signaling line of the VDT to a signaling line of the motor controller, the CCA comprising memory storing configuration data of the VDT, the CCA configured to provide the configuration data to the motor controller to calibrate the motor controller for use of the VDT.

2. The actuator control system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data comprises VDT output values associated with predefined positions of a moveable core of the VDT.

3. The actuator control system of claim 1 , wherein the CCA is configured to store a fault history of the motor in the memory based on data received from the motor controller.

4. The actuator control system of claim 1 , wherein the CCA is configured to store data in the memory that is indicative of an amount of time that the motor has been in service.

5. The actuator control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor is configured to operate an actuator;
the motor controller, VDT, and CCA correspond to a first control lane of the actuator; and
the CCA is configured to relay data to other control lanes of the actuator.

6. The actuator control system of claim 5 , wherein the CCA comprises:
a first port that connects the CCA to the motor controller;
a second port that connects the CCA to the VDT; and
a third port that connects the CCA to a CCA of a different control lane.

7. The actuator control system of claim 1 , wherein the CCA comprises a filter circuit configured to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) in a power signal provided by the motor controller to the motor.

8. The actuator control system of claim 7 , wherein the filter circuit comprises a separate resistor-capacitor circuit for each phase of the power signal.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VDT comprises a linear VDT and the motor comprises a linear motor.

10. An actuator system, comprising:
an actuator;
a plurality of motors configured to cooperatively operate the actuator;
a plurality of variable differential transformers (VDTs), each configured to measure displacement of a respective one of the motors;
a plurality of motor controllers, each configured to control a respective one of the motors based on data from the VDT associated with the motor; and
a plurality of circuit card assemblies (CCAs), each separate from the plurality of VDTs and plurality of motor controllers, and each comprising memory storing configuration data of a respective one of the VDTs, each CCA configured to:
provide the configuration data of the respective VDT to the motor controller associated with the VDT to calibrate the motor controller for use of the VDT; and
interconnect a signaling line of the VDT to a signaling line of the motor controller, the interconnection providing a communication link between the VDT and the motor controller.

11. The actuator system of claim 10 , comprising:
a housing;
wherein the actuator, plurality of motors, plurality of VDTs, and CCAs are situated in the housing; and
wherein the plurality of motor controllers are situated outside of the housing and are spaced apart from the housing.

12. The actuator system of claim 10 , wherein:
each associated motor controller, VDT, and CCA correspond to a respective control lane of the actuator; and
each CCA is configured to relay data from its control lane to a CCA of another of the control lanes.

13. The actuator system of claim 12 , wherein each CCA comprises:
a first port that connects the CCA to the associated motor controller;
a second port that connects the CCA to the associated VDT; and
a third port that connects the CCA to a CCA of a different control lane.

14. The actuator system of claim 10 , wherein the configuration data of each VDT comprises VDT output values associated with predefined positions of a moveable core of the VDT.

15. The actuator system of claim 10 , wherein each CCA is configured to store a fault history of its associated motor in its memory based on data received from the motor controller.

16. The actuator system of claim 10 , wherein each CCA is configured to store data in its memory indicative of an amount of time that its associated motor has been in service.

17. The actuator system of claim 10 , wherein each CCA comprises a filter circuit configured to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) in a power signal provided by its associated motor controller to its associated motor.

18. The actuator system of claim 17 , wherein each filter circuit comprises a separate resistor-capacitor circuit for each phase of the power signal from its associated motor controller.

19. A method of configuring a motor controller, comprising:
interconnecting a signaling line of a variable differential transformer (VDT) to a signaling line of a motor controller through a removable circuit card assembly (CCA) that is separate from the VDT and motor controller, wherein the VDT is configured to measure displacement of a motor, and the motor controller is configured to control the motor based on displacement data from the VDT, and wherein the interconnection provides a communication link between the VDT and the motor controller; and
transmitting predefined configuration data of the VDT from memory of the CCA to the motor controller to calibrate the motor controller for use of the VDT.

20. The method of claim 19 , comprising:
providing a power signal from the motor controller to the motor based on the predefined configuration data and displacement data from the VDT; and
utilizing a filter circuit of the CCA to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the power signal.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Eldridge Jeffrey A
• Avritch Steven A

Classifications

• H02P25/066

  of the stepping type · CPC title

• H02P13/10

  by moving core, coil winding, or shield, e.g. by induction regulator · CPC title

• H02P8/00 Primary

  Arrangements for controlling dynamo-electric motors rotating step by step · CPC title

• H02P8/005

  of linear motors · CPC title

• H02P25/06

  Linear motors · CPC title