Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Allen-bradley Company, LLC

John Robert Figie

Gary Dan Dotson

Joseph Francis Mann

Craig R Winterhalter

Zoran Vrankovic

Dayin Xu

Arun K Guru

Shawn D Cloran

Gennadi Sizov

Mark Alan Gries

Andrew P Kaufman

Chetan Chandrasekara

Fuhua Ding

Daniel V Lang

A communication module mounted to a motor provides for communication between a motor controller and a motor or between the motor controller and devices mounted on or proximate to the motor. The communication module may be configured to accept signals from various different encoders and/or load devices mounted on or proximate to the motor. The communication module receives a position feedback signal from a primary encoder interface and is configured to transmit the data to the motor controller at a periodic update rate. The communication module also receives feedback signals from at least one additional device and transmits the data to the motor controller. The communication module synchronizes its periodic update rate with the motor controller such that the position feedback signal may be utilized to control operation of the motor. The additional feedback signals may be communicated at the same or differing update rates.

Method and apparatus for communication with a motor or load mounted device in motion applications

A shielded connector includes a body with a socket adapted to receive a cable termination plug. Connector contacts in the socket mate with contacts of the cable plug. Connector pins project from the body and are operably coupled to the connector contacts in the socket. An electrically conductive shield covers part of the body and includes (i) a first shield part; and (ii) a second shield part physically disconnected from the first shield part and electrically isolated from the first shield part such that an open space separates the first shield part from the second shield part. The first shield part includes a cable shield contact located adjacent the socket that electrically mates with the EMI shield termination contact of the plug. The first and second shield parts further include respective first and second shield connector pins to physically and electrically connect the shield with an associated printed circuit board for dissipation of electrical charges from the first and second shield parts.

PCB mounted connector with two-piece shield for improved ESD tolerance

A system to detect a ground fault at the output of an inverter section prior to powering up a motor drive system is disclosed. A low voltage power supply is connected to the DC bus prior to connecting the input power source to the rectifier section. If a ground fault exists, the voltage potential on the DC bus causes conduction through one of the freewheeling diodes connected in parallel to the power switching device on the output of the inverter section. A fault detection circuit generates a signal corresponding to the presence of the low voltage potential when the low voltage is applied to the DC bus. If a ground fault is present at the output of one of the inverter sections, the motor drive system prevents the AC voltage from being applied to the rectifier section.

Method and apparatus for detecting ground faults in inverter outputs on a shared DC bus

A field installable backshell connector for a shielded cable provides an EMI shield around control signal conductors and a plastic connector of the cable and also provides a mechanical terminal of the cable. The backshell connector provides a low impedance ground path from the cable shield to a connector socket. The connector socket includes a plastic connector header that is shielded by a grounded metal shroud. When connected to the socket, the backshell is abutted with the connector socket shroud to complete the low impedance ground path from the cable shield in order to shunt electrical noise introduced on the cable shield, connector backshell and shroud to ground to resist electrical interference.

Field installable connector backshell shield for motor drive

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates expanding upon an existing universal serial bus (USB). A base component can include a USB host to provide connectivity to at least one device. An expansion module can physically connect in a vertical position to a backside of the base component to provide a replication of the USB host which can allow a device to connect therewith.

USB expansion module method and design

A processor architecture suitable for embedded systems and compatible with different kinds of external memory, executes a bootstrap program to determine the characteristics of the external memory before connection with the external memory. For this purpose, system storage structures such as cache, buffers, and registers are enlisted as temporary memory for the execution of the bootstrap program up to configuration of the external memory. External memory setup data may be obtained from a variety of sources including external flash memory or a network.

Processor with versatile external memory interface

Driving circuitry for a switch matrix provides a reset voltage to all rows of the matrix in between scans to recharge switch capacitance. Column detection circuitry is disabled in between scans so that column driving circuitry may also `reset` the charge on capacitors reducing the scan time and/or allowing a greater number of switch elements, element size, or EMI suppressing capacitances. Pull-up resistors are supplemented or eliminated through the use of active current sourcing and sinking for the drivers.

Growing community of inventors

New Berlin, WI, United States of America

John Robert Figie