Current control of synchro power amplifiers

Claim 2

A synchro system, comprising: a synchro receiver; a microprocessor control element coupled to said synchro receiver, said microprocessor control element emulating a synchro transmitter and generating a control signal defining an orientation of said synchro receiver commanded by said microprocessor control element; and a current sensing circuit coupled between said synchro receiver and said microprocessor control element, said current sensing circuit measuring the magnitude of current developed in said synchro receiver responsive to the control signal set generated by said microprocessor control element, said microprocessor control element being responsive to the measured current to alter the control signal current in the synchro receiver within predetermined maximum and minimum limits.

Claim 3

A synchro system as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a digital-to-synchro converter circuit intermediate said microprocessor control element and said current sensing circuit, said digital-to-synchro converter circuit receiving the control signal from said microprocessor control element, said digital-to-synchro converter circuit generating a low-power synchro drive signal.

Claim 4

A synchro system as claimed in claim 2, comprising: a synchro power amplifier intermediate said current sensing circuit and said digital-to-synchro converter circuit, said power amplifier circuit receiving the low-power synchro drive signal and generating an amplified synchro drive signal.

Claim 5

A synchro system, comprising: a synchro receiver; control means coupled to said synchro receiver for generating a control signal representing a shaft angle of said synchro receiver commanded by said control means, said synchro receiver being responsive to a current flowing in a stator of said synchro receiver resulting from the control signal to generate torque urging a rotor of said synchro receiver to the commanded shaft angle; and means coupled to said control means for sensing the current flowing in the stator of said synchro receiver, said control means including means for sampling the current, said control means including means responsive to the sampled current for adjusting the magnitude of the control signal to limit power dissipation in said synchro system.

Claim 6

A synchro system, comprising: a synchro receiver; control means coupled to said synchro receiver for generating a control signal representing a shaft angle of said synchro receiver commanded by said control means, said synchro receiver being responsive to a current flowing in a stator of said synchro receiver resulting from the control signal to generate torque urging a rotor of said synchro receiver to the commanded shaft angle; and means coupled to said control means for sensing the current flowing in the stator of said synchro receiver, said control means including means for sampling the current, said control means including means responsive to the sampled current for adjusting the magnitude of the control signal to limit power dissipation in said synchro system.

Claim 7

The synchro system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control means further includes means responsive to the current sensing means for detecting current which exceeds a predetermined reference current.

Claim 8

A synchro system, comprising: a plurality of synchro receivers each having a rotor and a stator; control means coupled to the stator of each of said plurality of synchro receivers for generating a plurality of control signals, each of the plurality of control signals corresponding with a different one of said plurality of synchro receivers and representing a rotor orientation of said one synchro receiver commanded by said control means, each of said plurality of synchro receivers being responsive to a current flowing in the stator thereof resulting from the corresponding control signal to generate torque urging the rotor to the commanded orientation; means coupled to said control means for sensing the current flowing in the stator of each of said plurality of synchro receivers; said control means including means for sampling successively the current sensed in the stator of each of said plurality of synchro receivers; and said control means including means responsive to the successively sensed current for adjusting the magnitude of the corresponding ones of the plurality of control signals to limit power dissipation in said synchro system.

Claim 9

A synchro system, comprising: a plurality of synchro receivers each having a rotor and a stator; control means coupled to the stator of each of said plurality of synchro receivers for generating a plurality of control signals, each of the plurality of control signals corresponding with a different one of said plurality of synchro receivers and representing a rotor orientation of said one synchro receiver commanded by said control means, each of said plurality of synchro receivers being responsive to a current flowing in the stator thereof resulting from the corresponding control signal to generate torque urging the rotor to the commanded orientation; means coupled to said control means for sensing the current flowing in the stator of each of said plurality of synchro receivers; said control means including means for sampling successively the current sensed in the stator of each of said plurality of synchro receivers; and said control means including means responsive to the successively sensed current for adjusting the magnitude of the corresponding ones of the plurality of control signals to limit power dissipation in said synchro system.

Claim 10

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a synchro transmitter and at least one synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method for initializing said synchro system upon applying power thereto, comprising the steps of: applying an AC excitation signal to said synchro system; generating in said control element a signal representing a predetermined angular orientation of said synchro transmitter; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the signal generated in said control element; determining from said sensed stator currents the angular orientation of said synchro receiver; and changing in said control element the previously generated signal to a signal representing the angular orientation of said synchro receiver determined in the preceeding step, before any significant movement occurs in said synchro receiver, thereby capturing said synchro receiver.

Claim 11

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a synchro transmitter and at least one synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method for initializing said synchro system upon applying power thereto, comprising the steps of: applying an AC excitation signal to said synchro system; generating in said control element a signal representing a predetermined angular orientation of said synchro transmitter; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the signal generated in said control element; determining from said sensed stator currents the angular orientation of said synchro receiver; and changing in said control element the previously generated signal to a signal representing the angular orientation of said synchro receiver determined in the preceeding step, before any significant movement occurs in said synchro receiver, thereby capturing said synchro receiver.

Claim 12

The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the signal generated in the generating step represents an angular orientation of zero degrees with respect to a reference position of said synchro receiver.

Claim 13

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a synchro transmitter, and at least one synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method for initializing said synchro system upon applying power thereto, comprising the steps of: applying an AC excitation signal to said synchro system; generating in said control element a digital signal representing a predetermined angular orientation of said synchro transmitter; converting the digital signal to a synchro signal; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the converted synchro signal; determining from said sensed stator currents the angular orientation of said synchro receiver; and changing in said control element the previously generated digital signal to a digital signal representing the angular orientation of said synchro receiver determined in the preceeding step, before any significant movement occurs in said synchro receiver, thereby capturing said synchro receiver.

Claim 14

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a synchro transmitter, and at least one synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method for initializing said synchro system upon applying power thereto, comprising the steps of: applying an AC excitation signal to said synchro system; generating in said control element a digital signal representing a predetermined angular orientation of said synchro transmitter; converting the digital signal to a synchro signal; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the converted synchro signal; determining from said sensed stator currents the angular orientation of said synchro receiver; and changing in said control element the previously generated digital signal to a digital signal representing the angular orientation of said synchro receiver determined in the preceeding step, before any significant movement occurs in said synchro receiver, thereby capturing said synchro receiver.

Claim 15

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a synchro transmitter and at least one synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method of controlling power dissipated in said synchro system, comprising the steps of: applying an AC excitation signal to said synchro system; generating an initial synchro drive signal representing a predetermined angular orientation of said synchro transmitter; applying the initial synchro drive signal to said synchro receiver; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the applied initial synchro drive signal; determining from said sensed stator currents the angular orientation of said synchro receiver; and changing in said control element the previously generated initial synchro drive signal to a synchro drive signal representing the angular orientation of said synchro receiver determined in the preceeding step, before any significant movement occurs in said synchro receiver, thereby capturing said synchro receiver.

Claim 16

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a synchro transmitter and at least one synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method of controlling power dissipated in said synchro system, comprising the steps of: applying an AC excitation signal to said synchro system; generating an initial synchro drive signal representing a predetermined angular orientation of said synchro transmitter; applying the initial synchro drive signal to said synchro receiver; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the applied initial synchro drive signal; determining from said sensed stator currents the angular orientation of said synchro receiver; and changing in said control element the previously generated initial synchro drive signal to a synchro drive signal representing the angular orientation of said synchro receiver determined in the preceeding step, before any significant movement occurs in said synchro receiver, thereby capturing said synchro receiver.

Claim 17

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a syhchro transmitter and a synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method of controlling power dissipated in said synchro system, comprising the steps of: initializing said synchro system; generating a synchro drive signal representing a desired shaft position of said synchro receiver; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the generated synchro drive signal; determining in said control element if the sensed stator currents exceed a predetermined maximum limit; and decrementing the synchro drive signal by a predetermined adjustment factor if the sensed stator currents exceed the predetermined maximum limit.

Claim 18

In a synchro system having a control element emulating a syhchro transmitter and a synchro receiver coupled to said control element, a method of controlling power dissipated in said synchro system, comprising the steps of: initializing said synchro system; generating a synchro drive signal representing a desired shaft position of said synchro receiver; sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the generated synchro drive signal; determining in said control element if the sensed stator currents exceed a predetermined maximum limit; and decrementing the synchro drive signal by a predetermined adjustment factor if the sensed stator currents exceed the predetermined maximum limit.

Claim 19

The method as claimed in claim 11, comprising the additional steps of: sensing the stator currents in said synchro receiver resulting from the decremented synchro drive signal; determining in said control element if the stator currents sensed in the preceding step are increasing or decreasing relative to the previously sensed stator currents; further decrementing the synchro drive signal if the sensed stator currents are decreasing; and incrementing the synchro drive signal by a predetermined adjustment factor if the sensed stator currents are increasing.