SBIR Phase I: Low-Cost Ultra-Efficient 50-gm, 300-W Servoelectronics Module with Integral Sensors

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段研究项目将评估降低制造成本的可行性，通过一个数量级的功率效率超小型，无刷伺服电子模块。该模块集成了转子位置传感功能，适用于高性能的MEMS应用。从最近证明的驱动高性能机器人手臂的原型开始，创新的关键在于用一个新的8美元的磁性编码器芯片（霍尔效应传感器阵列）取代500美元的超精确40，000计数/转的光学编码芯片。由于阵列实际上是嵌入到伺服电子设备中，因此技术挑战是通过利用现有的用于换向的32位数字信号处理器（DSP）来克服磁场中的寄生变化。该研究将识别和测量电磁场对磁性编码器的影响，验证屏蔽加DSP补偿的方法来减少这些影响，并测量精度下降的程度及其对换向效率和整体性能的影响。随着机器通过嵌入式处理和传感器融合变得更加智能，我们希望它们也能做得更多，不仅提高工业生产率，而是我们的生活质量虽然嵌入式处理器和基于MEMS的传感器已经变得非常小巧、高效且价格实惠，但伺服电机的类似改进进展缓慢。在小马力的水平上，电力电子设备对整个电机系统的体积有很大的贡献。通过使无刷电机（包括驱动电子设备）更小，更高效，由此产生的设备和机器将变得更简单，更轻，更不显眼，更有能力。机器人将变得更加灵活，具有更多的自由度和更少的质量来加速。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project will evaluate the feasibility of reducing manufacturing cost by an order of magnitude of a power efficient ultra-miniature, brushless servo-electronics module. The module integrates rotor-position sensing for high-performance servomotor applications. Starting with a recently proved prototype driving high-performance robotic arms, the innovation hinges on substituting a $500 ultra-precise 40,000-counts/revolution, optical encoding chip with a new $8 magnetic-encoder chip (array of Hall Effect sensors). Since the array is to be literally embedded into the servo-electronics, the technical challenge is to overcome parasitic variations in magnetic field by leveraging the existing 32-bit Digital Signal Processor (DSP) used for commutation. The research will identify and measure the effects of electromagnetic fields on the magnet encoder, validate a shielding-plus-DSP-compensated approach to reduce these effects, and measure the degree of precision drop and its effect on commutation efficiency and overall performance.As machines become more intelligent through embedded processing and sensor fusion we expect them to do more too, improving not only industrial productivity, but our quality of life. While embedded processors and MEMS-based sensors have become tiny, highly effective, and affordable, similar improvements in servomotors have evolved more slowly. At fractional-horsepower levels the power electronics contribute significantly to total motor-system bulk. By making brushless motors (including drive electronics) smaller and more efficient, the resulting devices and machines will become simplified, lighter, less obtrusive, and far more capable. Robots will become more agile with additional degrees of freedom and less mass to accelerate.