Find or Make a Motor Controller for the Fisher & Paykel Washing Machine Smart Drive Motor

Thread Starter

Carole Yan

Joined Jun 24, 2019
1
Hi,

I'm new to this forum.

I want to turn a smart drive motor, I salvaged from a Fisher & Paykel washing machine, into an adjustable speed motor for I-don't-know use (maybe a wood lathe?). Would appreciate any information about how I can make or where I can buy one motor controller to achieve this.

More information about this motor could be found in this page
https://www.element14.com/community...tor-and-as-a-generator?displayFullThread=true

It's in the middle of the page. Search with following and please refer to the upload article right below (as pictures)
"Hope this helps explain why this is a more complex motor than a straight stepper."

I tried to contact author but seems the email left in the article (contact@energy1000.com.au) is no longer in use.

Thank you very much!

Max
 

mvas

Joined Jun 19, 2017
539
Isn't the Fisher & Paykel motor just a 3 Phase BLDC motor with Hall Sensors for feedback ?
 
Last edited:

mvas

Joined Jun 19, 2017
539
See this photo ...
https://photobucket.com/gallery/user/JustDoo-it/media/bWVkaWFJZDo3NDAxNDU5MQ==/?ref=
The plastic clip with 2 holes, located at 11:00 o'clock, contains the Hall Senors for Speed and Position feedback.
The Gray + Blue + Red connectors = the 3 phase BLDC connector
A Fisher Paykel motor is a 3 Phase BLDC motor.

What type of controller you use to spin the BLDC motor is up to you.
Example: Triple 1/2 H-Bridge BLDC Driver ...
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/drv8313.pdf
The TS needs to verify voltage and amperage rating of the BLDC motor vs the BLDC Driver Chip
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
Hi,


I want to turn a smart drive motor, I salvaged from a Fisher & Paykel washing machine, into an adjustable speed motor for I-don't-know use (maybe a wood lathe?). Would appreciate any information about how I can make or where I can buy one motor controller to achieve this.
This does not seem like a ideal motor for a Lathe, one of the EX treadmill DC motors and controller would be a little better.
For a BLDC motor controller build there is the Picmicro MC LV BLDC development board, that also has the schematics and software.
There is also someone who started reverse-engineering a F.P. board https://sharealikelicence.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/fisher-and-paykel-smart-drive-schematic/
You need to know the pole count of the motor, For smaller motors, I short the three winding terminals and spin the motor one revolution and count the 'bumps'.
Max.
 

max.wwwang

Joined Jun 24, 2019
29
This does not seem like a ideal motor for a Lathe, one of the EX treadmill DC motors and controller would be a little better.
For a BLDC motor controller build there is the Picmicro MC LV BLDC development board, that also has the schematics and software.
There is also someone who started reverse-engineering a F.P. board https://sharealikelicence.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/fisher-and-paykel-smart-drive-schematic/
You need to know the pole count of the motor, For smaller motors, I short the three winding terminals and spin the motor one revolution and count the 'bumps'.
Max.
It's me who posted this. Thanks for all the information.

I thought about getting the schematics of the F&P motor controller module but without luck. Reverse engineering would be too daunting to me. But the schematics from your post is useful. Will post some photos when I have time.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
If you could recover the controller from that washer machine you could use it, without that you will need to make a replacement controller. You can run a brushless motor without the sensors if you have a circuit that will deliver the drive without them. Starts may be less graceful but it certainly can work if the full motor torque output is not being used.
 

dendad

Joined Feb 20, 2016
4,451
What voltage is your Fisher and Paykel motor? Is is a 120V or 240V one?
There are a few sites on modifying these motors for different voltages, mostly for generators. But you could apply the same to run them on lower voltage and use a BLDC motor driver.
http://www.rippleephex.com.au/energy2.html shows the rewiring.

Converting the coils into 7 groups of 6, then, if you have a 120V motor, 120x1.4= 168V (the DC of the rectified mains) so 168/7=24V
And ..
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DC20-50...600375&hash=item4d8fd52923:g:1VYAAOSwdMBa4olB
has a 500W driver for 20 to 50VDC.

I have used the Fisher and Paykel motors to test a 24V BLDC motor driver I designed. These are the 240V motors, not rewired at all. They run ok, but not driving any load, Just to test the boards.
 
Last edited:

max.wwwang

Joined Jun 24, 2019
29
What voltage is your Fisher and Paykel motor? Is is a 120V or 240V one?
There are a few sites on modifying these motors for different voltages, mostly for generators. But you could apply the same to run them on lower voltage and use a BLDC motor driver.
http://www.rippleephex.com.au/energy2.html shows the rewiring.

Converting the coils into 7 groups of 6, then, if you have a 120V motor, 120x1.4= 168V (the DC of the rectified mains) so 168/7=24V
And ..
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DC20-50...600375&hash=item4d8fd52923:g:1VYAAOSwdMBa4olB
has a 500W driver for 20 to 50VDC.

I have used the Fisher and Paykel motors to test a 24V BLDC motor driver I designed. These are the 240V motors, not rewired at all. They run ok, but not driving any load, Just to test the boards.
Thanks for the information. I'm not very sure about the voltage of the motor itself. What I'm sure is the mains voltage is 230V AC.

I know it's safer to make it lower voltage. This definitely makes sense. My preference however is the minimum change to the motor itself. Basically I wanted to have the motor the same configuration, driven by a driver the similar way as the mashing machine, only with my own driver/controller, because I would not need the washing/rinse cycles mode but only adjustable speed continuous running.

If conversion is needed, I can do that. I don't see it a straightforward task to modify the existing controller (currently working well). Maybe I can check the components on the F&P board and figure our what main components to use.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
Thanks for the information. I'm not very sure about the voltage of the motor itself. What I'm sure is the mains voltage is 230V AC.

I know it's safer to make it lower voltage. This definitely makes sense. My preference however is the minimum change to the motor itself. Basically I wanted to have the motor the same configuration, driven by a driver the similar way as the mashing machine, only with my own driver/controller, because I would not need the washing/rinse cycles mode but only adjustable speed continuous running.

If conversion is needed, I can do that. I don't see it a straightforward task to modify the existing controller (currently working well). Maybe I can check the components on the F&P board and figure our what main components to use.
If you have the controller intended for the motor and it is working that makes the task quite different. That means that all that is needed is to discover the point in the circuit where the speed signal goes to the driver portion. If we had been aware of that originally it would have been very useful. The original impression was that you only had the motor.
 

max.wwwang

Joined Jun 24, 2019
29
If you have the controller intended for the motor and it is working that makes the task quite different. That means that all that is needed is to discover the point in the circuit where the speed signal goes to the driver portion. If we had been aware of that originally it would have been very useful. The original impression was that you only had the motor.
Sorry for not being clear. I have the whole modules from the washing machine. Reverse engineering and making the circuit suit my needs seems not easy to me.
 

dendad

Joined Feb 20, 2016
4,451
Be careful of the F&P drive board.It is running on rectified mains, so around 340VDC.
Also, I think the FETs are water cooled sometimes in the cycle.
I have thought to have a go at working out how to drive the board. I reckon it is serial commands to the driver from the control.
Just out of interest, I found this.
https://www.element14.com/community...tor-and-as-a-generator?displayFullThread=true
It has pictures of the Silicon Chip mag article.
 

max.wwwang

Joined Jun 24, 2019
29
Be careful of the F&P drive board.It is running on rectified mains, so around 340VDC.
Also, I think the FETs are water cooled sometimes in the cycle.
I have thought to have a go at working out how to drive the board. I reckon it is serial commands to the driver from the control.
Just out of interest, I found this.
https://www.element14.com/community...tor-and-as-a-generator?displayFullThread=true
It has pictures of the Silicon Chip mag article.
Thanks for the safety warning. Haha -- the link you posted is the one I posted at the very top. :)
 
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