• ECM 3.0 motor speed controls

    From bob prohaska@21:1/5 to All on Thu Dec 28 16:09:21 2023
    I have an old HVAC blower motor which was removed from
    a Carrier air handler on grounds it was defective. It's
    half horsepower, with ECM 3.0 controls. It has an AC
    input for motor power and a four pin control connector
    marked common, Rx, Tx and V+. Physically it's in perfect
    shape.

    On the bench it seems to work fine. The test procedure
    applies 24 VAC between common and Rx, the motor soft
    starts and runs smoothly.

    I'd like to adapt the motor to other uses and if possible
    exploit the variable speed feature, but there's no info
    readily available that describes the control signals.

    There's a YouTube video at
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaj_a68lry8
    showing a physical teardown implying a digital
    interface is used, but no electrical testing is
    shown.

    Does anybody have further information that might be
    used to communicate with the controller?

    Thanks for reading,

    bob prohaska

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    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From none) (albert@21:1/5 to bp@www.zefox.net on Sat Dec 30 21:34:43 2023
    In article <umk6jh$eaiu$1@dont-email.me>,
    bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
    I have an old HVAC blower motor which was removed from
    a Carrier air handler on grounds it was defective. It's
    half horsepower, with ECM 3.0 controls. It has an AC
    input for motor power and a four pin control connector
    marked common, Rx, Tx and V+. Physically it's in perfect
    shape.

    On the bench it seems to work fine. The test procedure
    applies 24 VAC between common and Rx, the motor soft
    starts and runs smoothly.

    I'd like to adapt the motor to other uses and if possible
    exploit the variable speed feature, but there's no info
    readily available that describes the control signals.

    There's a YouTube video at
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaj_a68lry8
    showing a physical teardown implying a digital
    interface is used, but no electrical testing is
    shown.

    Does anybody have further information that might be
    used to communicate with the controller?


    If you have access to a working version of that motor
    attach a scope to Rx and Tx. At least I managed to
    find out how to control a blower to mix gas and air
    with my central heating.

    Thanks for reading,

    bob prohaska
    --
    Don't praise the day before the evening. One swallow doesn't make spring.
    You must not say "hey" before you have crossed the bridge. Don't sell the
    hide of the bear until you shot it. Better one bird in the hand than ten in
    the air. First gain is a cat spinning. - the Wise from Antrim -

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From bob prohaska@21:1/5 to none on Sun Dec 31 18:59:45 2023
    albert <albert@cherry.(none)> wrote:
    In article <umk6jh$eaiu$1@dont-email.me>,
    bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
    I have an old HVAC blower motor which was removed from
    a Carrier air handler on grounds it was defective. It's
    half horsepower, with ECM 3.0 controls. It has an AC
    input for motor power and a four pin control connector
    marked common, Rx, Tx and V+. Physically it's in perfect
    shape.

    On the bench it seems to work fine. The test procedure
    applies 24 VAC between common and Rx, the motor soft
    starts and runs smoothly.

    I'd like to adapt the motor to other uses and if possible
    exploit the variable speed feature, but there's no info
    readily available that describes the control signals.

    There's a YouTube video at
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaj_a68lry8
    showing a physical teardown implying a digital
    interface is used, but no electrical testing is
    shown.

    Does anybody have further information that might be
    used to communicate with the controller?


    If you have access to a working version of that motor
    attach a scope to Rx and Tx. At least I managed to
    find out how to control a blower to mix gas and air
    with my central heating.

    The test I used consisted of merely applying 24 volts AC
    between Rx and Common. How that can work via a digital
    input eludes me.

    I don't have a scope. Can you describe what you did
    to control your motor? I gather certain "smart" motors
    have dual-use inputs. While I have the running motor
    I do not have access to the equipment it came from so
    It's impossible to see what signals were in use.

    Thanks for writing!

    bob prohaska

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From none) (albert@21:1/5 to bp@www.zefox.net on Tue Jan 2 22:17:05 2024
    In article <umsdn0$1qlm1$1@dont-email.me>,
    bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
    albert <albert@cherry.(none)> wrote:
    In article <umk6jh$eaiu$1@dont-email.me>,
    bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
    I have an old HVAC blower motor which was removed from
    a Carrier air handler on grounds it was defective. It's
    half horsepower, with ECM 3.0 controls. It has an AC
    input for motor power and a four pin control connector
    marked common, Rx, Tx and V+. Physically it's in perfect
    shape.

    On the bench it seems to work fine. The test procedure
    applies 24 VAC between common and Rx, the motor soft
    starts and runs smoothly.

    I'd like to adapt the motor to other uses and if possible
    exploit the variable speed feature, but there's no info
    readily available that describes the control signals.

    There's a YouTube video at
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaj_a68lry8
    showing a physical teardown implying a digital
    interface is used, but no electrical testing is
    shown.

    Does anybody have further information that might be
    used to communicate with the controller?


    If you have access to a working version of that motor
    attach a scope to Rx and Tx. At least I managed to
    find out how to control a blower to mix gas and air
    with my central heating.

    The test I used consisted of merely applying 24 volts AC
    between Rx and Common. How that can work via a digital
    input eludes me.

    I don't have a scope. Can you describe what you did
    to control your motor? I gather certain "smart" motors
    have dual-use inputs. While I have the running motor
    I do not have access to the equipment it came from so
    It's impossible to see what signals were in use.

    The blower was working in the central heating system.
    The power pins were just 0 and 24 V, permanently.
    It took some effort to attach a thin wire to the control pin.
    Then is become obvious that it was a pwm signal of 2 Khz,
    with the width controlling the speed of the blower.


    Thanks for writing!

    bob prohaska

    --
    Don't praise the day before the evening. One swallow doesn't make spring.
    You must not say "hey" before you have crossed the bridge. Don't sell the
    hide of the bear until you shot it. Better one bird in the hand than ten in
    the air. First gain is a cat spinning. - the Wise from Antrim -

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From bob prohaska@21:1/5 to none on Fri Jan 5 02:27:57 2024
    albert <albert@cherry.(none)> wrote:
    In article <umsdn0$1qlm1$1@dont-email.me>,
    bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
    albert <albert@cherry.(none)> wrote:
    In article <umk6jh$eaiu$1@dont-email.me>,
    bob prohaska <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
    I have an old HVAC blower motor which was removed from
    a Carrier air handler on grounds it was defective. It's
    half horsepower, with ECM 3.0 controls. It has an AC
    input for motor power and a four pin control connector
    marked common, Rx, Tx and V+. Physically it's in perfect
    shape.

    On the bench it seems to work fine. The test procedure
    applies 24 VAC between common and Rx, the motor soft
    starts and runs smoothly.

    I'd like to adapt the motor to other uses and if possible
    exploit the variable speed feature, but there's no info
    readily available that describes the control signals.

    There's a YouTube video at
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaj_a68lry8
    showing a physical teardown implying a digital
    interface is used, but no electrical testing is
    shown.

    Does anybody have further information that might be
    used to communicate with the controller?


    If you have access to a working version of that motor
    attach a scope to Rx and Tx. At least I managed to
    find out how to control a blower to mix gas and air
    with my central heating.

    The test I used consisted of merely applying 24 volts AC
    between Rx and Common. How that can work via a digital
    input eludes me.

    I don't have a scope. Can you describe what you did
    to control your motor? I gather certain "smart" motors
    have dual-use inputs. While I have the running motor
    I do not have access to the equipment it came from so
    It's impossible to see what signals were in use.

    The blower was working in the central heating system.
    The power pins were just 0 and 24 V, permanently.
    It took some effort to attach a thin wire to the control pin.
    Then is become obvious that it was a pwm signal of 2 Khz,
    with the width controlling the speed of the blower.

    Motors marked X13 are known to take PWM inputs. Mine is
    marked ECM 3.0, how was yours marked?

    Thanks for writing!

    bob prohaska

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)