Electronic control apparatus having learn and automatic operate modes

Claim 1

In an electronic control apparatus, at least one stepping motor having a shaft which is capable of assuming one of a plurality of positions starting from a zero position in accordance with the number of steps supplied to the stepping motor, motor control means for supplying steps for causing operation of said stepping motor, counter means for counting the number of steps supplied to the stepping motor, a memory, means for transferring information from the counter means into said memory and means for using the information in said memory to cause the same number of steps to be supplied to the stepping motor to cause the shaft oS for operating the motor controls to advance the shafts of the stepping motors to other positions to represent another sequence in the program, said means for transferring information carried by the counters into the memory means including means for transferring successive sequences into the memory means to complete the program, register means, means for transferring a sequence at a time from the memory means into the register means and comparator means receiving information from the register means and from the counter means and controlling the motor controls for starting operation of the stepping motors when the information is transferred from the memory means into the register means and for stopping operation of the stepping motors when the information carried by the counter means corresponds to the information carried by the register means and thereafter applying successive sequences to the register means so that the stepping motors pass through the same program as they passed through previously during the learn mode.