Simulation of self-control of an electrostatic micromotor for an intravascular echographic system

In this paper, the possibility of using an electrostatic micromotor for an intravascular echographic system is studied. For this given application, the advantage of a micromotor is the absence of a long cable between motor and minor. This advantage is real only if the micromotor speed can be controlled. In fact electrostatic micromotors are often used with a step-by-step power supply but, for low mean angular speed (2000 rpm), the rotation is not regular with this type of command. So, we propose herein a self-control command based on the rotor-position control carried out by a capacitance measurement. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.