Brushless direct current electric motors, or BLDC motors for short, are electronically commutated motors powered by a DC electric source via an external motor controller. Unlike their brushed relatives, BLDC motors rely on external controllers to achieve commutation. Put simply, commutation is the process of switching the current in the motor phases to generate motion. Brushed motors have physical brushes to achieve this process twice per rotation, while BLDC motors do not, hence the name. Due to the nature of their design, they can have any number of pole pairs for commutation.