out and the routine starts an open loop timer and clears the open loop timer flag in step 76 indicating the start of the open loop control mode in step 78 the take up speed is set to a constant reduced speed level i e a fractional percentage of the nominal take up speed the reduced take up speed is sent to the motor controller in the take up speed signal in step 70 the next time the routine runs the open loop timer will not be timed out yet and the controller sends the same reduced take up signal to the motor controller open loop operation continues until the open loop timer times out and normal operation is resumed from step 60 thus the controller 28 running its control mode switching routine includes stall detection means for detecting a stalled take up motor and switching means for switching between open and closed loop motor control in this example the open loop and stall timers are run by timer routines that decrement the timers at regular intervals and set timeout flags i e the open loop and stall timer flags for example when the timers time out those flags indicate to the two decisions blocks 60 and 72 whether the timers have timed out as one alternative.