A system and method of ensuring legitimacy of a sensor signal received from a rotor position sensor in a motor is provided that includes polling the sensor to determine a first state of the sensor signal, determining a first time delay by summing a first plurality of time constants, and initiating a first time delay. Also included is re-polling the sensor to determine a second state of the sensor signal, determining a second time delay by summing a second plurality of time constants, initiating a second time delay if the second state of the sensor signal is the same as the first state of the sensor signal, re-polling sensor to determine a third state of the sensor signal; and considering the sensor signal as a legitimate signal if the third state of the sensor signal is the same as the first and second states of the sensor signal.