IDENTIFYING DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL CABLES

• US 20150028884A1
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Israel Ltd. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Israel Ltd. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Dulger, Oleg
• Granted Patent: US 9,423,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/538
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/54 Testing for continuity
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72

Abstract

A method includes coupling an electrical cable, including multiple wires, to circuitry including a resistor bank connected to the wires. A gain of the circuitry is measured including the cable. Based on the measured gain, one or more of the wires in the cable that are defective are identified. An indication of the defective wires is output.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

coupling an electrical cable, comprising multiple wires, to circuitry comprising a resistor bank connected to the wires;

measuring a gain of the circuitry including the cable;

based on the measured gain, identifying one or more of the wires in the cable that are defective; and

outputting an indication of the defective wires.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein coupling the electrical cable comprises coupling first ends of the wires to respective first resistors, and second ends of the wires to respective second resistors.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first resistors have resistances that are odd multiples of a resistance R, and wherein the second resistors have the resistances that are even multiples of R.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more defective wires comprises identifying an open circuit in one or more of the wires upon detecting that the measured gain is smaller than an expected gain for a non-defective cable.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more defective wires comprises identifying a short circuit between two or more of the wires upon detecting that the measured gain is larger than an expected gain for a non-defective cable.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more defective wires comprises storing a predefined list of gains for respective expected defects in the cable, and determining the one or more defective wires by finding on the list an expected defect that matches the measured gain.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein measuring the gain comprises measuring the gain of an inverting operational amplifier with a feedback resistance and an equivalent input resistance, the equivalent input resistance including the multiple wires in the cable.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface for coupling to an electrical cable comprising multiple wires; and

circuitry, which comprises a resistor bank connected to the wires and which is configured to measure a gain of the circuitry including the cable, and, based on the measured gain, to identify one or more of the wires in the cable that are defective, and to output an indication of the defective wires.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry comprises first resistors coupled to respective first ends of the wires, and second resistors coupled to respective second ends of the wires.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first resistors have resistances that are odd multiples of a resistance R, and wherein the second resistors have the resistances that are even multiples of R.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to identify an open circuit in one or more of the wires upon detecting that the measured gain is smaller than an expected gain for a non-defective cable.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to identify a short circuit between two or more of the wires upon detecting that the measured gain is larger than an expected gain for a non-defective cable.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to store a predefined list of gains for respective expected defects in the cable, and to identify the one or more defective wires by finding on the list an expected defect that matches the measured gain.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry comprises an inverting operational amplifier with a feedback resistance and an equivalent input resistance, the equivalent input resistance including the multiple wires in the cable, and wherein the circuitry is configured to measure the gain by measuring the gain of an inverting operational amplifier.