DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM FOR A CONTROLLER

• US 20150377945A1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision Planting LLC (AGCO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Headsight, Inc. (AGCO Corporation)
• Inventors: Schlipf, Robert, Rassi, Johnathan, Virkler, Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,222,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/00 Combines, i.e. harvesters or mowers combined with threshing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/141 Automatic header control
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/206 Switches for connection of measuring instruments or electric motors to measuring loads switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/11 using pulse reflection methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2829 Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72

Abstract

An electrical circuit for a mobile machine, including an interface coupled between a controller and a plurality of sensors for accurately diagnosing faults in all of the sensor wires and the sensors themselves. This effective resolution reduces the downtime of the mobile machine and operator time by allowing faults to be timely isolated. The interface selectively couples a test signal to each of the sensor conductors, and also selectively couples a responsive returned characteristic signal to the controller, where the returned characteristic signal enables the controller to diagnose each of the plurality of conductors and sensors for faults. The electrical circuit may further include testing circuitry that can specifically determine a location of the determined fault in each of the plurality of conductors or each of the plurality of sensors.

Claims

1. An electrical circuit for a mobile machine, comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to sense a parameter as the mobile machine traverses, each of the sensors having a plurality of conductors coupled thereto and configured to generate a sensor signal as a function of the sensed parameter;

a controller coupled to the plurality of sensors and configured to receive and process the plurality of sensor signals; and

an interface coupled between the controller and the plurality of sensors, the interface configured to selectively couple a test signal to each of the plurality of conductors of each of the plurality of sensors, and selectively couple a returned characteristic signal to the controller, where the returned characteristic signal is generated by each of the plurality of sensors in response to the test signal coupled thereto, wherein the controller is configured to diagnose each of the plurality of conductors or the plurality of sensors as a function of the characteristic signal returned therefrom.

2. The electrical circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to determine a fault in each of the plurality of conductors or the plurality of sensors as a function of the characteristic signal returned therefrom.

3. The electrical circuit of claim 2 further comprising testing circuitry configured to determine a location of the determined fault of each of the plurality of conductors or each of the plurality of sensors.

4. The electrical circuit of claim 3 wherein the testing circuitry comprises a transmitter and receiver configured to conduct time domain reflectivity (TDR) with each of the plurality of conductors and the plurality of sensors.

5. The electrical circuit of claim 1 wherein the interface comprises a plurality of switches configured to selectively route the test signal to a selected one of the plurality of conductors and the plurality of sensors.

6. The electrical circuit of claim 5 wherein the switches are configured to selectively route the returned characteristic signal to the controller.

7. The electrical circuit of claim 1 wherein the interface circuitry comprises at least one Mux configured to couple the test signal to the plurality of conductors and the plurality of sensors.

8. The electrical circuit of claim 7 wherein the interface circuitry comprises at least one Mux configured to couple the returned characteristic signal to the controller.

9. The electrical circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a signal processor configured to compare the returned characteristic signal to a table of predetermined signatures, and responsively determine one of a plurality of different faults for the plurality of conductors.

10. The electrical circuit of claim 1 wherein the mobile machine comprises an agricultural machine.

11. The electrical circuit of claim 9 wherein one of the faults is an open conductor, and another said fault is a shorted conductor.

12. The electrical circuit of claim 11 wherein the plurality of predetermined signatures comprise a range of values, where a first range of said values is indicative of the open conductor, and a second range of values is indicative of the shorted conductor.

13. The electrical circuit of claim 12 wherein the values are correlated to a voltage measured on said plurality of conductors.

14. The electrical circuit of claim 12 wherein the interface circuitry comprises at least one Mux configured to couple the test signal to the plurality of conductors and the plurality of sensors.

15. The electrical circuit of claim 14 wherein the interface circuitry comprises at least one Mux configured to couple the returned characteristic signal to the controller.

16. The electrical circuit of claim 15 wherein the mobile machine comprises an agricultural machine.