ADVANCED DISCRETE CONTROL DEVICE DIAGNOSTIC ON DIGITAL OUTPUT MODULES

• US 20170365153A1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Sundaresh, Nagaraja, Pendyala, Shankar Rao, Carney, Michael D., Pande, Shripad K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,825,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2812 Checking for open circuits or shorts, e.g. solder bridges; Testing conductivity, resistivity or impedance of connections G01R31/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/282 Testing of electronic circuits specially adapted for particular applications not provided for elsewhere G01R31/2801 and G01R31/2851 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3167 Testing of combined analog and digital circuits testing ADC's H03M1/1071
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/56 Testing of electric apparatus testing of transformers G01R31/62; testing of connections G01R31/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/005 during manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/14 Quality control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/187 Machine fault alarms

Abstract

An apparatus performs methods for device diagnostics based on signals from digital outputs. The apparatus includes an input/output module with a digital output module to be coupled to a device. The input/output module measures one or more characteristics of a digital signal provided by the digital output module, where at least one of the one or more characteristics of the digital signal is associated with an output current of the digital output module. The input/output module also performs one or more diagnostics using the one or more measured characteristics of the digital signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring one or more characteristics of a digital signal provided by a digital output module, the digital output module coupled to a device, at least one of the one or more characteristics of the digital signal associated with an output current of the digital output module; and

performing one or more diagnostics using the one or more measured characteristics of the digital signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital output module comprises at least part of a reconfigurable input/output module, the reconfigurable input/output module being reconfigurable as different types of inputs and outputs, the different types of inputs and outputs including a digital output type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the one or more characteristics of the digital signal comprises obtaining a readback value of the output current through an analog-to-digital converter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining the readback value comprises obtaining a voltage measurement across a digital sense resistor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the one or more diagnostics includes:

determining whether a digital output current is above a high limit or below a low limit;

indicating a overcurrent error when the digital output current is above the high limit;

indicating a low current error when the digital output current is below the low limit; and

indicating no error when the digital output current is below the high limit and above the low limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the one or more diagnostics includes:

calculating an impedance based on a step response from digital output current samples;

determining whether the impedance deviates from a configured threshold; and

indicating that an impedance test failed if the impedance deviates from the configured threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the one or more diagnostics includes:

determining a variation of digital output current from samples taken;

determining whether the variation deviates from a configured threshold; and

indicating that a variation test failed if the variation deviates from the configured threshold.

8. An apparatus comprising:

an input/output module comprising a digital output module configured to be coupled to a device, the input/output module configured to;

measure one or more characteristics of a digital signal provided by the digital output module, wherein at least one of the one or more characteristics of the digital signal is associated with an output current of the digital output module; and

perform one or more diagnostics using the one or more measured characteristics of the digital signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the digital output module comprises at least part of a reconfigurable input/output module, the reconfigurable input/output module being reconfigurable as different types of inputs and outputs, the different types of inputs and outputs including a digital output type.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein to measure the one or more characteristics of the digital signal, the input/output module is configured to obtain a readback value of the output current through an analog-to-digital converter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein to obtain the readback value, the input/output module is configured to obtain a voltage measurement across a digital sense resistor.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein to perform the one or more diagnostics, the input/output module is configured to:

determine whether a digital output current is above a high limit or below a low limit;

indicate a overcurrent error when the digital output current is above the high limit;

indicate a low current error when the digital output current is below the low limit; and

indicate no error when the digital output current is below the high limit and above the low limit.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein to perform the one or more diagnostics, the input/output module is configured to:

calculate an impedance based on a step response from digital output current samples;

determine whether the impedance deviates from a configured threshold; and

indicate that an impedance test failed if the impedance deviates from the configured threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein to perform the one or more diagnostics, the input/output module is configured to:

determine a variation of digital output current from samples taken;

determine whether the variation deviates from a configured threshold; and

indicate that a variation test failed if the variation deviates from the configured threshold.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

measure one or more characteristics of a digital signal provided by the digital output module, wherein at least one of the one or more characteristics of the digital signal associated with an output current of the digital output module; and

perform one or more diagnostics using the one or more measured characteristics of the digital signal.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein to measure the one or more characteristics of the digital signal, comprises to obtain a readback value of the output current through an analog-to-digital converter.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein to obtain the readback value further comprise the instructions to obtain a voltage measurement across a digital sense resistor.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein to perform the one or more diagnostics further comprise the instructions to:

determining whether a digital output current is above a high limit or below a low limit;

indicating a overcurrent error when the digital output current is above the high limit;

indicating a low current error when the digital output current is below the low limit; and

indicating no error when the digital output current is below the high limit and above the low limit.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein to perform the one or more diagnostics further comprise the instructions to:

calculating an impedance based on a step response from digital output current samples;

determining whether the impedance is deviating from a configured threshold; and

indicating an impedance test failed if the impedance deviates from the configured threshold.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein to perform the one or more diagnostics further comprise the instructions to:

determining a variation of digital output current from samples taken;

determining whether the variation deviates from a configured threshold; and

indicating a variation test failed if the variation deviates from the configured threshold.