Monitoring circuit for a supply voltage

• US 6,188,321 B1
• Filed: 04/24/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schneider Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Horstkotte, Rainer, Bierwirth, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US09/063,731
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 340/660, 340/636, 340/661, 340/663, 340/664, 340/665, 340/635, 340/642, 340/506, 340/511, 340/537, 361/118, 361/119, 361/30, 364/138, 364/188
• US Class Current: 340/660
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16538 in AC or DC supplies G01R19/16519 and G01R19/16528 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

The invention relates to a monitoring circuit for at least one supply voltage (UB, UH), including a first threshold switch (20), which if the supply voltage (UB) drops below a predeterminable threshold value generates a first warning signal (USWN), and a second threshold switch (66), which after a fixed warning period tw elapses generates a second warning signal (TOTUSN). In order that the warning signals will be generated without bounce, it is provided that the threshold switches (20, 66) each have an internal counting circuit for determining time periods tv1, tv2, after which the first and second warning signals (USWN, TOTUSN) generated are reset.

Claims

1. A monitoring circuit (10) for at least one supply voltage (UB), comprising:

a first threshold switch means (20), which generates a first warning signal (USWN) when the supply voltage (UB) drops below a first predetermined threshold value;

a second threshold switch means (66), which generates a second warning signal (TOTUSN) after a fixed warning period tw has elapsed;

each of the threshold switch means (20, 66) include an internal counting circuit for determining first and second time periods tv1, tv2;

said first and said second generated warning signal (USWN, TOTUSN) is reset at the end of said first and second time periods.

2. The monitoring circuit of claim 1, further including third threshold switch means (102) for monitoring an auxiliary voltage (UH), said third threshold switch means sets the first and second warning signals (USWN and TOTUSN) to the binary value “

LOW”

when the auxiliary voltage drops below a second predetermined threshold value.

3. The monitoring circuit of claim 2, wherein the threshold switch means (20, 66, 102) are of the same construction.

4. The monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the first threshold switch (20) is followed by a capacitor (40), which is discharged as a reaction to the first warning signal (USWN) and is recharged as a reaction to the second warning signal (TOTUSN).

5. The monitoring circuit of claim 4, wherein the capacitor (40) is connected by its positive terminal, via a resistor (38) and a transistor (36), to a positive pole of the auxiliary voltage (UH), and by its negative terminal to a negative pole of the auxiliary voltage (UH).

6. The monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the capacitor (40) is connected by its positive terminal to the input (68) of the threshold switch (66).

7. The monitoring circuit of claim 5, wherein the base of the transistor (36) is connected, via a resistor (34) and an inverting driver (32), to the output (30) of the first threshold switch (20).

8. The monitoring circuit of claim 5, wherein the base of the transistor (36) is connected, via a resistor (86) and an inverting driver (62, 64), via a resistor (78, 82) to the output (76) of the second threshold switch (66).

9. The monitoring circuit of claim 4, wherein a resistor (72) is connected parallel to the capacitor (40) for discharging it.

10. The monitoring circuit of claim 4, wherein the capacitor (40) is connected by its positive terminal, via a resistor (148) and a diode (166), to a driver component (144), whose output is controllable as a function of the voltage (UB) of a primary capacitor.

11. The monitoring circuit of claim 1, wherein the supply voltage (UB) is delivered to the base of an optocoupler (132), whose collector is connected to the positive pole of the supply voltage or auxiliary voltage and whose emitter is connected to the center tap of a voltage divider located between the positive and negative poles of the supply voltage or auxiliary voltage, and one input of the driver component (142) is also connected to the center tap (134) of the voltage divider.

12. The monitoring circuit of claim 11, wherein the output (30) of the first threshold switch (20) is connected via a diode (50) to the input of the driver component (142).

13. The monitoring circuit of claim 11, wherein the output (76) of the inverter (62) is connected via a diode (152) to the input of the driver component (142).

14. The monitoring circuit of claim 11, wherein the transistors (24, 132) are optotransistors.

15. A monitoring circuit for at least one supply voltage (UB), including a first threshold switch (20), which if the supply voltage (UB) drops below a predeterminable threshold values generates a first warning signal (USWN);

a second threshold switch (66) which after a fixed warning time tw generates a second warning signal (TOTUSN);

each of the threshold switches (20, 66) have an internal counting circuit for determining time periods tv1, tv2, after which the first and second warning signals (USWN, TOTUSN) generates are reset;

the first threshold switch (20) is followed by a capacitor (40) which is discharged as a reaction to the first warning signal (USWN) and is recharged as a reaction to the second warning signal (TOTUSN);

the capacitor (40) is connected by its positive terminal, via resistor (38) and a transistor (36), to a positive pole of the supply voltage, and by its negative terminal to a negative pole of the supply voltage; and

the capacitor (40) is connected by its positive terminal to the input (68) of the threshold switch (66).

16. A monitoring circuit for at least one voltage, including a first threshold switch (20), which if the voltage drops below a predeterminable threshold value, generates a first warning signal (USWN);

a second threshold switch (66) which after a fixed warning time tw generates a second warning signal (TOTUSN);

the threshold switches (20, 66) each have an internal counting circuit for determining time periods tv1, tv2, after which the first and second warning signals (USWN, TOTUSN) generates are reset;

the first threshold switch (20) is followed by a capacitor (40) which is discharged as a reaction to the first warning signal (USWN) and is recharged as a reaction to the second warning signal (TOTUSN);

the capacitor (40) is connected by its positive terminal, via resistor (38) and a transistor (36), to a positive pole of the auxiliary voltage (UH), and by its negative terminal to a negative pole of the auxiliary voltage (UH); and

the capacitor (40) is connected by its positive terminal to the input (68) of the threshold switch (66).