Methods and systems for conditioning signals from a speed sensor

• US 9,342,485 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tart, Michael Alan, Evans, Michael Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US13/755,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/02 of speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/481 of pulse signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/489 Digital circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A circuit for use in conditioning a signal from a speed sensor. The circuit is configured to receive an analog signal from a speed sensor coupled to the circuit, acquire a threshold of the analog signal, generate a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal, based on the threshold, and output the digital signal.

Claims

1. Circuitry configured to condition a signal from a speed sensor, the circuitry configured to:

receive an analog signal from a speed sensor coupled to the circuit;

acquire a threshold of the analog signal;

generate an upper threshold by adding a hysteresis value to the threshold;

generate a lower threshold by subtracting the hysteresis value from the threshold;

apply hysteresis to the analog signal using the upper threshold and the lower threshold;

generate a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal, based on the upper and lower thresholds; and

output the digital signal.

2. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to acquire the threshold of the analog signal by receiving an input threshold value.

3. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to acquire the threshold of the analog signal by determining a variance in the analog signal.

4. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to invert the digital signal.

5. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the hysteresis value.

6. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

determine an apparent rotational speed of a device based on the analog signal or the digital signal; and

generate an error if the apparent rotational speed is above a speed threshold.

7. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises a memory and is configured to:

determine whether an error exists in the analog signal or the digital signal; and

generate an error code, after determining that an error exists in the analog signal or the digital signal; and

store the error code in the memory.

8. A system for use in conditioning a signal from a speed sensor, comprising:

a device rotatably mounted in a machine;

a speed sensor mounted proximal to the device;

circuitry coupled to the speed sensor; and

a computing device coupled to the circuitry,

wherein the circuitry is configured to;

receive an analog signal from the speed sensor;

acquire a threshold of the analog signal;

generate an upper threshold by adding a hysteresis value to the threshold;

generate a lower threshold by subtracting the hysteresis value from the threshold;

apply hysteresis to the analog signal using the upper threshold and the lower threshold;

generate a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal, based on the upper and the lower threshold; and

output the digital signal to the computing device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to acquire the threshold of the analog signal by receiving, from the computing device, an input threshold value.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to acquire the threshold of the analog signal by determining a variance in the analog signal.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to invert the digital signal.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the hysteresis value from the computing device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

determine an apparent rotational speed of the device based on the analog signal or the digital signal; and

generate an error if the apparent rotational speed is above a speed threshold.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry includes a memory and is configured to perform the steps of:

determine whether an error exists in the analog signal or the digital signal; and

generate an error code, after determining that an error exists in the analog signal or the digital signal; and

store the error code in the memory.

15. A method for use in conditioning a signal from a speed sensor, the method comprising:

receiving, at circuitry, an analog signal from a speed sensor coupled to the circuitry;

acquiring, at the circuitry, a threshold of the analog signal;

generating an upper threshold by adding a hysteresis value to the threshold;

generating a lower threshold by subtracting the hysteresis value from the threshold;

applying hysteresis to the analog signal using the upper threshold and the lower threshold;

generating, at the circuitry, a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal, based on the upper threshold and the lower threshold; and

outputting the digital signal from the circuit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein acquiring the threshold of the analog signal includes receiving, at the circuitry, an input threshold value.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein acquiring the threshold includes determining, at the circuitry, a variance in the analog signal.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising inverting the digital signal.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising receiving the hysteresis value.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising determining, at the circuitry, an apparent rotational speed of a device based on the analog signal or the digital signal and generating an error if the apparent rotational speed is above a speed threshold.