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Method for detecting a wiring fault in a capacitive sensor

  • US 9,835,667 B2
  • Filed: 10/01/2015
  • Issued: 12/05/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting a wiring fault in a capacitive sensor connected to at least one communication port of a computer including a passive acquisition interface comprising capacitors, the capacitive sensor being connected to the communication port via the passive acquisition interface, the communication port being configured in either an input mode or an output mode the method comprising:

  • in a preliminary calibration step, delivering a square wave voltage capable of at least partially charging the capacitors of said acquisition interface and the capacitive sensor to the acquisition interface during a charging time by the computer, then acquiring and storing at least one reference data element after delivering the square wave voltage, the reference data element being representative, after at least one time interval tm≧

    0 following an interruption of the square wave voltage, of the voltage of said capacitors and the capacitive sensor in the absence of a wiring fault; and

    detecting wiring faults byconfiguring, by a microcontroller, the communication port in the output mode and generating a square wave voltage during at least one charging time Tc,switching, by the microcontroller, the communication port to the input mode at the end of the charging time, and acquiring at least one measured data element, which is representative, after each time interval tm≧

    0 following the interruption of the square wave voltage by the microcontroller, of the voltage of the capacitors and of the capacitive sensor, andcomparing, by the microcontroller, each measured data element with the corresponding reference data element, so that a wiring fault in the capacitive sensor is deduced when said data elements do not coincide.

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