How to auto-range digital electrical operation

Abstract

A set of packet energy transfer operating parameters is automatically configured to optimize safety, efficiency, and / or resilience in the digital power system. A set of limits for packet energy transfer operation that does not immediately preclude safe operation of the transmission line is configured, with each limit in the set specifying a constraint for at least one of measurements and calculations based on impedance in series or parallel with the transmission line, operational efficiency of the digital power system, and / or voltage or current signal integrity. Operation of the transmission line is measured, and the measurements are compared to the limits. When at least one of the limits is exceeded, a modified set of limits is automatically configured (or a new configuration is generated) based on which limit was exceeded. The measurements, comparisons, and reconfigurations are repeated until an acceptable operating range is identified or a predefined time limit is exceeded.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical power distribution system safety protection device, such as an electrical power distribution system with electronic monitoring to detect and disconnect power in the event of a power outage or safety hazard, particularly if an individual comes into contact with an exposed conductor. The present invention is applicable to electrical power distribution in general and to specific examples such as electric vehicle charging, telecommunications or alternative energy power systems. [Background technology]

[0002] The following background discussion may reflect hindsight gained from the disclosed invention, and these features are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.

[0003] Digital power or digital electricity can be characterized as any power format in which power is distributed in discrete, controllable units of energy. Packet Energy Transmission (PET) is a new type of digital power protocol and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,937 B2 (Eaves '937), U.S. Pat. No. 8,781,637 B2 (Eaves '637) and Eaves '289 of WO 2017 / 139289 A1.

[0004] The primary distinguishing factor of a digital power transmission system compared to a traditional analog power system is that electrical energy is separated into discrete units and the individual units of energy can be associated with analog and / or digital information that can be used for purposes of safety, efficiency, resilience, control or routing optimization. Because energy is transmitted in discrete quantities or amounts in a PET system, this can be referred to as "digital power" or "digital electricity."

[0005] As described in Eaves '637, the power supply controller and the load controller are connected by a power line. The power supply controller in Eaves '637 periodically isolates (disconnects) the power line from the power source and analyzes the voltage characteristics present at the power supply controller terminals at least immediately before and after power line isolation. The period during which the power line is isolated is referred to in Eaves '637 as the "sample period," and the period during which the power source is connected is referred to as the "transmission period." The rate at which the voltage on the power line rises and falls before, during, and after the sample period indicates whether an abnormal condition exists on the power line. Measurable abnormalities include, but are not limited to, a short circuit, high line resistance, or the presence of an individual improperly contacting the power line.

[0006] Eaves '637 also describes digital information that may be transmitted over the power lines between the power sources and the load controllers to further improve safety or provide overall characteristics of the energy transfer, such as the overall energy or voltage at the load controller terminals. One method of communication over the same digital power lines used for electrical power is further described and detailed in U.S. Patent No. 9,184,795 B2 (Eaves '795).

[0007] One application of a digital power distribution system is the safe distribution of direct current (DC) power at elevated voltages in digital format from the source side of the system to the load side.

[0008] US Patent No. 9,853,689 B2 (Eaves '689) describes packaging the power side components of Eaves '637 in various configurations into a device called a digital power transmitter.

[0009] US Patent No. 9,419,436 B2 (Eaves '436) describes packaging various configurations of the load side components of Eaves '637 into a device called a digital receiver.

[0010] US Patent No. 9,893,521 B2 (Lowe '521) introduces the concept of safely connecting multiple sources and multiple loads in a digital power network using packet energy transmission. The concept of a power control element (PCE) was introduced in Lowe 2014 as a key component in a digital power network.

[0011] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0313886A1 (Mlyniec '886) describes methods for verifying the integrity of a digital power line, including biasing the power line during a sample period, synchronizing the start of each sample period on a first and second power line, as well as other methods.

[0012] US Pat. No. 10,714,930 B1 (Weiss '930) describes the use of carrier detection to measure the impedance of power lines in an electrical distribution system. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] Described herein are methods and apparatus for automatically configuring a set of operating parameters for packet energy transmission, various embodiments of the apparatus and method may include some or all of the elements, features and steps described below.

[0014] Described herein is a method for automatic configuration of a set of packet energy transmission operating parameters that optimizes one or more of the following factors: safety, efficiency, and resilience in a digital power system. The digital power system includes one or more transmission channels. Each transmission channel manages packet energy transmission on a respective transmission line, the method being performed in an "always safe" sequence. The method includes configuring a set of limits for operation of the transmission line that does not immediately preclude safe operation of the transmission line, each limit defining a constraint for at least one of measurements and calculations based on at least one of the following parameters: impedance in series or parallel with the transmission line, operational efficiency of the digital power system, voltage signal integrity, or current signal integrity. Characteristics of the operating transmission line are measured and compared to these limits. When one of the limits is exceeded, a new set of limits is automatically configured based on which limit was exceeded. The process of measuring and configuring new limits is repeated until an acceptable operating range is identified or a predefined time limit is exceeded.

[0015] The method described below builds on the earlier work of Eaves '637 and Mlyniec '886 by focusing on a novel method for automatically maximizing the operating range for digital electrical fault detection without compromising shock and fire safety. Some variables that may be present in a digital electrical system, such as how much line-to-line capacitance there is on a power line, present challenges for accurate measurement, control and limit evaluation if static methods are used.

[0016] Digital power or digital electricity can be characterized by any power format in which power is distributed in discrete, controllable energy units. Digital electricity systems periodically isolate the power line from both the source and the load and analyze analog line characteristics that reflect faults or possible human body contact with the power wires. Line fault detection involves periodic measurements of the power line voltage, current, or both. As system parameters, such as the distance between the source and the load, vary, these measurements, techniques, and limits are adapted to ensure safe operation at all times while maximizing performance capabilities. The methods of the present disclosure can be used to meet adaptive requirements through automatic ranging of the measurement devices and limits applied to these measurements, maximizing performance without compromising safety.

[0017] Described herein is a method for auto-ranging measurement devices and limits applied to measurements used in identifying power line faults during packet energy transmission. Various embodiments of the method and apparatus for carrying out the method may include some or all of the elements, features and steps described below.

[0018] In the first method, an initial set of limits for packet energy transmission operation is configured, and if a limit is exceeded, the power supply to the line is stopped (packet energy transmission is stopped and output to the line is interrupted), and a new set of limits is automatically configured based on the limit that was exceeded. After the limits are configured and power is restored to the line, the process is repeated until a suitable set of limits is found without compromising the safe operation requirements of preventing the risk of electric shock to personnel and electrical fire.

[0019] In the second method, an initial set of operational limits is configured and packet energy transfer operation is continued until one or more limits are exceeded, at which point the limit or limits are reconfigured without interrupting power to the line. The process of reconfiguring limits while operating is repeated until a suitable configuration is identified or a maximum period of safe operation is exceeded, at which point power to the line is interrupted.

[0020] In a third method, an initial set of operating parameters is configured, and if a limit is exceeded, a modified set of operating parameters is automatically configured in a constant safety sequence. This reconfiguration of operating parameters can occur after operation has been stopped due to a limit being exceeded, or can occur during operation. This may or may not require new limits to also be configured.

[0021] The concept of always-safe articles is used herein to refer to those designed to meet a selected safety standard at all times and under all reasonable operating conditions. For example, if a designer chooses to define safety as the avoidance of ventricular fibrillation by not exceeding the thresholds in the DC-4 region of IEC 60479-1, then an article is always-safe if and only if the DC-4 region is never exceeded under all reasonable operating conditions. Reference to all reasonable operating conditions is used herein to refer to conditions excluding events that are probabilistically unlikely to occur, such as unforeseeable natural disasters, extreme catastrophic failure modes and other events. IEC 61508, for example, provides some guidance on events to be considered when evaluating operating conditions. "Always" is used as an extremely high probability of success, and the evaluation conditions of said probability and its acceptable threshold are also defined by the selected safety standard. In the case of safety standards such as IEC 62368-1, it is typical to induce failures in the device under test and evaluate whether the device still maintains a given level of safety.

[0022] As taught in Mlyniec '886, biased measurements can be performed in combination with unbiased measurements to calculate the effective line-to-line impedance, which includes at least the parallel resistors and capacitors connected to the positive output 16 of the source controller and the negative output 23 of the source controller, especially when ringing is suppressed and the voltage difference between the source controller and the load controller is negligible. Limits can be applied directly to these calculated impedance values. These values ​​can be updated with the last measurement taken, and the most recent values ​​are always used.

[0023] The disclosed methods extend from known existing techniques where reconfiguration of measurements, techniques, limits, or any combination thereof can be performed through non-automatic means. For example, these non-automatic means may include manual reconfiguration of equipment by a person and / or use of different physical devices to obtain / perform / implement these various measurements, techniques, limits, or any combination thereof. In a similar example, these non-automatic means may include software commands sent by a person to reconfigure these measurements, techniques, limits, or any combination thereof. Henceforth, through these disclosed methods, significant improvements in operation can be realized by utilizing automatic means to perform these reconfigurations.

[0024] High inter-line capacitance can mask the effects of line-to-line resistance drop, as taught in Mlyniec '886. This high capacitance can exist in a variety of ways, both in correct system configuration and through improper configuration. As an example, in transmission line theory, it is known that the two conductors in a cable have a mutual capacitance. This capacitance is often expressed per unit length (e.g., picofarads per foot). As the length of a given cable increases, the total capacitance increases. If these line attenuation limits are exceeded, it is suggested to the power controller that there may be a higher or lower capacitance than previously thought, and the power controller can conclude that this difference may be due to a longer or shorter length of cable.

[0025] In another example, multiple receivers may be connected to the same transmitter in a PET system, as described in Lowe '521. Since each of these receivers contains more capacitance, as shown in FIG. 1 as capacitor (C2) 9, these receivers may be added in parallel to create a larger capacitance. Configuring a system to operate with these increased line capacitances may prevent ideal operation at lower capacitance levels, at least because biases may be too strong or measurements and limits may be too sensitive. Using the methods of the present disclosure, these effects of high line capacitance, whether due to transmission lines, multiple receivers, or other means, may be overcome to allow operation over a range of possible configurations without user intervention.

[0026] In summary, the operating range for safe power distribution in terms of fault detection in a digital power system can be automatically maximized without compromising either personal shock safety or electrical fire safety. Auto-ranging can be achieved in many ways, such as reconfiguring the measurement device, using different techniques, configuring a different set of limits based on previous measurements, and dynamically calculating new limits based on past measurements, without necessarily having to stop operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a digital electrical system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a PET voltage waveform. [Diagram 3] PET waveforms are shown where operation ceases when measurements fall outside the expected range. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 shows the PET waveform when a different set of limits is used and operation can be resumed without error. [Diagram 5] PET waveforms are shown where operation can be adapted to use the new limits without failure. [Figure 6] PET waveforms are shown where adaptation to new limits requires operation to be stopped when measurements fall outside the expected range. [Figure 7] PET waveforms are shown where operation can be adapted by using different biases without causing failure. [Figure 8] PET waveforms are shown where operation can be adapted by reconfiguring the duty cycle without causing glitches. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed on illustrating certain principles of the examples described below. For drawings that include text (words, reference letters and / or numbers), alternate versions of the drawings that do not include the text shall be understood to be part of this disclosure and may be replaced by formal replacement drawings that do not include such text.

[0029] The above and other features and advantages of various aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following more particular description of various concepts and specific embodiments within the broader scope of the present invention. The various aspects of the subject matter introduced above and discussed in more detail below can be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the subject matter is not limited to any particular implementation method. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes.

[0030] Unless otherwise specifically defined, used or characterized herein, terms (including technical terms and terminology) used herein shall be understood to have meanings that are consistent with their accepted meanings in the relevant technical field, and shall not be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined as such herein.

[0031] In this disclosure, when an element is described as being "on," "connected," "coupled," "in contact," etc., with another element, it can be directly on, connected, coupled, or in contact with the other element, or there can be intervening elements present, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0032] The terms used herein are intended to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, singular forms such as "a" and "an" are intended to include the plural, unless the context indicates otherwise. In addition, the terms "comprise", "comprising", "including" and "comprising" specify the presence of a stated element or step, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or steps.

[0033] Initially, a representative digital power system as described in Eaves '637 and Mlyniec '886 is shown in FIG. 1. The system includes a power source 1 and at least one load 2. A PET protocol is initiated by an operating switch (S1) 3 and a switch (S5) 24 to periodically disconnect the power source 1 from the power lines 77 and 78. When the switches are open (non-conducting), the lines are also isolated from any stored energy that may be in the load 2 by an isolation diode (D1) 4 and a diode (D2) 37. In other embodiments, a switch may be opened or closed and / or a diode may be isolated in carrying out the methods described herein. Additionally, when using one or more diodes, one or more controllable bidirectional or unidirectional solid-state switches may be used.

[0034] Eaves '637 provides several versions of alternative switches that can be used in place of D1 and D2, all of which will give the same results when used in the manner described herein. Capacitor (C3) 5 represents an energy storage element on the load side of the circuit.

[0035] The power lines 77 and 78 have an inherent inter-line (or cross-line) resistance (R4) 6 and capacitance (C1) 7. An additional inter-line resistance (R3) 8 and capacitance (C2) 9 are added to the PET system architecture as described in Eaves '637. At the moment switch 3 is opened, C1 and C2 have a stored charge which decays at a rate inversely proportional to the sum of R4 and R3. The capacitance (C3) 5 does not discharge through resistors R3 and R4 due to the reverse blocking action of isolation diode (D1) 4. The amount of charge contained in the capacitors (C1 and C2) is proportional to the voltage across it and can be measured at the power supply-controller positive output 16 by the power supply controller 18 with respect to the power supply-controller negative output 23, and at the load-controller positive input 17 by the load controller 19 with respect to the load-controller negative input 79.

[0036] As described in Eaves '637, the rate of decay of the energy stored in C1 and C2 can indicate the presence of a cross-line fault on lines 77 and 78. The difference between normal operation and a fault as presented in Eaves '637 is illustrated in FIG.

[0037] Additional elements common in the art are incorporated into this system. The power supply controller 18 uses switch (S7) 27 and switch (S8) 28 as secondary protection to allow disconnection in the event of failure of one component, for example switch (S1) 3 failing due to a short circuit. These secondary switches S7 and S8 typically remain closed once operation is initiated unless there is a fault. The following precharge circuit components enable a current limiting soft start function: resistor (R1) 10, resistor (R6) 26, switch (S2) 11 and switch (S6) 25. Current limiting earth-ground balance is provided by resistor (R7) 31, resistor (R8) 32 and resistor (R9) 33. These high resistance values ​​center-couple earth ground 34 with respect to the high voltage power supply terminals by using matching impedance values ​​for R7 and R8 while current limiting earth-ground fault currents through R9.

[0038] There is also another fail-safe protection: switch (S9) 36 provides a fail-safe crowbar circuit that is actively disabled by power supply controller 18 or by any other monitoring "watchdog" element as described for disconnection in Eaves '637. Fuse (F1) 29 and fuse (F2) 30 are standard circuit protection elements and together with crowbar switch (S9) 36 provide a method of disconnecting the power supply in the event that main switches 3 and 24 and secondary switches 27 and 28 fail and cannot command power supply 1 to turn off.

[0039] A bias circuit including resistor (R2) 12 and switch (S3) 13 allows for verification of power line integrity as taught in Mlyniec '886. This bias circuit, along with another bias circuit including resistor (R5) 14 and switch (S4) 15, are used for in-line communication between power supply controller 18 and load controller 19 as taught in the Eaves Communications patent. Communication using a separate copper or fiber optic communication line between power supply controller 18 and load controller 19 is shown by communication link 22. A synchronization signal 15 is used for time synchronization of multiple power supply controllers as an additional means for improving power line integrity as taught in Mlyniec '886.

[0040] 1 again, the combination of the switch (S1) 3, the power supply controller 18, the resistor (R1) 10, the switch (S2) 11, the resistor (R3) 8, the resistor (R2) 12, the switch (S3) 13, the switch (S5) 24, the switch (S6) 25, the resistor (R6) 26, the switch (S7) 27, the switch (S8) 28, the fuse (F1) 29, the fuse (F2) 30, the resistor (R7) 31, the resistor (R8) 32, the resistor (R9) 33, and the switch (S9) 36 can be referred to as a power transmitter 20. The combination of the switch (S4) 15, the resistor (R5) 14, the load controller 19, the diode (D1) 4, the capacitor (C2) 9, the capacitor (C3) 5, and the diode (D2) 37 can be referred to as a power receiver 21.

[0041] In the first method, as taught in Eaves '637, the rate of voltage decay during a sample period is checked to assess whether it is occurring too quickly or too slowly. As taught in Mlyniec '886, the rate of voltage decay during a biased sample period is compared to a predetermined maximum and a predetermined minimum. Based on the results of these two operations, power supply controller 18 can conclude that the amount of line capacitance may be greater or less than previously thought, depending on whether a predetermined minimum or a predetermined maximum has been exceeded. If power supply controller 18 concludes that the line capacitance is greater or less than previously expected, power supply controller 18 can take action to allow for more optimized operation.

[0042] The power supply controller 18 can take action in several ways to allow for more optimized operation. The power supply controller 18 can configure another set of predetermined minimum and maximum values ​​optimized to ensure that the minimum line-to-line resistance fault is always detected within this new distance range. The power supply controller 18 can reconfigure the amount of bias applied to better counter the effects of capacitance, whether this bias is a resistive value, a current source or sink, or any other means of providing bias. The power supply controller 18 can change the off time by reconfiguring the duty cycle, period, or both to optimally measure the next expected amount of capacitance. The power supply controller 18 can use different sensors, filters, gains, bias offsets, AC coupling, ADC resolution, and other known methods for maximizing signal quality through hardware reconfiguration, firmware reconfiguration, or both to achieve optimal measurement in the next expected capacitance range.

[0043] For example, the power supply controller 18 measures the voltage at point 16 by using a circuit designed for voltage sensing on the negative output 23 of the power supply controller. In designing a circuit to be used as a voltage sensor, the input signal level, the desired output signal, the expected signal-to-noise ratio, and other constraints are considered when configuring the hardware components. If the input signal is expected to have a small voltage level range, it can be designed with a gain that maximizes the output signal-to-noise ratio. This circuit with the gain value configured in this way will not work when the input signal range becomes large. If the circuit is designed to support this larger input signal range, the signal-to-noise ratio will be low when the input signal range is small, which may result in erroneous measurements. Therefore, if multiple voltage sensor circuits are implemented to accommodate different expected operating ranges, the power supply controller 18 can determine the optimal sensor to use based on which limit is exceeded.

[0044] In another example, the power transmitter 20 can improve the signal-to-noise ratio by using known hardware or software filtering implementations. When using a filter, a portion of the signal can be altered to such an extent that it leads to erroneous conclusions. For example, a low pass filter that only passes frequencies below 60 Hz can provide an improved signal-to-noise ratio when there is noise at 120 Hz, but this low pass filter is unacceptable when the desired signal is expected to have a frequency of 240 Hz, because this frequency is also reduced by the filter. One way the power transmitter 20 can implement a filter is on the input or output of a voltage sensor. For example, the power supply controller 18 can start with no filter or with a filter that passes most of the frequency content of the signal. Based on the limits that may be exceeded due to poor signal integrity, the power supply controller 18 can configure a filter that targets the identified noise without affecting the desired signal. This filter implementation can alternatively be realized in software using known techniques.

[0045] In another example, the power supply controller 18 can configure different analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) parameters for optimization. The ADC circuit can be configured in various ways, including at least configuration of speed, resolution, and topology. A faster speed allows more samples to be taken in the same amount of time, but such a faster speed can cause more noise and less resolution. An increased resolution can distinguish smaller changes in the signal, but such an increased resolution can cause more noise and errors as well as slower speed. For example, if designed to support a maximum signal of 2.56V, an ADC can detect changes as small as 0.01V with 8-bit resolution, but with 10-bit resolution, the ADC can detect changes as small as 0.0025V. This 10-bit resolution is typically slower and noisier than an equivalent 8-bit resolution. There are various topologies of ADCs that only support certain combinations of speed and resolution, such as sigma-delta and successive approximation register (SAR). Thus, different speeds and resolutions may be targeted, and therefore different ADC topologies may be required for these targets. For example, power supply controller 18 may prefer to start out with a fast ADC speed, low resolution, SAR topology. If a limit is exceeded, indicating poor signal integrity in the low resolution form, power supply controller 18 may instead configure a higher resolution and sigma-delta topology requiring a slower speed for subsequent measurements.

[0046] The power supply controller 18 can perform other reconfigurations specific to the PET algorithm described in Eaves '637 and Mlyniec '886, such as configuring a different subset of samples to be used for analysis by reconfiguring the timing of the first sample used for line integrity and sample period assessment, reconfiguring the number of samples to be used for line integrity assessment, reconfiguring the length of the off time to allow more or fewer samples to be collected by reconfiguring the period, duty cycle, or both. For example, the first timing used for line integrity assessment can be set to a longer time from the beginning of the sample period to avoid unstable portions of the waveform due to switching effects. This first sample is further constrained by waiting as long as possible for the sampled data for line integrity assessment to provide the most statistically significant results. For example, sampling can begin as close as possible to the beginning of the sample period. Configuring the timing of this first sample based on the behavior of the system in the intended application is therefore a design choice. If the period is reconfigured, a reconfiguration of the synchronization signal 15 may also be required. If the same or a different fault occurs on subsequent attempts, power supply controller 18 may repeat these procedures up to the limits of its implemented hardware and firmware.

[0047] A detailed example of one of these actions that the power supply controller 18 can perform to optimize control and measurement includes reconfiguring the bias levels. An example of this bias implementation is shown in FIG. 1 in the form of resistor (R2) 12 and switch (S3) 13. These two components can be repeated and connected to the power lines 77 and 78 in parallel with R2 12 and S2 13 between the positive output of the power supply controller 16 and the negative output of the power supply controller 23. Independent control of these switches (S3) 13 allows different bias levels to be applied. In this example, there are three bias levels and one no bias level depending on whether the combination of switches (S3) 13 is open or closed. When the power supply controller 18 detects that a certain limit is exceeded, a different bias level that results in a more optimal measurement accuracy is configured. For example, if a certain limit is exceeded by a voltage change or a voltage slope that is too small, a lower resistance bias can be used in the subsequent measurement to achieve a better signal-to-noise ratio and therefore increase accuracy. Depending on how the limit was defined, this reconfiguration requires adjusting the limit to account for the new bias level that is used.

[0048] In another example, the duration of the sample period is reconfigured where power supply controller 18 may optimize factors of safety, efficiency, and resilience. In this example, when power supply controller 18 detects that a limit has been exceeded, a different sample period duration may be used for the subsequent sample period. For example, if a limit is exceeded by a voltage change or voltage slope that is too small, a longer sample period may be used for the next sample period, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio and therefore the accuracy of the measurement. Depending on how the limits were defined, this reconfiguration may require adjusting the limits to account for the new duration factors.

[0049] In both of the examples detailed above involving reconfiguring the bias level and reconfiguring the length of the sample period, there are reasons why it is not always desirable to use the most extreme bias level and longest sample period. When reconfiguring the bias level, efficiency may be reduced since the capacitance of the transmission line must be charged and discharged to and from the configured bias level. In the case of the sample period, a longer sample period may require a larger and more expensive capacitor to maintain the voltage supply to the load during the sample period. In either case, the larger transient currents that may result from turning on again from a lower voltage may cause electromagnetic compatibility problems, generating excessive noise and disrupting proper operation of the power supply controller 18 or the load controller 19 or other external devices.

[0050] 3 shows an example of switching between sets of limits as described by this first method, in this example showing an initial attempt when an incorrect voltage limit has been configured. In this first sample period B, the final voltage of the attenuation is compared to the expected range between an upper voltage limit 38 and a lower voltage limit 39. These limits can be absolute limits or relative to a point sampled earlier in the sample period, but the absolute limits or relative amounts are determined prior to the transmission period A. In this example, the final voltage of sample period B falls within the voltage limits 38 and 39, so that switch (S1) 3 and switch (S5) 24 are turned on again and continue operation.

[0051] During sample period D of FIG. 3, a negative bias is applied. A different set of upper voltage limits 40 and lower voltage limits 41 are used than those used during sample period B. These limits can also be absolute limits or relative to a previous point in the sample period, but are determined prior to transmission period A. In this example, the final voltage of sample period D is outside the expected range. This suggests that there is a fault or that a different set of limits must be selected. As a result, switch (S1) 3 and switch (S5) 24 remain off, and the power supply controller 18 configures a new set of limits to be used after the next start-up begins. In this case, because the final voltage is higher than the upper voltage limit 40, the power supply controller 18 may have a larger line capacitance, a smaller line resistance, or both than previously expected. The power supply controller 18 therefore configures higher limits for both normal and negatively biased sample periods B and D, respectively.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows such a subsequent trial after the end of the trial shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, the same signals are shown, but the voltage limits 42-45 are now higher with respect to the respective limits 38-41 in FIG. 3. Sample period B in FIG. 4 shows that the final voltage still falls within the expected range between the upper voltage limit 42 and the lower voltage limit 43, but the final voltage is therefore closer to the lower voltage limit 43 than it was previously in FIG. 3, where the lower voltage limit 39 was used. Sample period D in FIG. 4 shows that the final voltage falls within the new expected range given by the upper voltage limit 44 and the lower voltage limit 45. As a result, the power supply controller 18 can turn on the switches (S1) 3 and (S5) 24 again and continue operation.

[0053] In a second method, the rate of voltage decay during an unbiased sample period can be used to calculate a minimum and maximum acceptable rate of voltage decay during the next biased sample period. This next biased sample period compares its rate of decay to these minimum and maximum acceptable rates to determine whether operation can continue. If operation can continue, the rate of voltage decay last measured in the biased state can be used to calculate a minimum and maximum acceptable rate of voltage decay during the next unbiased sample period. This can continue alternating in this manner to ensure that at no point does power supply controller 18 set acceptable limits when a fault is already present and not detected by the use of alternating biasing.

[0054] The relationship between the biased and unbiased limits (e.g., via resistor 12 and switch 13) can be calculated using known electrical circuit analysis methods. In one example, when resistor 12 is used as a bias, the circuit can be represented as an RC damping circuit, as is common in electrical engineering. This circuit shows known relationships relating the voltage through the composite equivalent line-to-line capacitance at a given time to the initial voltage through the composite equivalent line-to-line capacitance, the composite equivalent line-to-line resistance, and the composite equivalent line-to-line capacitance. The equivalent line-to-line capacitance includes capacitor 7, capacitor 9, and any other capacitance that may be in parallel. The equivalent line-to-line resistance includes resistor 8, resistor 6, and any other resistance that may be in parallel, such as the line-to-line fault resistance. This equation can be formed with and without a known bias resistor 12 value combined in parallel with the line capacitance, resulting in two equations with two unknowns, namely the composite equivalent line resistance and the composite equivalent line capacitance excluding the bias resistor 12, which are solved by algebraic means. Thus, with this set of two equations, algebraic manipulation can construct this set of two equations for the desired terms, e.g., line resistance and capacitance, etc., to be compared with the limits for fault testing. The main motivation in constructing these limits as a result of this algebraic manipulation is to ensure that it is mathematically guaranteed that the resistance range between zero and an explicit upper threshold will always exceed the configured limit for all capacitance values ​​greater than zero. A similar approach can be applied to other forms of bias, e.g., a constant current source or a constant current sink. In this case, if the limits are reconfigured on a pulse-to-pulse basis, the bias can be reconfigured on a pulse-to-pulse basis and maximize the signal quality. It would also be possible to reconfigure the bias within the same off-time to improve signal quality, and / or obtain all the measurements needed to make an informed decision within the same off-time.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows an example of this second method, where limits are checked against voltage slope limits (volts per second) and these limits are redefined on a pulse-to-pulse basis. In sample period B, the power supply controller makes an initial estimate of the limits to be used as the expected range of slope, as indicated by upper voltage slope limit 47 and lower voltage slope limit 48. In this example, the actual voltage slope 46 did not fall within that range. The power supply controller 18 allows switches (S1) 3 and (S5) 24 to be turned on again to perform a second check at a later point in time, this time within sample period D, when negative bias is applied. By the time the voltage slope 49 is checked, the power supply controller 18 uses the actual voltage slope 46 from sample period B to calculate the expected range for sample period D, given by upper voltage slope limit 50 and lower voltage slope limit 51. In this example, the actual voltage slope 49 falls within this expected range, marked by 50 and 51. The power supply controller 18 then turns switch (S1) 3 and switch (S5) 24 back on, following another sample period F where the bias is not applied as in sample period B. By the time the voltage slope 52 is checked, the power supply controller 18 uses the actual voltage slope 49 from sample period D to calculate the expected range for sample period F given by upper voltage slope limit 53 and lower voltage slope limit 54. If no faults are present, the signal has not changed significantly since sample period B, and the mathematical calculation of the voltage slope limits is correct, the power supply controller 18 concludes that the actual voltage 52 is within the expected range marked by 53 and 54, and allows switch (S1) 3 and switch (S5) 24 to be turned on again. As long as the operating conditions and absence of faults persist, operation continues in the sequence shown by transmission period C, sample period D, transmission period E, and sample period F, until it is eventually stopped by user intervention or other means.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows the same approach as FIG. 5, but with the presence of a cross-line fault. In FIG. 6, a sample period shows an initial check, where the power supply controller 18 establishes an initial expected range, given by upper voltage gradient limit 56 and lower voltage gradient limit 57, which may be the same as upper voltage gradient limit 47 and lower voltage gradient limit 48, respectively, of FIG. 5. In this case, the actual voltage gradient 55 is much lower than lower voltage gradient limit 57, because a cross-line fault is present. The power supply controller 18 turns on switch (S1) 3 and switch (S5) 24 again and verifies the result in a subsequent check in sample period D. By the time the voltage gradient 58 is checked, the power supply controller 18 uses the actual voltage gradient 55 from sample period B to calculate the expected range for sample period D, given by upper voltage gradient limit 59 and lower voltage gradient limit 60. In this example, because of the cross-line fault, the actual voltage gradient 58 still falls outside the boundaries of the expected range marked by upper and lower voltage gradient limits 59 and 60. Because these limits 59 and 60 have been calculated so that a minimum line-to-line resistance fault will always be detected, a failure of this second check will indicate to the power supply controller 18 that there may be a cross-line resistance fault, and the power supply controller 18 will cause power to lines 77 and 78 to remain interrupted until the power supply controller 18 is able to check again for the presence of a fault, as required by standards and other safety guidelines.

[0057] Variations that mix elements of the first and second methods can also be implemented. For example, the approach of using a fixed set of limits in the first method can be used in combination with reconfiguring these sets without turning off the voltage applied to the power lines 77 and 78, with one set providing upper and lower limits for both the unbiased and biased sample periods. When a set is reconfigured, all four limits are reconfigured at the same time and are used for at least the next two sample periods unless the power supply controller 18 detects a fault beforehand. Whenever the power supply controller 18 detects a sample period that falls outside of its boundaries, it can set a flag to reconfigure the set of limits to be used in the next possible interval. If two of the last three sample periods have signals that fall outside of their upper and lower limits, the power supply controller 18 determines that there is a fault and will not turn it on again until the fault is cleared. Ideally, the power supply controller 18 performs the same calculations as described in the second method before reconfiguring the next set of limits to estimate the ideal set to use. Alternatively, when power supply controller 18 determines that a new set of limits is needed, power supply controller 18 can cycle through the sets of limits, still following the logic of turning off if two of the last three sample periods are outside the predetermined limits.

[0058] In selecting which method to implement, it is important to consider the operating voltage and possible fault current. It may be unacceptable to have a large number of pulses generated at higher voltages, longer transmission durations, or both, due to the risk of ventricular fibrillation (VF). In this case, the second method may not be a viable solution. If these VF risks are acceptably low, the second method may be preferred to increase uptime and reliability.

[0059] In a third method, the operating parameters can be automatically configured to optimize one or more of the following factors: safety, efficiency, and resilience in a constant safety sequence. If limits are exceeded, the power supply controller 18 can configure new operating parameters either after a failure shuts down or during operation, which may also require new limits depending on the implementation. With the new operating parameters, the measured signal is modified by either implementing control or providing a different measurement technique to create a new effect on the signal or improve the quality of the signal.

[0060] FIG. 7 shows an example in which the bias magnitude may be adapted to optimize operation in a fault-free always-safe sequence. In the first sample period B of the figure, a negative bias is applied, resulting in an actual voltage gradient 61 that is lower than the acceptable range defined by an upper voltage gradient limit 62 and a lower voltage gradient limit 63. This drop in the actual voltage gradient 61 below the acceptable range may be due to various factors, such as the presence of a cross-line resistance fault or a lower than expected cross-line capacitance. The power supply controller 18 turns on the switches (S1) 3 and (S5) 24 again and verifies the result in a subsequent check in sample period D. Since the actual voltage gradient 64 falls within the voltage gradient limits 65 and 66, the power supply controller 18 may identify that there is no significant cross-line resistance fault. The power supply controller 18 may use a smaller magnitude bias in the subsequent sample period F. Such a small bias provides advantages such as a smaller voltage drop compared to sample period B, thereby reducing current spikes improving electromagnetic compatibility, reliability and efficiency, and further avoiding lower voltage thresholds that may cause cumulative effects on the heart increasing the risk of ventricular fibrillation. At sample period F, the smaller magnitude bias brings the actual voltage gradient 67 within the acceptable range of limits 68 and 69. This new bias magnitude can be realized by re-triggering the calculation of new voltage gradient limits to proceed with the always-safe sequence, and reconfiguring limits 68 and 69, limits 71 and 72, or both limit pairs.

[0061] FIG. 8 shows an example where the duration of the sample period can be adapted in a constant safety sequence. In the first sample period B, the final voltage of the attenuation may be outside the expected range between limits 73 and 74. This may be due to a cross-line impedance fault, but it may also be due to, for example, a low signal-to-noise ratio, which causes the signal to slightly deviate from the small expected range. The power supply controller turns on the switch (S1) 3 and the switch (S5) 24 again to perform a longer sample period in the subsequent sample period D. A larger voltage change is expected with the longer sample period. This increase in the signal-to-noise ratio allows a more accurate measurement and fault limit comparison to be performed by the power supply controller to confirm whether there is actually a fault. If the final voltage is included within the expected range between limits 75 and 76, the power supply controller returns to a shorter duration sample period again, as shown in FIG. 8, to improve efficiency among system performance parameters.

[0062] In both of these two examples of adapting the bias magnitude and adapting the sample period duration, these adaptations can be performed in such a way that the limits checked are not reconfigured. For example, instead of comparing the voltage gradient or voltage magnitude as the limit checked, the power supply controller can use the cross-line impedance for the limit checked. This cross-line impedance limit can be set to a limit that does not need to be changed based on these operational changes. For example, based on the available data on the impedance of the human body, the limit can be set such that all human bodies within a constructed statistical distribution are included within the detection range. Thus, the limit does not need to be reconfigured, and instead the operational changes are incorporated into the calculation from the measurements. A power supply controller with sufficient support in the form of calculation speed, calculation accuracy, and other constraints that a person skilled in the art would typically evaluate during component selection can incorporate the new bias level or the new sample period duration into its calculation of the measured cross-line impedance.

[0063] Overview, Derivation and Scope These same techniques may be applied to a load controller in the same manner as they were applied to a power supply controller: for example, the load controller may take measurements of the operation of the power line and indicate to the power supply controller using communications link 22 whether or not digital power transfer may continue.

[0064] These same techniques can be implemented by analyzing current instead of voltage. For example, the current from two different bias resistors during off-time can be used to estimate line-to-line capacitance and other line-to-line resistance in the circuit to identify whether there is a fault. These measurements, biases, or both can be increased or decreased appropriately as a smaller or larger line-to-line capacitance is estimated.

[0065] The initial estimate of the limit described in the second method can be set in several ways. One example of one way to make the initial estimate is to set a certain default in the power supply controller via firmware or similar means. Another example is to set this initial estimate based on some pre-testing, for example from past operation or start-up mode. This start-up mode can hold the voltage at a safe level or provide a longer time to react with a voltage level above this safe threshold and below the peak level used during full-scale operation. If a longer time is given, a calibration can be performed using techniques described herein or known to those skilled in the art to estimate, for example, cross-line capacitance and resistance so that an initial estimate of the limit can be calculated.

[0066] In Figures 5 and 6, the voltage slope limits are shown as linear slopes. Other ways to set these limits could be curves and other non-linear functions for the upper and lower limits, respectively. For example, it is known that the RC-decay equation has a relationship between voltage and time that is an exponential decay. This function can be used to calculate the upper and lower limits.

[0067] In all of the described methods of line-to-line resistance fault detection, the rate of voltage drop can be directly compared to the limit. Alternatively or in addition to a direct comparison of the rate of voltage drop, the rate of voltage drop can be used to calculate values ​​indicative of the line-to-line impedance, including resistance and capacitance, and the limit values ​​are applied to these impedance values.

[0068] For line-to-line impedance fault detection, other known methods for measuring impedance can be used, for example the carrier change detection scheme disclosed in Weiss '930 may be used to identify line-to-line impedance, which can then be used to set limits and employ the auto-ranging scheme described herein.

[0069] Reconfiguring limits is described herein as an automatic operation executed by a processor. In this regard, unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms "configure" and "reconfigure" may refer to conditional logic that loads a particular value from a particular memory location, but may also refer to unconditional logic branches, such as when initial default values ​​are loaded.

[0070] Computer implementation The controllers 18 and 19 may be in the form of a computer including logic devices such as microprocessors, microcontrollers, programmable logic devices, or other suitable digital circuitry for executing control algorithms, and the disclosed system and method may be implemented in a computing system environment. Examples of well-known computing system environments and components thereof that may be suitable for use with the present system and method include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, handheld or laptop devices, tablet devices, smart phones, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics devices, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like. Components of the logic device may include, but are not limited to, a computer processor, a computer-readable storage medium that functions as a memory, and a system bus that couples various system components, including the memory, to the computer processor.

[0071] The methods may be executed via a computer processor accessing non-transitory computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, stored in memory. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular types of data. The methods may also be practiced in distributed computing environments, where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network.

[0072] In describing the embodiments herein, specific terms are used for the sake of clarity. For purposes of description, specific terms are intended to include at least technical and functional equivalents that operate in a similar manner to achieve a similar result. In addition, in some instances where a particular embodiment includes multiple system elements or method steps, these elements or steps may be replaced with a single element or step. Similarly, a single element or step may be replaced with multiple elements or steps that serve the same purpose. Additionally, when various characteristic parameters or other values ​​are explicitly stated herein with respect to embodiments, these parameters or values ​​can be adjusted up or down by 1 / 100, 1 / 50, 1 / 20, 1 / 10, 1 / 5, 1 / 3, 1 / 2, 2 / 3, 3 / 4, 4 / 5, 9 / 10, 19 / 20, 49 / 50, 99 / 100, etc. (or upward by factors of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 20, 50, 100, etc.) or within a range by rounding approximations thereof or to any of the above-mentioned variables above or below the explicitly stated parameter, unless specifically stated otherwise (e.g., if an explicitly stated parameter is 100 and the variable is 1 / 100, the value of the parameter can be in the range of 0.99 to 1.01). Further, where a method is described and steps / stages are described in a particular order, whether or not a sequence prefix is ​​added for ease of reference, the steps / stages shall not be construed as being limited in time to the order in which they are described, unless otherwise stated or implied by the terms and phrases.

[0073] Additional examples consistent with the present teachings are provided in the following numbered sections: 1. A method for automatically configuring a set of packet energy transmission operating parameters that optimizes at least one factor selected from safety, efficiency, and resilience in a digital power system including one or more transmission channels, each transmission channel managing packet energy transmission on a respective transmission line, the method being performed in a safety sequence at all times; a) constructing a set of limits for packet energy transmission operation that do not immediately preclude safe operation of the transmission line, each limit in the set specifying a constraint for at least one of measurements and calculations based on at least one of the following parameters: impedance in series or parallel with the transmission line, efficiency of operation of the digital power system, and voltage or current signal integrity; b) measuring characteristics of the operation of the transmission line and comparing the measurements with limits; c) when at least one of the limits is exceeded, automatically configuring a modified set of limits based on which limits are exceeded; d) repeating (b) and (c) until an acceptable operating range is identified or a predetermined time limit is exceeded. The method includes: 2. Stopping operation of the transmission line when the limit is exceeded; resuming operation of the transmission line after the modified set of limits has been configured; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: 3. The method of paragraph 1, in which the modified set of limits is configured after at least one of the limits is exceeded, and operation of the transmission line is not interrupted unless that at least one exceeded limit is exceeded by a predetermined maximum value. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of delaying construction of the modified set of limits for a predetermined period of time to allow for verification that the set of limits is passed one or more times. 5. The method of claim 3 or 4, further comprising the step of calculating a modified set of limits based at least in part on previous limit values, recent measurements, or both. 6. The method of any one of paragraphs 1-5, wherein each set of limits includes at least a limit for voltage sag during an unbiased sample period and a limit for voltage sag during a biased sample period. 7. The method of clause 6, wherein the voltage drop limit is configured to ensure that a predetermined range of line-to-line resistance of the transmission line is within the detection capability of the digital power system. 8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the predetermined time limits are calculated values ​​responsive to the magnitude by which at least one of the limits is exceeded. 9. A method for automatically configuring a set of packet energy transmission operating parameters that optimizes at least one factor selected from safety, efficiency, and resilience in a digital power system including one or more transmission channels, each transmission channel managing packet energy transmission on a respective transmission line, the method being performed in a safety sequence at all times; a) configuring at least one of the control device and the measurement device for operation of the transmission line that complies with configured limits and does not immediately preclude safe packet energy transmission operation, each limit specifying constraints for at least one of measurements and calculations based on at least one of the following parameters: impedance in series or parallel with the transmission line, efficiency of operation of the digital power system, and voltage or current signal integrity; b) measuring characteristics of the transmission line during packet energy transmission operation and comparing the measurements to limits; c) when at least one of the limits is exceeded, automatically configuring at least one of the control device and the measurement device to a new configuration based on which limit has been exceeded and on compatibility with any previously configured or newly configured limits; d) repeating (b) and (c) until an acceptable range of operation is identified or until operation is determined to be unacceptable due to a fault; The method includes: 10. Stopping packet energy transmission operations when the limit is exceeded; resuming operation after a new configuration of at least one of the control device and the measurement device has been configured; 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: 11. The method of clause 9, wherein a new configuration of at least one of the control device and the measurement device is configured after at least one of the existing limits is exceeded, and the packet energy transmission operation continues as long as the existing limit has not been exceeded for a predetermined period of time or by more than a predetermined value. 12. The method of clause 11, further comprising delaying the configuration of at least one new configuration of the control device and the measurement device for a predetermined period of time to improve safety, efficiency and resilience in the digital power system. 13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein at least one new configuration of the control device and the measurement device is constructed as a result of a calculation based on at least one of the configurations and measurements by the measurement device. 14. The method of any one of clauses 9 to 13, wherein each of the configurations of the control device and at least one of the measurement devices reconfigures at least one bias level applied to the power line during at least one sample period for measurements made when the power line is not energized. 15. The method of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein each of the configurations of at least one of the control device and the measurement device includes reconfiguring a length of a sample period for measurements, the reconfiguration occurring when the transmission line is de-energized. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the length of a sample period is reconfigured without reconfiguring the length of an entire period, the entire period including successive sample periods and transmission periods. 17. The method of paragraph 15, wherein the length of the sample period is reconfigured along with a reconfiguration of the transmission period during which the transmission line is energized with either the same duty cycle or a different duty cycle in operation of the transmission line. 18. The method of any one of clauses 9 to 17, wherein each configuration of the at least one control device and measurement device includes reconfiguring at least one of a different sensor configuration, a hardware or software filter configuration, a different analog-to-digital conversion configuration including at least resolution, topology and speed, and a different subset of samples to use for analysis.

[0074] While the present invention has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and changes in form and details may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, other aspects, features, and advantages are within the scope of the present invention, and not necessarily all embodiments of the present invention will achieve all of the benefits or have all of the features described above. Furthermore, steps, elements, and features described herein with respect to one embodiment may be used with respect to other embodiments as well. The contents of references, including references, articles, patents, patent applications, etc., cited throughout this text are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes, and any suitable combination of embodiments, features, characterizations, and methods from these references and this disclosure may be included in an embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, the components and steps identified in the Background section are part of this disclosure and may be used in conjunction with or in place of the components and steps described anywhere in this disclosure within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A method for automatically configuring a set of packet energy transmission operating parameters that optimizes at least one factor selected from safety, efficiency, and resilience in a digital power system including one or more transmission channels, each transmission channel managing packet energy transmission on a respective transmission line, the method being performed in a safety sequence at all times; a) configuring a set of limits for packet energy transmission operation that do not immediately preclude safe operation of the transmission line, each limit in the set specifying a constraint for at least one of measurements and calculations based on at least one of the following parameters: impedance in series or parallel with the transmission line, efficiency of operation of the digital power system, and voltage or current signal integrity; b) measuring a characteristic of the operation of the power transmission line that corresponds to the limit and comparing the measurement to the corresponding limit; c) automatically configuring a modified set of limits based on which limits have been exceeded after at least one of the limits has been exceeded by the corresponding measurement, and operation of the power transmission line is not terminated unless at least one exceeded limit has been exceeded by a predetermined maximum value; d) repeating (b) and (c) until an acceptable operating range is identified or until it is determined that operation is not acceptable due to a possible fault, operation of the power transmission line being terminated upon said determination of the possible fault; Including, method.

2. shutting down the operation of the power transmission line when the limit is exceeded; and resuming the operation of the transmission line after the modified set of limits has been configured; Further comprising: The method of claim 1.

3. delaying the configuration of the modified set of limits for a predetermined period of time to allow for confirmation that the set of limits is passed one or more times; Further comprising: The method of claim 1.

4. calculating the modified set of limits based at least in part on previous limit values, recent measurements, or both; Further comprising: The method of claim 1.

5. Each set of limits includes at least a limit for voltage sag during an unbiased sample period and a limit for voltage sag during a biased sample period. The method of claim 1.

6. the voltage drop limit is configured to ensure that a predetermined range of line-to-line resistance of the power transmission line is within the detection capability of the digital power system; The method according to claim 5.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of a possible failure is based on exceeding a predetermined time limit that identifies an acceptable operating range. the predetermined time limits are calculated according to the magnitude by which at least one of the limits is exceeded; The method of claim 1.

8. 1. A method for automatically configuring a set of packet energy transmission operating parameters that optimizes at least one factor selected from safety, efficiency, and resilience in a digital power system including one or more transmission channels, each transmission channel managing packet energy transmission on a respective transmission line, the method being performed in a safety sequence at all times; a) configuring at least one of a control device and a measurement device for operation of the power line that conforms to configured limits and does not immediately preclude safe packet energy transmission operation, each limit defining a constraint for at least one of measurements and calculations based on at least one of the following parameters: impedance in series or parallel with the power line, operating efficiency of the digital power system, and voltage or current signal integrity; b) measuring a characteristic of the transmission line corresponding to the limit during packet energy transmission operations and comparing the measurement to the corresponding limit; c) automatically determining a new configuration of at least one of the control devices and the measuring devices after at least one of the limits is exceeded by the corresponding measured value based on which limit has been exceeded and its compatibility with any previously configured or newly configured limits, and operation of the power line is not terminated unless at least one exceeded limit is exceeded by a predetermined maximum value; d) repeating (b) and (c) until an acceptable operating range is identified or until it is determined that operation is not acceptable due to a possible fault, operation of the power transmission line being terminated upon said determination of the possible fault; Including, method.

9. stopping packet energy transmission operations when the limit is exceeded; resuming said operation after the new configuration of the at least one of the control device and the measurement device has been determined; Further comprising: The method according to claim 8.

10. delaying the determination of the new configuration of the at least one of the control device and the measurement device for a predetermined period of time to improve safety, efficiency and resilience in the digital power system. Further comprising: The method according to claim 8.

11. the new configuration of the at least one of the control device and the measurement device is determined as a result of a calculation based on at least one of the configurations and a measurement by the measurement device. The method according to claim 8.

12. each determination of the at least one new configuration of the control device and the measurement device includes reconfiguring at least one bias level applied to the power line during at least one sample period for the measurements made when the power line is not energized. The method according to claim 8.

13. each determination of the at least one new configuration of the control device and the measurement device includes reconfiguring a length of a sample period for the measurements, the reconfiguration being performed when the power line is de-energized; The method according to claim 8.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the length of the sample period is reconfigured without reconfiguring the length of an entire period, the entire period including successive sample periods and transmission periods. The method of claim 13.

15. the length of the sample period is reconfigured along with a reconfiguration of a transmission period during which the transmission line is energized with either the same duty cycle or a different duty cycle in the operation of the transmission line. The method of claim 13.

16. Each determination of the at least one new configuration of the control device and the measurement device includes reconfiguring at least one of a different sensor configuration, a hardware or software filter configuration, a different analog-to-digital conversion configuration including at least resolution, topology and speed, and a configuration of a different subset of samples for use in analysis. The method according to claim 8.

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