Dual Sensor Fault Detection via Signal Summing and Subtraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dual sensor systems for fault detection in MEMS architecture are complex, large, and costly, and often fail to detect faults in real time due to size and complexity constraints, leading to delayed fault detection and compromised resolution.
Innovation Solution
A dual sensor system design that includes two transducers with identical offset and gain circuits, where one transducer's signal is summed and the other's signal is subtracted to produce a high-resolution output, allowing for real-time fault detection using a high-resolution ADC for the sum and a low-resolution ADC for the difference, enabling concurrent fault detection and high-resolution measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant sensors are used for fault detection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two sensor elements into a single integrated device with shared signal conditioning and ADC resources. The two sensors share common offset and gain circuits, and use a single high-resolution ADC for both measurement and fault detection, eliminating the need for separate processing paths while maintaining dual-sensor fault detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single ADC is used for multiple purposes: it performs both high-resolution measurement of the summed sensor signal and fault detection through difference signal analysis. The same offset and gain circuits serve both sensors simultaneously, making the system multi-functional without requiring duplicate components.
2Reliability
If dual sensor circuits with separate processing paths are used, then fault detection accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the processing paths of two sensors by using shared offset and gain circuits and a single high-resolution ADC. This integration reduces the number of discrete components that need to be manufactured and assembled, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while preserving fault detection accuracy through differential signal processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The single ADC performs both high-resolution measurement and fault detection functions, eliminating the need for multiple dedicated processing chains. This multi-functionality reduces component count and simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the ability to detect faults with high accuracy through difference signal analysis.
3Area of stationary object
If sequential signal conditioning is used for two sensors, then device size is reduced, but fault detection speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous simultaneous processing of both sensor signals through shared offset and gain circuits and a single high-resolution ADC. Both sensors are conditioned and measured concurrently rather than sequentially, allowing real-time fault detection while maintaining a compact device size through resource sharing.
4Measurement precision
If high-resolution ADC is used for both sensors, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines both sensor measurements through a single high-resolution ADC, allowing one high-precision conversion operation to process the summed signal from both sensors. This eliminates the need for two separate high-resolution ADC operations, reducing power consumption while maintaining measurement precision through the shared high-resolution conversion path.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor system (20) includes transducers (32, 34) each yielding an analog signal (37, 39) representing a parameter independently sensed by each of the transducers (32, 34). The signals (37, 39) are summed and the resulting transducer signal (46) is converted to a digital transducer signal (26) by a high resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (48). Concurrently, one of the signals (37, 39) is subtracted from the other. The resulting difference signal (56) is converted to a digital difference signal (60) by a low resolution ADC (58). When the digital difference signal (60) is within a threshold window (78), a fault signal (28) indicates a normal condition (80) of the transducers (32, 34). When the signal (60) falls outside of the threshold window (78), a fault signal (28) indicates a fault condition (82) of the transducers. The transducer and fault signals (26, 28) are concurrently output from the sensor system (20).