Pin Electronics Failure Logging with Power-Loss Data Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pin electronics apparatuses lack effective mechanisms to record and retain failure information, especially during power outages, making it difficult to diagnose and repair power supply abnormalities and component failures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a monitoring circuit that records failure information, including power identification and component details, onto a non-volatile recording medium accessible via near-field communication, ensuring data retention even after power loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If failure information is stored in volatile memory, then data can be accessed quickly during operation, but the data is lost when power is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting power supply abnormalities and storing failure information in non-volatile memory before the power is completely lost. The monitoring circuit detects voltage fluctuations or power loss conditions and proactively saves the failure state to persistent storage, ensuring information is preserved before the volatile memory loses its data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a monitoring circuit as a mediator between the power supply system and the memory system. This monitoring circuit detects power abnormalities and triggers the transfer of failure information from volatile to non-volatile memory, acting as an intermediary that protects against information loss during power transitions.
2Loss of information
If a monitoring circuit with non-volatile storage is added, then failure information retention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring circuit is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a power supply monitor and as a failure information storage system. The same circuit that monitors voltage and current also manages the non-volatile memory, eliminating the need for separate dedicated storage hardware and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the monitoring function and storage function into a single integrated circuit module. The monitoring circuit that detects power abnormalities is combined with the non-volatile memory in one unit, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the overall device architecture while maintaining failure information retention capability.
3Ease of repair
If detailed failure information is recorded, then repairability is improved, but the quantity of data to be managed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores only the essential failure information parameters in the non-volatile memory, such as power supply voltage at failure, current consumption, temperature, and failure timing. By selectively extracting only the most relevant diagnostic data rather than storing all operational parameters, the system maintains ease of repair while minimizing data volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring circuit is designed to record detailed failure information at the local point of failure with high precision, while the overall data structure remains compact. The circuit captures specific local parameters (voltage, current, temperature) with high resolution only when failures occur, rather than continuously logging all parameters, thus maintaining repairability without excessive data management burden.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient identification and repair of power supply and component failures by maintaining failure information, improving repairability and reducing downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a recording medium that records failure information including power supply identification information for identifying the abnormal power supply and component identification information for identifying a component in which an abnormality has occurred, onto a non-volatile recording medium
Implementation Method 2
the abnormality detection circuit 20 performs abnormality detection when the output voltage of the power source becomes abnormal
Implementation Method 3
when the current value becomes abnormal
Implementation Method 4
when the temperature of the circuit becomes abnormal
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a pin electronics apparatus which tests a device under test, including: a test circuit which is connected to the device under test and tests the device under test; a power circuit which supplies power to a circuit in the pin electronics apparatus; and a monitoring circuit which records, in response to detecting a failure of the pin electronics apparatus, failure information regarding the failure on a recording medium which is readable without receiving power supply from the power circuit.