Resistive Position Sensor Fault Detection via Noise Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Resistive position feedback sensors in motion control systems, particularly in medical imaging systems, face challenges in detecting intermittent failures due to electro-mechanical contact issues like contamination or material deterioration, which can go undetected during servicing.
Innovation Solution
A filter mechanism is used to identify noise in the output signal of resistive devices, with a memory to store intermittent fault occurrences and an alarm system to alert users, and additional embodiments incorporate velocity sensors and comparators to enhance noise discrimination and fault detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If variable resistive position sensors are used for cost-effective motion control feedback, then device cost is reduced, but the sensors become susceptible to intermittent failures due to electro-mechanical contact issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of intermittent failures by continuously monitoring the output signal of the resistive position sensor during normal operation. A filter detects noise in the signal, and a memory records occurrences of such noise, enabling early identification of contact issues before they lead to permanent failure or affect patient safety in medical imaging systems.
2Ease of operation
If traditional service inspection methods are used, then equipment maintenance is simple, but intermittent failures cannot be detected because they may not occur during service inspection
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring of the sensor output signal during normal system operation. The filter continuously analyzes the signal for noise indicative of intermittent contact failures, and the memory accumulates evidence of such failures over time. This feedback mechanism enables detection of intermittent failures regardless of whether they manifest during periodic service inspections, eliminating the need to wait for failure symptoms to appear during maintenance windows.
3Measurement precision
If electro-mechanical contacts are used in resistive sensors, then the sensors provide accurate position feedback, but the contacts experience intermittent failure due to contamination or deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of contact degradation by continuously monitoring the output signal for noise during normal operation. The filter identifies noise patterns that indicate intermittent contact failures, and the memory records these occurrences, enabling early intervention before the contact deterioration leads to complete failure or affects measurement accuracy in critical medical imaging applications.
Data Source
AI summary
Circuits for detecting faults in variable resistive position feedback sensors common in the use of motion control systems, provide a filter coupled to an output signal of the variable resistive position sensor for processing the signal to detect noise indicative of intermittent faults. A memory stores occurrences of signals from the filter. The memory can activate an alarm which indicates that a failure is detected. The circuits are particularly applicable to medical imaging systems such as SPECT, PET or MRI systems which contain a multiplicity of moving components that require accurate motion control and positioning.