Resistive Sensor Synchronization for Asynchronous FPGA Controllers

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Solution Overview

Problem

In vehicles like aircraft and spacecraft, limited space restricts the number of sensors available for controllers, leading to data corruption when multiple controllers share the same sensor due to simultaneous access.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a synchronization method using sync pulses between primary and secondary controllers to coordinate access to shared sensors, ensuring that only one controller reads data at a time, thereby preventing data corruption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If multiple controllers share the same sensor to reduce sensor quantity, then space utilization improves, but data corruption occurs due to simultaneous access

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace utilizationVSAvoiddata integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic synchronization pulses that周期性地 coordinate access to shared sensors. Controllers must wait for their turn indicated by sync pulse timing, transforming continuous simultaneous access attempts into periodic sequential access, thereby preventing data corruption while maintaining space efficiency through sensor sharing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Adaptability or versatility

If controllers operate asynchronously to maintain independence, then system modularity improves, but coordination for shared resource access deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontroller independenceVSAvoidshared resource coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces synchronization pulses as an intermediary mechanism between asynchronous controllers. These pulses serve as a mediator that enables coordinated access to shared sensors without requiring the controllers to be synchronous or tightly coupled, thus maintaining controller independence while facilitating proper resource sharing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11117686B2Shared resistive sensor measurement with FPGA based collision avoidance protection

Publication Date: 2021.09.14 HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP

AI summary

Providing collision avoidance protection to controllers sharing the same sensor. Each of a pair of asynchronous controllers changes the period of a sync pulse transmitted to the other controller to indicate to the other controller it is synchronized. When one of the controllers begins reading data from the shared sensor, the other controller waits to receive another sync pulse for indicating when the controller is finished reading data from the shared sensor. Thus, the asynchronous controllers avoid accessing the same sensor at the same time.