Safety Circuit Timing Precision and Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical systems face challenges in managing failure events effectively, as the reliability of providing a predetermined time interval between failure signals can be compromised by failure conditions, potentially leading to inadequate or missed safety responses.
Innovation Solution
An integrated circuit with a processing block that sets two failure signals, where the second signal is set at a predetermined time interval after the first, using a digital-counter or analogue-timing-signal, and includes redundancy through analogue-timing and power supply backup mechanisms to ensure reliability even under failure conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a digital-counter is used to provide the predetermined time interval, then the timing precision is improved, but the reliability deteriorates under failure conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an analogue timing circuit as a backup mechanism that is prepared in advance to compensate for potential digital-counter failures. This prior cushioning ensures that if the digital-counter fails, the analogue timing circuit can immediately take over to maintain the predetermined time interval functionality, thus resolving the contradiction between timing precision and reliability under failure conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary switching mechanism that can select between the digital-counter output and the analogue timing circuit output. This intermediary acts as a mediator that ensures continuous reliable operation by routing the appropriate signal source to the second failure signal generation, thereby maintaining both timing precision and reliability even when one system fails.
2Reliability
If redundancy mechanisms are added to ensure reliability, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the analogue timing circuit to serve multiple functions: it acts as a backup timing source, provides an independent reliability mechanism, and can be integrated with existing power supply redundancy. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve improved reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the same analogue circuit serves multiple protective and timing roles.
Data Source
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AI summary
An integrated circuit comprising: an input terminal configured to receive a failure-event-signal representative of a failure event; a first output terminal configured to provide a first-failure-signal; and a second output terminal configured to provide a second-failure-signal; and a processing block configured to: set the first-failure-signal based on the failure-event-signal; and set the second-failure-signal, at a predetermined time interval after the first-failure-signal is set. The processing block further comprises a switch configured selectively, based on a received digital-error-signal to either: set the second-failure-signal based on a digital-counter-output-signal; or set the second-failure-signal based on an analogue-trigger-signal.