Wet/dry contact sequencer

A contact sequencer circuit, comprising:

• a first contact with a first pair of switchable electrodes, the first contact configured to carry load current when in a closed state, and cycle through a make state and a break state without carrying the load current;
• a second contact with a second pair of switchable electrodes, the second contact operatively coupled in series with the first contact and configured to cycle through the make state and the break state while carrying the load current;
• and
• an arc suppressor operatively coupled across the second pair of switchable electrodes and configured to extinguish at least one arc formed across the second pair of switchable electrodes during the make state or the break state;
• wherein during an activation sequence of the contact sequencer circuit, the first pair of switchable electrodes is activated prior to activating the second pair of switchable electrodes, and during a deactivation sequence of the contact sequencer circuit, the second pair of switchable electrodes is deactivated prior to deactivating the first pair of switchable electrodes, and
• wherein the arc suppressor comprises a contact separation detector circuit and a contact bypass circuit coupled across the second pair of switchable electrodes of the second contact.

A method for sequencing contacts, the method comprising:

• coupling a dry contact with a first pair of switchable electrodes of a contact sequencer circuit in series with a wet contact with a second pair of switchable electrodes of the contact sequencer circuit, the dry contact configured to cycle through a make state and a break state without conducting current, and the wet contact configured to cycle through the make state and the break state while conducting current;
• coupling an arc suppressor across the second pair of switchable electrodes of the wet contact;
• receiving a signal indicative of energization status of the dry contact and the wet contact from a driver circuit coupled to the contact sequencer circuit via a pair of terminals;
• converting the signal indicative of the energization status into a logic level control signal;
• and
• performing an activation sequence or a deactivation sequence of the contact sequencer circuit based on the logic level control signal.