Circuit, system and/or method for detecting an electrical connection between an electrical device and a power supply

A system for detecting an electrical connection between an electrical device and a power supply wherein a power cable is used to electrically connect a positive power rail and a ground power rail between the electrical device and the power supply wherein the power supply transmits DC power to the electrical device and further wherein the electrical device has capacitance circuitry to remove a high frequency signal transmitted to the electrical device via the positive power rail when the electrical device is electrically connected to the power supply, the system comprising:

• a microcontroller unit that generates the high frequency signal;
• and
• a circuit integrated with the microcontroller unit wherein the circuit changes a magnitude of the high frequency signal and modulates the high frequency signal onto the positive power rail between the power supply and the electrical device wherein the circuit removes frequencies other than the high frequency signal from the positive power rail wherein the circuit converts the high frequency signal on the positive power rail to a known DC level and outputs the known DC level to the microcontroller unit wherein the circuit outputs a nominal level to the microcontroller unit when the high frequency signal is removed by the capacitance circuitry of the electrical device wherein the microcontroller unit detects an absence of the electrical connection between the power supply and the electrical device when the output of the circuit is the known DC level wherein the microcontroller unit detects a presence of the electrical connection between the power supply and the electrical device when the output of the circuit is the nominal level.

A method for detecting an electrical connection between a power supply and an electrical device with a microcontroller unit by monitoring a positive power rail between the power supply and the electrical device, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a high frequency signal;
• modulating the high frequency signal onto the positive power rail;
• filtering the high frequency signal on the positive power rail to detect the high frequency signal on the positive power rail;
• and
• rectifying the high frequency signal to convert the high frequency signal to a first DC level.