System and method for processing data from a particle monitoring sensor

A system for processing data relating to an amount of contaminant in a fluid, wherein the data is obtained from a contaminant detection device, the system comprising:

• an external data processing system separate and independent from the contaminate detection device and configured to:
• receive an aeration detection raw voltage data output from the contaminate detection device;
• receive a particle detection raw voltage data output from the contaminate detection device;
• analyze and clean the aeration detection raw voltage data output and the particle detection raw voltage data output to determine real time information on the amount of air bubbles and solid contaminate particles in the fluid;
• supply the determined amount of solid contaminate particles to an onboard monitoring and controlling module of a machine;
• and
• control one or more operations onboard the machine based on the determined amount of solid contaminate particles.

A non-transient computer readable medium containing program instructions for causing a controller to perform the method of:

• receiving an aeration detection raw voltage data output from a contaminate detection device at an external data processing system separate and independent from the contaminate detection device;
• receiving a particle detection raw voltage data output from the contaminate detection device at the external data processing system;
• averaging the aeration detection raw voltage data output over time in accordance with a fast exponential weighted moving average;
• averaging the particle detection raw voltage data output over time in accordance with a fast exponential weighted moving average;
• averaging the aeration detection raw voltage data output over time in accordance with a slow exponential weighted moving average;
• averaging the particle detection raw voltage data output over time in accordance with a slow exponential weighted moving average;
• determining a difference between the fast exponential weighted moving average and the slow exponential weighted moving average for each of the aeration detection raw voltage data outputs over time and the particle detection raw voltage data outputs over time;
• determining whether each of the differences is positive, indicative of a rising signal, or negative, indicative of a falling signal;
• determining whether the rising signal is less than a rising rate threshold, and whether the falling signal is greater than a decay rate threshold;
• and
• when the differences are greater than the decay rate threshold and less than the rising rate threshold, determining that the raw voltage data outputs are cleaned and acceptable data outputs for further processing and implementation of actions by an onboard monitoring and controlling module of a machine.