Solenoid fault detection

Abstract

A fault detector for a control system that includes a controller, a solenoid driver, a current sensor and a solenoid. The solenoid driver provides a current to the solenoid in response to a control signal provided by the controller to the solenoid driver and the current sensor measures the current provided by the solenoid driver to the solenoid to determine a current measurement. At any moment, the control signal corresponds to one of a demanded zero current, a demanded first current magnitude or a demanded second current magnitude. The fault detector detects a fault based upon a comparison of the current measurement to an expected current range, wherein the expected current range is dependent upon which of the demanded zero current, demanded first current magnitude or the demanded second current magnitude the control system corresponds to at that moment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.