Redundant control system for a work vehicle

A control system for use in a vehicle having a hydraulic system which includes a source of pressurized fluid, a plurality of actuators, and a plurality of fluidly powered components, each actuator being adapted to receive the pressurized fluid and being responsive to a respective control signal for regulating the flow of pressurized fluid to respective fluidly powered components, comprising:

• a plurality of control members, each being movable to a plurality of locations for indicating a desired fluid output for a respective actuator;
• a plurality of sensors, each sensor being adapted to sense the position of a respective control member and responsively produce a position signal;
• a primary controller having a input and an output, the input being connectable to the sensors and adapted to receive the position signals, the primary controller being adapted to process the position signals to responsively produce the control signals, and the output being connectable to the actuators and adapted to deliver the control signals to the actuators;
• a secondary controller having an input and an output, the input being connectable to the sensors and adapted to receive the position signals, the secondary controller being adapted to process the position signals to responsively produce the control signals, the output being connectable to the actuators and adapted to deliver the control signals to the actuators, and wherein the second controller is normally disabled;
• and
• first means for controllably disabling the primary controller and enabling the secondary controller, wherein the first means includes a first connector means for controllably connecting the input of either controller to the sensors and a second connector means for controllably connecting the output of either controller to the actuators.

A control system for use in a vehicle having a hydraulic system which includes a source of pressurized fluid, a plurality of actuators, and a plurality of fluidly powered components, each actuator being adapted to receive the pressurized fluid and being responsive to a respective control signal for regulating the flow of pressurized fluid to respective fluidly powered components, comprising:

• a plurality of control members, each being movable to a plurality of locations for indicating a desired fluid output for a respective actuator;
• a plurality of sensors, each sensor being adapted to sense the position of a respective control member and responsively produce a position signal;
• a primary controller having a input and an output, the input being connectable to the sensors and adapted to receive the position signals, the primary controller being adapted to process the position signals to responsively produce the control signals, and the output being connectable to the actuators and adapted to deliver the control signals to the actuators;
• a secondary controller having an input and an output, the input being connectable to the sensors and adapted to receive the position signals, the secondary controller being adapted to process the position signals to responsively produce the control signals, the output being connectable to the actuators and adapted to deliver the control signals to the actuators, and wherein the second controller is normally disabled;
• and
• first means for controllably disabling the primary controller and enabling the secondary controller, wherein the secondary controller limits the magnitude of the control signals to a preselected percentage of their maximum values.

A control system for use in a vehicle having a hydraulic system which includes a source of pressurized fluid, a plurality of flow regulator means, and a plurality of fluidly powered components, each flow regulator means being adapted to receive the pressurized fluid and being responsive to a respective control signal for regulating the flow of pressurized fluid to respective fluidly powered components, comprising:

• a plurality of first control members, each being movable to a plurality of locations for indicating a desired fluid output for a respective flow regulator means;
• a plurality of first sensors, each first sensor being adapted to sense the position of a respective first control member and responsively produce a first position signal;
• a primary controller having a input and an output, the input being connectable to the first sensors and adapted to receive the first position signals, the controller being adapted to process the first position signals to responsively produce the control signals, and the output being connectable to the flow regulator means and adapted to deliver the control signals to the flow regulator means;
• a plurality of second control members, each being movable to a plurality of locations for indicating a desired fluid output for a respective flow regulator means;
• a plurality of second sensors, each second sensor being adapted to sense the position of a respective second control member and produce a second position signal responsive to the position of the control member;
• a secondary controller having an input and an output, the input being connectable to the second sensors and adapted to receive the second position signals, the processor being adapted to process the second position signals to responsively produce the control signals, the output being connectable to the flow regulator means and adapted to deliver the control signals to the flow regulator means, and wherein the second controller is normally disabled;
• and
• first means for controllably disabling the primary controller and enabling the secondary controller.