Programmable emergency-stop circuit

An electronic control system for controlling the flow of bulk power to a plurality of loads through at least one switch having a first and second position to start and stop the flow of bulk power, respectively, comprising:

• a) an emergency-stop circuit for receiving a plurality of input signals from a plurality of input sources and for providing a primary output signal to control said switch, wherein said first and second position of said switch are responsive to said emergency-stop circuit being energized or de-energized, respectively;
• b) at least one internal ready-type start (RS) signal, said RS signal having an active and inactive state;
• c) a means to activate said RS signal in response to a final cycle or a surplus cycle of a selectively programmable first number of deactivation and reactivation cycles of a corresponding ready-type input (RI) signal that is selected from said plurality of input signals, said RI signal having an active and inactive state;
• d) a means to deactivate said RS signal in response to the deactivating of said corresponding RI signal or whenever said emergency-stop circuit is energized, wherein said means to deactivate said RS signal also resets the accumulated count of said deactivation and reactivation cycles whenever said emergency-stop circuit is energized;
• e) a means to optionally utilize said RS signal to inhibit said emergency-stop circuit from energizing whenever said RS signal is inactive;
• and
• f) a means to optionally utilize said RI signal to de-energize said emergency-stop circuit in response to the deactivating of said RI signal.

An electronic control system for controlling the flow of bulk power to a plurality of loads through at least one switch having a first and second position to start and stop the flow of bulk power, respectively, comprising;

• a) an emergency-stop circuit for receiving a plurality of input signals from a plurality of input sources and for providing a primary output signal to control said switch, wherein said first and second position of said switch are responsive to said emergency-stop circuit being energized or de-energized, respectively, wherein said emergency-stop circuit is de-energized and waiting to energize;
• and wherein at least one motors-on-type input (MO) signal is selected from said plurality of input signals, said MO signal having an active and inactive state;
• b) a means for energizing said emergency-stop circuit only when said MO signal is active and remains active for at least a predetermined interval of time;
• c) at least one monitor-contact-type input (MC) signal selected from said plurality of input signals, said MC signal having an active and inactive state, wherein said MC signal is active only when said emergency-stop circuit is de-energized and a monitored downstream relay controlled by said primary output signal has fully disengaged;
• and,
• d) a means to optionally utilize said MC signal to inhibit said emergency-stop circuit from energizing whenever said MC signal is otherwise inactive.

An electronic control system for controlling the flow of bulk power to a plurality of loads through at least one switch having a first and second position to start and stop the flow of bulk power, respectively, comprising;

• a) an emergency-stop circuit for receiving a plurality of input signals from a plurality of input sources and for providing a primary output signal to control said switch, wherein said first and second position of said switch are responsive to said emergency-stop circuit being energized or de-energized, respectively;
• b) a means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred since application of power to logic of said emergency-stop circuit;
• c) at least one internal start-type (START) signal, said START signal having an active and inactive state, wherein said means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred also initializes said START signal in an inactive state;
• d) a corresponding plurality of kill-type input (B) signals, each said B signal being selected from said plurality of input signals, and each said B signal having an active and inactive state responsive to an associated input source being in a safe or healthy condition or not, respectively;
• e) a means to generate a delay for at least a selected interval of time, wherein said means to generate a delay is activated immediately following de-energizing of said emergency-stop circuit therefore creating a dying period for said emergency-stop circuit, and wherein said means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred also activates said means to generate a delay for the first energizing cycle therefore creating a power-up-delay period for said emergency-stop circuit;
• f) a means to activate said START signal (1) whenever said power-up-delay period has passed prior to first energizing cycle or alternatively whenever said emergency-stop circuit has de-energized and said dying period has passed and (2) when all said B signals are active;
• g) a means to deactivate said START signal (1) whenever said emergency-stop circuit is energized or (2) at least one B signal is inactive;
• and
• h) a means to inhibit said emergency-stop circuit from energizing whenever said START signal is inactive.

An electronic control system for controlling the flow of bulk power to a plurality of loads through at least one switch having a first and second position to start and stop the flow of bulk power, respectively, comprising:

• a) an emergency-stop circuit for receiving a plurality of input signals from a plurality of input sources and for providing a primary output signal to control said switch, wherein said first and second position of said switch are responsive to said emergency-stop circuit being energized or de-energized, respectively;
• b) at least one internal kill-type (KILL) signal, said KILL signal having an active and inactive state;
• c) a corresponding plurality of kill-type input (B) signals, each said B signal being selected from said plurality of input signals, and each said B signal having an active and inactive state responsive to an associated first input source being in a safe or healthy condition or not, respectively;
• d) a means to de-energize and keep de-energized said emergency-stop circuit whenever said KILL signal is active;
• e) a means to generate said KILL signal by activating said KILL signal whenever at least one said B signal is inactive and de-activating said KILL signal whenever all said B signals become active.

An electronic control system for controlling the flow of bulk power to a plurality of loads through at least one switch having a first and second position to start and stop the flow of bulk power, respectively, comprising:

• a) an emergency-stop circuit for receiving a plurality of input signals from a plurality of input sources and for providing a primary output signal to control said switch, wherein said first and second position of said switch are responsive to said emergency-stop circuit being energized or de-energized, respectively;
• wherein said emergency-stop circuit also provides at least one secondary output channel comprising a secondary output (SO) signal, being connected to at least one external device, wherein said external device is enabled or inhibited responsive to said SO signal being active or inactive, respectively;
• b) at least one enable-type input (CE) signal, said CE signal being selected from said plurality of input signals, and said CE signal having an active and inactive state responsive to an associated first input source desiring said external device to be enabled or inhibited, respectively;
• c) means to generate said SO signal by (1) driving said SO signal inactive continuously when corresponding said secondary output channel is selectively programmed to be continuously inhibited, (2) driving said SO signal inactive whenever said emergency-stop circuit is de-energized and corresponding said secondary output channel is alternatively selectively programmed to be inhibited whenever said emergency-stop circuit is de-energized, (3) driving said SO signal inactive whenever said CE signal is inactive and corresponding said secondary output channel is alternatively selectively programmed to be inhibited whenever said CE signal is inactive, and (4) otherwise driving said SO signal active.

An electronic control system for controlling the flow of bulk power to a plurality of loads through at least one switch having a first and second position to start and stop the flow of bulk power, respectively, comprising:

• a) an emergency-stop circuit for receiving a plurality of input signals from a plurality of input sources and for providing a primary output signal to control said switch, wherein said first and second position of said switch are responsive to said emergency-stop circuit being energized or de-energized, respectively;
• b) a means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred since application of power to logic of said emergency-stop circuit;
• c) a means to drive a dedicated error code whenever said first energizing cycle has not yet occurred, said dedicated error code superseding any other error code generated from any of said plurality of input sources;
• d) a first number of clear-type input (CLEAR) signals selected from said plurality of input signals, each said CLEAR signal having an active and inactive state;
• e) a means to clear said dedicated error code whenever said CLEAR signal becomes active prior to said first energizing cycle to reveal said superseded error code, and wherein said means to clear said dedicated error code also refreshes said superseded error code whenever said CLEAR signal thereafter becomes active;
• f) a second number of internal ready-type start (RS) signals, each said RS signal having an active and inactive state, wherein said means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred also initializes said RS signal in the inactive state;
• g) a means to activate said RS signal in response to a final cycle or a surplus cycle of a third selected number of deactivation and reactivation cycles of a corresponding ready-type input (RI) signal that is selected from said plurality of input signals, said RI signal having an active and inactive state, wherein said means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred also alters the requirement of said third number of deactivation and reactivation cycles of said RI signal to a fourth selected number to be required for first energizing cycle, said fourth number being greater than said third, wherein said means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred also resets the accumulated count of said deactivation and reactivation cycles for the first energizing cycle;
• h) a means to deactivate said RS signal in response to the deactivating of said corresponding RI signal or whenever said emergency-stop circuit is energized, wherein said means to deactivate said RS signal also resets the accumulated count of said deactivation and reactivation cycles whenever said emergency stop circuit is energized;
• i) at least one motors-on-type input (MO) signal selected from said plurality of input signals, said MO signal having an active and inactive state;
• j) at least one internal start-type (START) signal, said START signal having an active and inactive state, wherein said means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred also initializes said START signal in an inactive state;
• k) at least one internal kill-type (KILL) signal, said KILL signal having an active and inactive state, and a corresponding fifth number of kill-type input (B) signals, each said B signal being selected from said plurality of input signals, and each said B signal having an active and inactive state responsive to an associated first input source being in a safe or healthy condition or not, respectively;
• l) a means to generate said KILL signal by activating said KILL signal whenever at least one said B signal is inactive and de-activating said KILL signal whenever all said B signals become active;
• m) a means to generate a delay for at least a first selected interval of time, wherein said means to generate a delay is activated immediately following de-energizing of said emergency-stop circuit therefore creating a dying period for said emergency-stop circuit, and wherein said means for determining whether or not a first energizing cycle has occurred also activates said means to generate a delay for the first energizing cycle therefore creating a power-up-delay period for said emergency-stop circuit;
• n) a means to activate said START signal (1) whenever said power-up-delay period has passed prior to first energizing cycle or alternatively whenever said emergency-stop circuit has de-energized and said dying period has passed, (2) whenever said KILL signal is inactive, and (3) whenever optionally utilized said RS signal is not used or is used and active;
• o) a means to deactivate said START signal (1) whenever said emergency-stop circuit is energized, (2) whenever said KILL signal is active, or (3) whenever optionally utilized said RS signal is used and inactive;
• p) a means to inhibit said emergency-stop circuit from energizing whenever said START signal is inactive;
• q) a means to display a first status indicator in visual or audio form or in the form of an electrical output signal whenever said START signal is active to signify said emergency-stop circuit is waiting to energize and to display a second status indicator in visual or audio form or in the form of an electrical output signal whenever said emergency-stop circuit is energized, wherein said first status indicator remains further displayed whenever said second is displayed;
• r) a means to energize said emergency-stop circuit when START signal is active and said MO signal is active and remains active for at least a second selected interval of time;
• s) a means to de-energize said emergency-stop circuit whenever said KILL signal is active or whenever optionally utilized said RI signal is used and inactive;
• and
• t) wherein uncommitted input signals remaining from said plurality of input signals are ignored.

A method for controlling the flow of bulk power to a plurality of loads through at least one switch having a first and second position to start and stop the flow of bulk power, respectively, comprising an emergency-stop circuit for receiving a plurality of input signals from a plurality of input sources and for providing a primary output signal to control said switch, wherein said first and second position of said switch are responsive to said emergency-stop circuit being energized or de-energized, respectively;

• comprising the steps:
• (1) being in a power-up state for a selected first interval of time following application of power to logic of emergency-stop circuit, wherein said emergency-stop circuit is inhibited from energizing;
• (2) being in a killed state, wherein said emergency-stop circuit is inhibited from energizing, and providing status for such including which if any input signal caused said emergency-stop circuit to de-energize or is preventing said emergency-stop circuit from energizing;
• and
• remaining in said killed state until (a) all of the said input signals that have been selected for use in said killed state are active, (b) said emergency-stop circuit does not have any internal errors, and (c) any ready-type input signals that have been selected for use have each been deactivated and reactivated a selected number of times, said selected number for first energizing cycle being greater than that for successive energizing cycles;
• (3) being in a waiting state, wherein said emergency-stop circuit is ready to energize, and providing status for such;
• and
• remaining in said waiting state until a valid motors-on signal has been recognized at which time said method goes to step (4), or until one of the said input signals that has been selected for use in said killed state is inactive or said emergency-stop circuit finds an internal error at which time said method returns to step (2);
• (4) going to an energized state, wherein said emergency-stop circuit becomes energized, and providing status for such;
• dynamically adding a selected first number of selected input signals from said plurality of input signals as each becomes active, so that each remaining active becomes a condition for said emergency-stop circuit to remain energized;
• dynamically adding a selected second number of selected input signals from said plurality of input signals as elected second interval of time elapses since said emergency-stop circuit energized, so that being active at time of addition and remaining active becomes a condition for said emergency-stop circuit to remain energized;
• and
• remaining in the energized state, wherein said emergency-stop circuit remains energized until said emergency-stop circuit finds an internal error, one of the said input signals that has been selected for use in said killed state is inactive, or one of the dynamically added input signals is inactive, wherein said dynamically added input signals are removed when said emergency-stop circuit de-energizes;
• (5) being in a dying state for a selected third interval of time, where in the emergency-stop circuit is de-energized and inhibited from re-energizing, and providing status for such after which time said method returns to step (2).