Brake by wire electrical system architecture with multiple power sources and circuit protection

A vehicle brake by wire system comprising, in combination:

• a first electric generator;
• a first electric power storage device;
• an electric power source comprising one of a second electric generator and a second electric power storage device;
• one or more brake units for wheels of a vehicle;
• one or more control units connected for activation of brake units and having electric power inputs;
• an electric circuit having a common node and (1) connecting the first electric generator to the common node through a first unidirectional current control device having a first forward voltage drop, (2) connecting the first electric power storage device to the common node through a second unidirectional current device having a second forward voltage drop, (3) connecting the electric power source to the common node through one of the first and second unidirectional current devices, and (4) connecting the common node to the electric power inputs of the one or more control units through electric circuit breaker devices;
• a sub-circuit within the electric circuit interconnecting the first and second unidirectional current devices, the common node and the electric circuit breaker devices being isolated within a zone protected from short circuits to points outside the zone;
• and
• means for separately sensing a voltage across each of the first and second unidirectional current devices while controlling activation of the first electric generator and the second electric generator if present so as to reverse bias the other of the first and second unidirectional current devices, whereby an electrical short or open circuit may be detected in the electric circuit.