Position-measuring device and method for testing a clock signal

A method for testing a clock signal of a position-measuring device for measuring a position of an object, wherein said position-measuring device includes a position sensor, a processor, an interface, a clock generator and a time measurer, the method comprising:

• generating, by the position sensor, digital position values;
• receiving, at the processor via the interface, instructions from subsequent electronics, the interface communicating with the subsequent electronics according to rules of an interface protocol via at least one interface line transmitting interface signals having a temporal behavior determined by the interface protocol;
• processing, by the processor, the instructions;
• generating, by the clock generator, a clock signal that serves as a time base for functions of the position sensor and the processor;
• receiving, by the time measurer, at least one of the interface signals;
• measuring, by the time measurer, a time interval between a start event and a stop event of the at least one of the interface signals, the time measurer using the clock signal as a time base;
• and
• feeding the measured time interval to the processor and transmitting the measured time interval, via the interface, to the subsequent electronics for further processing.

A position-measuring device for measuring a position of an object, comprising:

• a position sensor configured to generate digital position values;
• a processor configured to process instructions from subsequent electronics;
• an interface configured to communicate with the subsequent electronics, according to rules of an interface protocol, via at least one interface line configured to transmit interface signals having a temporal behavior determined by the interface protocol so as to transmit the instructions from the subsequent electronics to the processor;
• a clock generator configured to generate a clock signal that serves as a time base for functions of the position sensor and the processor;
• and
• a time measurer configured to use the clock signal as a time base, to receive at least one of the interface signals and to measure a time interval between a start event and a stop event of the at least one of the interface signals,
• wherein the processor is configured to receive the measured time interval and to generate, in a comparator of the processor, at least one status bit by a comparison of the measured time interval with a reference value, the interface being configured to transmit the at least one status bit to the subsequent electronics.

A method for testing a clock signal of a position-measuring device for measuring a position of an object, wherein said position-measuring device includes a position sensor, a processor, an interface, a clock generator and a time measurer, the method comprising:

• generating, by the position sensor, digital position values;
• receiving, at the processor via the interface, instructions from subsequent electronics, the interface communicating with the subsequent electronics according to rules of an interface protocol via at least one interface line transmitting interface signals having a temporal behavior determined by the interface protocol;
• processing, by the processor, the instructions;
• generating, by the clock generator, a clock signal that serves as a time base for functions of the position sensor and the processor;
• receiving, by the time measurer, at least one of the interface signals;
• measuring, by the time measurer, a time interval between a start event and a stop event of the at least one of the interface signals, the time measurer using the clock signal as a time base;
• and
• feeding the measured time interval to the processor, generating, in a comparator of the processor, at least one status bit by a comparison of the time interval with a reference value, and transmitting the at least one status bit, via the interface, to the subsequent electronics.