1. A control unit, comprising:
a sensor interface module configured to output a modulated output voltage to one or more sensors and to receive a modulated sensor current signal from the one or more sensors;
an RLC network comprising an impedance element, which is located between the sensor interface module and the one or more sensors;
a protocol processor configured to detect one or more properties of the modulated output voltage or the modulated sensor current signals; and
an impedance controller configured to selectively adjust a value of the impedance element based upon the one or more properties to improve performance of the control unit.
2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the impedance controller comprises:
a comparison element configured to generate a control signal if one of the one or more properties violates a performance indicator, wherein the control signal selectively varies the value of the impedance element in a manner that adjust the one property so that the one property does not violate the performance indicator.
3. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the sensor interface module comprises:
a reference voltage source configured to output a modulated reference signal;
a comparator having a first comparator input connected to the reference voltage source, a second comparator input, and a comparator output;
a PID controller comprising a PID input and a PID output, wherein the PID input is coupled to the comparator output and the PID output is coupled to a control terminal of an output driver stage that is configured to provide the modulated output voltage at an output node of the output driver stage; and
a first feedback path coupling the output node of the output driver stage to the second comparator input;
wherein the comparator is configured to operate the PID controller to adjust the output of the output driver stage until the modulated output voltage follows the modulated reference signal.
4. The control unit of claim 3, wherein the protocol processor comprises:
a wave pattern generator configured to generate a modulated wave pattern that controls the modulated reference signal, and to provide a property comprising a slew rate of the modulated wave pattern to the impedance controller.
5. The control unit of claim 4, wherein the impedance controller adjusts a value of the impedance element if a slew rate of the modulated output voltage is below or above the slew rate of the modulated wave pattern, thereby changing an time constant of the RLC network to change the slew rate of the modulated output voltage.
6. The control unit of claim 4, wherein the impedance controller is activated to adjust a value of the impedance element during a voltage modulation phase that transmits data to the one or more sensors and is deactivated to adjust the value of the impedance element during a current modulated phase that receives data from the one or more sensors.
7. The control unit of claim 3, wherein the protocol processor comprises:
a receive filter coupled to the PID output and configured to separate the modulated sensor current signal into in-band signal components and out-of-band signal components; and
a rectifier configured to receive the out-of-band signal components from the receive filter and to determine a quantity that is proportional to an energy of the out-of-band signal components, which is provided as a property to the impedance controller.
8. The control unit of claim 7, wherein a value of the impedance element is increased if the quantity is greater than a predetermined value.
9. The control unit of claim 7, wherein the impedance element comprises a virtual resistor, comprising:
a summation element having a first summation input coupled to the reference voltage source, a second summation input, and a summation output coupled to the second comparator input;
a second feedback path coupling the comparator output to the second summation input; and
a multiplier disposed on the second feedback path, wherein the multiplier is configured to provide a multiplied signal to the second summation input based on a multiplication of a signal on the first feedback path with a virtual resistance value.
10. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the impedance element comprises a physical resistive element comprising:
a first signal path having a first resistor;
a second signal path in parallel with the first signal path and having a second resistor; and
a switching element configured to selectively place the first resistor in parallel with the second resistor.
11. A control unit, comprising:
a reference voltage source configured to provide a modulated reference signal;
a closed control loop configured to drive an output driver stage to provide a modulated output voltage, which tracks the modulated reference signal, to an output node and to receive a modulated sensor current signal from one or more sensors;
an RLC network comprising a virtual resistor located between the output driver stage and the one or more sensors;
a protocol processor in communication with the closed control loop and the reference voltage source, which is configured to provide a slew rate of the modulated reference signal or out-of-band energy of the modulated sensor current signal to a protocol processor output; and
an impedance controller coupled to the protocol processor output and configured to dynamically adjust a value of the virtual resistor if the slew rate or the out-of-band energy violate a performance indicator.
12. The control unit of claim 11, wherein the protocol processor comprises:
a wave pattern generator configured to generate a modulated wave pattern that controls the modulated reference signal, and to provide a slew rate of the modulated wave pattern to the impedance controller.
13. The control unit of claim 12, wherein the impedance controller adjusts a value of the virtual resistor if a slew rate of the modulated output voltage is below or above the slew rate of the modulated wave pattern, thereby changing a time constant of the RLC network to change the slew rate of the modulated output voltage.
14. The control unit of claim 11, wherein closed control loop comprises:
a comparator having a first comparator input connected to the reference voltage source, a second comparator input, and a comparator output;
a PID controller comprising a PID input and a PID output, wherein the PID input is coupled to the comparator output and the PID output is coupled to a control terminal of an output driver stage that is configured to provide the modulated output voltage at an output node of the output driver stage; and
a first feedback path coupling the output node of the output driver stage to the second comparator input;
wherein the comparator is configured to operate the PID controller to adjust the output of the output driver stage until the modulated output voltage follows the modulated reference signal.
15. The control unit of claim 14, wherein the protocol processor comprises:
a receive filter coupled to the PID output and configured to separate the modulated sensor current signal into in-band signal components and out-of-band signal components; and
a rectifier configured to receive the out-of-band signal components from the receive filter, to determine a quantity that is proportional to an energy of the out-of-band signal components, and to provide the quantity to the impedance controller.
16. The control unit of claim 14, wherein the virtual resistor comprises:
a summation element having a first summation input coupled to the reference voltage source, a second summation input, and a summation output coupled to the second comparator input;
a second feedback path coupling the comparator output to the second summation input; and
a multiplier disposed on the second feedback path, wherein the multiplier is configured to provide a multiplied signal to the second summation input based on a multiplication of a signal on the first feedback path with a virtual resistance value.
17. A method of improving performance of a sensor interface module in a control unit architecture:
providing an impedance element between a sensor interface module and one or more sensors;
exchanging a data signal between the sensor interface module and the one or more sensors;
determining one or more properties of the exchanged data signal; and
selectively adjusting a value of the impedance element based upon the one or more properties.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more properties comprise a slew rate of a modulated output voltage provided from the sensor interface module to the one or more sensors or a quantity that is proportional to an out-of-band energy of a modulated sensor current signal received from the one or more sensors.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
generating the modulated output voltage based upon a modulated reference voltage; and
adjusting the value of the impedance element if the slew rate of the modulated output voltage is below a slew rate of the modulated reference voltage.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the value of the impedance element is adjusted if the quantity is above a predetermined value.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An aircraft control system comprising:
a control input;
an effector module connected to said control input, said effector module including at least one microprocessor, and having at least a primary control module output, a primary control module input, and a controlled device output;
a primary control module connected to said primary control module output of said effector module and said primary control module input of said effector module, said primary control module including at least one microprocessor; and
wherein said at least one microprocessor in said effector module provides a backup control path bypassing said primary control module when said primary control module is in a failed state.
2. The aircraft control system of claim 1, wherein said at least one effector module microprocessor and said at least one primary control module microprocessor have distinct hardware architectures.
3. The aircraft control system of claim 1, wherein said effector module further comprises a flight critical sensor systems input, wherein said flight critical sensor input is one or more flight critical parameter.
4. The aircraft control system of claim 1, wherein said primary control module includes a flight critical sensor systems input, and a non flight critical sensor systems input wherein said non-flight critical sensor systems input is one or more non-flight critical parameter.
5. The aircraft control system of claim 1, wherein said effector module microprocessor includes a memory storing instructions operable to cause said effector module processor to generate a movement command based on a pilot input command from said control input when said primary control module is in a failed state.
6. The aircraft control system of claim 1, wherein each of said at least one effector module microprocessor and said primary control module microprocessor are digital controllers.
7. The aircraft control system of claim 2, further comprising:
a second control input;
a second effector module connected to said second control input, said second effector module including at least one microprocessor, and having at least a primary control module output, a primary control module input, and a controlled device output; and
a second primary control module connected to said primary control module output of said second effector module and said primary control module input of said second effector module, said primary control module including at least one microprocessor;
wherein said at least one processor in said second effector module provides a backup control path bypassing said second primary control module when said second primary control module is in a failed state.
8. The aircraft control system of claim 7, wherein each of said primary control module and said second primary control module comprises an inputoutput link connected to the inputoutput link of the other of said primary control module and said second primary control module.
9. The aircraft control system of claim 1, wherein said effector module further comprises a control input processing module, a control loop processing module, a control loop output processing module, and a control loop input processing module.
10. The aircraft control system of claim 9, wherein at least one of said input processing module, a control loop processing module, a control loop output processing module, and a control loop input processing module is a software module stored on a memory of said effector module microprocessor.
11. The aircraft control system of claim 9, wherein at least one of said input processing module, a control loop processing module, a control loop output processing module, and a control loop input processing module is a distinct physical module from said effector module microprocessor.
12. A method of controlling an aircraft system comprising the steps of:
receiving a pilot or autopilot input command at an effector module;
determining a movement instruction for a controlled aircraft component based on said pilot input command and at least flight critical sensor information in a microprocessor of said effector module when a primary control module is in a failed state; and
outputting said movement instruction to said controlled aircraft component, thereby controlling said controlled aircraft component.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
determining a position instruction for said controlled aircraft component based on said pilot or autopilot input command, at least one flight critical sensor input and at least one non-flight critical sensor input; and
translating said position instruction to a movement instruction readable by said controlled aircraft component using an effector module processor.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said steps of determining a position instruction for said controlled aircraft component based on said pilot input command, at least one flight critical sensor input and at least one non-flight critical sensor input, and translating said position instruction to a movement instruction readable by said controlled aircraft component using an effector module processor are performed digitally.
15. An aircraft control system comprising:
a control input;
an effector module connected to said control input, said effector module including at least one microprocessor, and having at least a primary control module output, a primary control module input, and a controlled device output;
a primary control module connected to said primary control module output of said effector module and said primary control module input of said effector module, said primary control module including at least one microprocessor; and
wherein said at least one microprocessor in said effector module is operable to provide a backup control path bypassing said primary control module in response to said primary control module entering a failed state.
16. The aircraft control system of claim 15, wherein said at least one effector module microprocessor and said at least one primary control module microprocessor have distinct hardware architecture.
17. The aircraft control system of claim 15, wherein each of said at least one effector module microprocessor and said primary control module microprocessor are digital controllers.
18. The aircraft control system of claim 15, further comprising:
a second control input;
a second effector module connected to said second control input, said second effector module including at least one microprocessor, and having at least a primary control module output, a primary control module input, and a controlled device output; and
a second primary control module connected to said primary control module output of said second effector module and said primary control module input of said second effector module, said primary control module including at least one microprocessor;
wherein said at least one processor in said second effector module provides a backup control path bypassing said second primary control module when said second primary control module is in a failed state.
19. The aircraft control system of claim 18, wherein each of said primary control module and said second primary control module comprises an inputoutput link connected to the inputoutput link of the other of said primary control module and said second primary control module.
20. The aircraft control module of claim 1, wherein said at least one microprocessor in said effector module includes stored instructions operable to cause said at least one microprocessor in said effector module to convert a determined position instruction received at the at least one primary control module input into movement commands for an effectoractuator when a primary control module is in a non-failed state.
21. The aircraft control system of claim 20, wherein the determined position instruction is a determined position instruction output by said primary control module.
22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
passing said pilot or autopilot input command from said effector module to a primary control module when said primary control module is in a non-failed state; and
determining a position instruction for said controlled aircraft component based on said pilot or autopilot input command, at least one flight critical sensor input and at least one non-flight critical sensor input using said primary control module, passing said determined position instruction from said primary control module to said effector module, and translating said position instruction to a movement instruction readable by said controlled aircraft component using an effector module processor when said primary control module is in the non-failed state.
23. The aircraft control system of claim 15, wherein said at least one microprocessor in said effector module includes stored instructions operable to cause said at least one microprocessor in said effector module to convert a determined position instruction received at the at least one primary control module input into movement commands for an effectoractuator when a primary control module is in a non-failed state.