Computer controlled squib simulation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488170-B2
Application number	US-201715485833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, a squib simulation system includes a processor, sensors, and a firing point. The firing point receives electrical pulse information from a computer. The processor calculates electrical pulse information, including time information and current information. The processor determines a received current and determines whether the current exceeds a predetermined threshold necessary to ignite a squib. Upon a determination that the current exceeds the threshold, the processor determines a firing time that a squib would have fired given the current. The processor records and transfers the information to a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A squib simulation system comprising:
a firing point configured to:
receive first electrical pulse information for a first electrical pulse from a computer, the first electrical pulse information comprising:
first time information indicating a first time to communicate the first electrical pulse to a first firing point; and
first current information indicating a first amount of current in the first electrical pulse;

generate the first electrical pulse at the first time, the first electrical pulse having the first amount of current; and
communicate the first electrical pulse to a first processor; and

the first processor configured to:
receive the first electrical pulse;
determine a first received current indicating a current received at the first firing point;
determine whether the first received current exceeds a first predetermined threshold necessary to ignite a first squib of a first squib type; and
upon a determination that the first received current exceeds the first predetermined threshold, determine a first firing time based on the first received current, the first firing time indicating a time that the first squib would have fired if receiving the first received current;
wherein:
the first processor comprises a first clock and the first firing point comprises a second clock;
the first clock and the second clock are synchronized; and
the first clock facilitates determining the first time and the second clock facilitates determining the first firing time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the firing point is further configured to generate a second electrical pulse at a second time, the second electrical pulse having a second amount of current, the second amount of current different than the first amount of current; and
the first processor is further configured to:
receive the second electrical pulse;
determine a second received current indicating a current received in response to the second electrical pulse;
determine whether the second received current exceeds the first predetermined threshold; and
upon a determination that the second received current exceeds the first predetermined threshold, determine a second firing time based on the second received current, the second firing time indicating a time that a second squib would have fired if receiving the second received current.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first firing point is further configured to communicate the second electrical pulse after a first delay period of the first electrical pulse; and
upon a determination that the second received current did not exceed the first predetermined threshold, the first processor further configured to increase the first delay period to determine a second delay period.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the computer is further configured to:
calculate a first firing delay using the first time and the first firing time and associate the first firing delay with the first amount of current;
calculate a second firing delay using the second time and the second firing time and associate the second firing delay with the second amount of current; and
generate a report indicating the first firing delay, the first amount of current, the second firing delay, and the second amount of current.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first processor is further configured to determine whether the received current generated a temperature exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein exceeding the predetermined threshold indicates that a squib would have fired.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second microcontroller in communication with the computer and a second firing point, the second microcontroller comprising a third clock that is synchronized with the first clock and the second clock and the second microcontroller configured to communicate a second electrical pulse to the second firing point.

7. A squib simulation method comprising:
receiving first electrical pulse information for a first electrical pulse from a computer, the first electrical pulse information comprising:
first time information indicating a first time to communicate the first electrical pulse to a first firing point; and
first current information indicating a first amount of current in the first electrical pulse;

generating the first electrical pulse at the first time, the first electrical pulse having the first amount of current;
communicating the first electrical pulse to a first processor;
receiving the first electrical pulse;
determining a first received current indicating a current received at the first firing point;
determining whether the first received current exceeds a first predetermined threshold necessary to ignite a first squib of a first squib type;
upon a determination that the first received current exceeds the first predetermined threshold, determining a first firing time based on the first received current, the first firing time indicating a time that the first squib would have fired if receiving the first received current; and
determining whether the first received current generated a temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature threshold, wherein exceeding the predetermined temperature threshold indicates that a squib would have fired.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
generating a second electrical pulse at a second time, the second electrical pulse having a second amount of current, the second amount of current different than the first amount of current;
receiving the second electrical pulse;
determining a second received current indicating a current received in response to the second electrical pulse;
determining whether the second received current exceeds the first predetermined threshold; and
upon a determination that the second received current exceeds the first predetermined threshold, determining a second firing time based on the second received current, the second firing time indicating a time that a second squib would have fired if receiving the second received current.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
communicating the second electrical pulse after a first delay period of the first electrical pulse; and
upon a determination that the second received current did not exceed the predetermined threshold, increasing the first delay period to determine a second delay period.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
calculating a first firing delay using the first time and the first firing time and associate the first firing delay with the first amount of current;
calculating a second firing delay using the second time and the second firing time and associate the second firing delay with the second amount of current; and
generating a report indicating the first firing delay, the first amount of current, the second firing delay, and the second amount of current.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising synchronizing a first clock and a second clock, wherein the first clock facilitates determining the first time and the second clock facilitates determining the first firing time.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising synchronizing a third clock with the first clock and the second clock.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a memory storing software, the software when executed by one or more processing units operable to:
receive first electrical pulse information for a first electrical pulse from a computer, the first electrical pulse information comprising:
first time information indicating a first time to communicate the first electrical pulse to a first firing point; and
first current

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Wangerin Caleb P

Classifications

• F42C21/00 Primary

  Checking fuzes; Testing fuzes · CPC title

• F42C11/00

  Electric fuzes ({in combination with other fuzes F42C9/14}; proximity fuzes F42C13/00; {safety or arming effected by electric means F42C15/40; electric contact parts for fuzes F42C19/06}; electric igniters F42C19/12, {F42B3/12 - F42B3/18; optical initiators F42B3/113}) · CPC title

• F42C11/06 Primary

  with time delay by electric circuitry · CPC title