Method and apparatus for providing early warning of extraction of module under power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939482-B2
Application number	US-201414577521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus includes a connector configured to be electrically coupled to electrical circuitry. The connector has multiple pins, including one or more first pins and one or more second pins. The one or more second pins longer than the one or more first pins. The apparatus also includes a signal generator configured to detect disconnection of the one or more first pins prior to disconnection of the one or more second pins and generate a signal in response to detecting the disconnection of the one or more first pins. The connector could also include one or more third pins longer than the one or more second pins. The first pin(s) can create an electrical path from the signal generator to ground, the second pin(s) can provide a supply voltage to the electrical circuitry, and the third pin(s) can electrically couple the electrical circuitry to ground.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a connector configured to be electrically coupled to electrical circuitry, the connector comprising:
multiple pins including (i) ground pins configured to be electrically connected to ground and (ii) one or more supply pins, the one or more supply pins longer than the ground pins, the ground pins including a first ground pin and a second ground pin; and
a signal generator coupled to the first ground pin and configured to:
detect, through the first ground pin, disconnection of the second ground pin from a second short pin receiver while both (i) the first ground pin remains connected to a first short pin receiver and (ii) the one or more supply pins remain connected to one or more long pin receivers; and
generate a signal in response to detecting the disconnection of the second ground pin from the second short pin receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector further comprises one or more third pins that are longer than the one or more supply pins.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the ground pins are configured to create an electrical path from the signal generator to ground;
the one or more supply pins are configured to provide a supply voltage to the electrical circuitry; and
the one or more third pins are configured to electrically couple the electrical circuitry to ground.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the one or more supply pins and the one or more third pins are configured to remain electrically connected to the electrical circuitry in order to temporarily supply electrical power to the electrical circuitry after the disconnection of the second ground pin from the second short pin receiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the one or more supply pins comprise multiple supply pins; and
the one or more third pins comprise multiple third pins.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the ground pins are configured to create an electrical path that repeatedly travels to and from a module containing the electrical circuitry.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the ground pins, supply pins, and third pins are interleaved in the connector.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal generator is configured to generate one or more pulses in response to detecting the disconnection of the second ground pin from the second short pin receiver.

9. A method comprising:
detecting, by a signal generator coupled to a first ground pin, a disconnect event associated with a connector that is electrically coupled to electrical circuitry, the connector comprising multiple pins including (i) the first ground pin and a second ground pin configured to be electrically connected to ground and (ii) one or more supply pins, the one or more supply pins longer than the ground pins; and
generating, by the signal generator, a signal in response to detecting the disconnect event;
wherein the disconnect event is detected by the signal generator through the first ground pin in response to disconnection of the second ground pin from a second short pin receiver while both (i) the first ground pin remains connected to a first short pin receiver and (ii) the one or more supply pins remain connected to one or more long pin receivers.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the connector further comprises one or more third pins that are longer than the one or more supply pins.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the ground pins create an electrical path to ground, the electrical path used to detect the disconnect event;
the one or more supply pins provide a supply voltage to the electrical circuitry; and
the one or more third pins electrically couple the electrical circuitry to ground.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more supply pins and the one or more third pins remain electrically connected to the electrical circuitry in order to temporarily supply electrical power to the electrical circuitry after the disconnection of the second ground pin from the second short pin receiver.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the one or more supply pins comprise multiple supply pins; and
the one or more third pins comprise multiple third pins.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ground pins create an electrical path that repeatedly travels to and from a module containing the electrical circuitry, the electrical path used to detect the disconnect event.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ground pins, supply pins, and third pins are interleaved in the connector.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the signal comprises generating one or more pulses in response to detecting the disconnection of the second ground pin from the second short pin receiver.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
resetting the electrical circuitry in response to the signal.

18. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
disconnecting a module containing the electrical circuitry without disrupting an industrial process control and automation system.

19. An apparatus comprising:
a connector configured to be electrically coupled to electrical circuitry, the connector comprising multiple pins including first and second ground pins; and
a signal generator coupled to the first ground pin and configured to:
detect, through the first ground pin, a disconnection of the second ground pin from a second short pin receiver while both (i) the first ground pin remains connected to a first short pin receiver and (ii) a supply subset of the pins remain connected to one or more long pin receivers; and
generate a signal in response to detecting the disconnection of the second ground pin from the second ground pin receiver;

wherein the connector comprises multiple portions, each portion of the connector configured to disconnect at least one of the pins while leaving remaining pins connected.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein:
the multiple portions of the connector are physically coupled to each other; and
each portion of the connector holds at least one of the pins.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first ground pin is configured to couple to the first short pin receiver in a system backplane;
the second ground pin is configured to couple to the second short pin receiver in the system backplane;
a third ground pin is configured to couple to a third short pin receiver in the system backplane;
the first short pin receiver and the third short pin receiver are connected in the system backplane; and
the second short pin receiver is connected to ground in the system backplane.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Flay Dustin

Classifications

• G01R31/66

  Testing of connections, e.g. of plugs or non-disconnectable joints (testing for incorrect line connections G01R31/55) · CPC title

• G01R31/69 Primary

  of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances · CPC title

• H01R2201/20

  for testing or measuring purposes · CPC title

• G01R31/045 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01R31/54

  Testing for continuity · CPC title