Fault-tolerant sensing and monitoring communications bus system for agricultural applications

摘要

An agricultural communication system is provided that enables sensor-to-sensor link communications of peripheral farming devices (planters, fertilizer or pesticide applicators, etc.) so as to enhance diagnostics for locating system faults and blockages. The system also provides a means to operate with single-faults present with real-time diagnostics to the operator. The point-to-point communications also facilitates simplified installation by automatically determining the sensor addressing based on the physical connection of the sensors. Since the sensor-to-sensor daisy chain bus system is self-configuring there is no dependency on the sensor manufacturing data or sequential installation procedure to define the sensor address as required in other prior art systems. A dual power supply from each end of the looped bus with independent switching provides operation in the presence of single-faults, and a diagnostic mode combined with sensor power supply voltage measurements provides fault location.

主权项

1. A fault tolerant monitoring and communication system comprising:
at least one peripheral electronic control unit (ECU) adapted to monitor product output from a product dispensing unit; at least one master control module adapted to communicate with the at least one peripheral electronic control unit, wherein the at least one master control module further includes sensor loop diagnostics; a control area network (CAN) communications bus configured to interconnect the at least one peripheral ECU with the at least one master module; and a first plurality of sensor units forming a sensor loop configured and operatively connected in a daisy chain loop configuration and then operatively coupled to the at least one master module, each of said sensor units within the loop being connected to a ground line and to a power bus or source on either end of the daisy chain loop in the monitoring system, each of said sensor units further connected at a first end of the sensor loop with a first communication line and connected at a second end of the sensor loop with a second communication line so as to have dual communication with the loop of sensors and individual communication lines between each sensor unit, wherein power to and communication between each of the sensor units is maintained upon occurrence of one of a power loss or a communication line loss on the first or second end of the sensor loop, and wherein the sensor loop diagnostics of the at least one master control module provides a location of a wiring fault, power or communications of a plurality of sensor loops having a fault in the one of the power and communication lines in the at least one sensor loop.