COIL AND COIL DRIVER CONTROL APPARATUS

摘要

Apparatus (10) for monitors and protects a plurality of contactor coils (14A-E) and coil drivers (16A-E) from damage owing to short circuits, and prevents the concurrent energization of more than a preselected number of the coils (14A-E). Included is a monitor (84) for sensing the total current flowing through the plurality of coils (14A-E) and supplying a variable current signal in response to a magnitude of the sensed total current, and a control (85) for receiving the variable current signal and controlling the energization of the coils (14A-E) in response to the magnitude of the current signal. By monitoring and controlling the energization of the plurality of coils (14A-E) damage due to excessive current flow through the coils (14A-E) is avoided and the number of concurrently energized coils (14A-E) is limited to the preselected number.