POSITION INDICATION SYSTEM

摘要

A position indication system for displaying the position of a movable element with respect to fixed known coordinates. A plurality of sensors, individually responsive to the elements pressence, are arranged in two groups along the path of movement of the movable element in an interleaved array of alternate sensors of the corresponding groups. The two groups of sensors are responsive to the element's position to respectively provide discrete outputs indicative thereof. A control circuit combines the respective discrete outputs into a display output representative of the element's position. The control circuit additionally monitors the separate discrete outputs for malfunctions and dissociates either group exhibiting a malfunction from representation within the display output so that the display output is indicative of only functioning groups of sensors. The display output activates individual lights within a display unit which provides a pictorial display of the element's position. Each light within the display corresponds to a center location between sensors within the interleaved array. The presence of a given portion of the movable element within that center location is indicated by the lighting of a corresponding lamp. Means associated with the control circuit is responsive to a malfunction indicated thereby to align the display output to alternately flash two adjacent lights within the display unit corresponding to the centers on either side of the sensor within the malfunctioning group most nearly proximate the given portion of the element so as to both indicate a malfunction and provide information on the element's location with substantially equal plus or minus deviation.