Pepperl + Fuchs Gmbh

Pepperl+fuchs Se

Friedrich Fuess

Werner Bansemir

Thomas Lebkuecher

Daniel Saulheimer

For providing a very simple and reliable monitoring of the functionality of contacts together with a high flexibility of selection of the contacts a method for monitoring the functionality of redundantly interconnected contacts is provided, preferably within a load current circuit, wherein said n contacts, n=2, provide an electrical connection between a power supply and a load, wherein said n contacts are switchable by a controller and wherein each of said n contacts is designed for providing the electrical connection between the power supply and the load all alone. The method is characterized in that the controller switches on said n contacts during n subsequent activations according to a defined schedule according to which at the first of said n subsequent activations one of said n contacts is switched on first and the remaining n&#x2212;1 contacts are switched on afterwards, so that a verification regarding the functionality of said one of said n contacts is possible, and according to which at each of the n&#x2212;1 remaining subsequent activations a further one of said n contacts is switched on first with switching on of the remaining n&#x2212;1 contacts afterwards, so that after said n subsequent activations each of said n contacts has once been switched on first and a verification regarding the functionality of each of said n contacts is possible. Further, a corresponding method for subsequent deactivations and corresponding apparatuses are provided.

Methods and apparatuses for monitoring the functionality of redundantly interconnected contacts

The invention relates to a receiving socket for receiving and making contact with an electronic module () comprising an electronic circuit () which is electrically connected to a first contact tongue () and to a second contact tongue (). The receiving socket comprises a first electrical contact area () for making contact with the first contact tongue () of the module, a second electrical contact area () for making contact with the second contact tongue () of the module and a contact element () which electrically connects the first contact area () to the second contact area () for the purpose of transferring an electrical signal when the module is removed. The first contact tongue () of the module can be received between the first electrical contact area () and the contact element (). The second contact tongue () of the module can be received between the second electrical contact area () and the contact element ().

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Dannstadt-Schauernheim, Germany

Friedrich Fuess