Facilitating fault detection of a system using a test input including a linear combination of inputs of the system is presented herein. A test signal component generates, via a test procedure, a test input signal including a first linear combination of at least two input signals of the system, and applies the test input signal to the system during a phase of respective phases of the test procedure; and a fault detection component detects a fault of the system based on a test output signal corresponding to the test input signal and a second linear combination of respective output signals of the system corresponding to the at least two input signals.

A method for detecting an error state when aspirating a liquid to identify whether a pre-determined volume of liquid was aspirated. The method including: immersing a tip of an aspiration needle in the liquid, aspirating a predetermined partial volume of the liquid in the aspiration needle, continuously acquiring a sensor signal curve, which indicates a pressure in the aspiration needle, during an overall time period, detecting the error state in the case that the sensor signal falls below a first threshold value during the predetermined time period, characterized by providing a reference signal curve, determining a deviation measure, which indicates a deviation of the sensor signal curve from the reference signal curve during the further time period, providing a predetermined second threshold value, detecting the error state as a function of the deviation measure and the second threshold value.

A fluid supply monitoring system includes a fluid sensor configured to identify a flow rate of a fluid through a supply line. The system comprises a valve configured to control the flow rate through the supply line and a pressure sensor configured to detect a fluid pressure. A controller is configured to receive the flow rate data and identify fluid consumption from the supply line based on the flow rate. The controller is further configured to compare the fluid consumption of a usage event to one of a time limit and a volume limit. In response to the fluid consumption exceeding the time limit or the volume limit, the controller controls the valve to a closed position and identifies a potential fluid leak. With the valve in the closed position, the controller processes a verification procedure that identifies whether the potential fluid leak is an actual fluid leak.

A comparison determination unit of a hydraulic control device determines whether a characteristic abnormality occurs in at least one hydraulic sensor of an output pressure sensor and a lateral pressure sensor by comparing an output pressure detected by the output pressure sensor and a lateral pressure detected by the lateral pressure sensor. An individual determination unit determines whether the characteristic abnormality occurs in the hydraulic sensor as a determination target by individually determining whether the output pressure and the lateral pressure are out of a predetermined range. A characteristic abnormality detection unit determines the hydraulic sensor in which the characteristic abnormality occurs by using each determination result in the comparison determination unit and the individual determination unit.

A method of determining an abnormality of a differential pressure sensor which is configured to detect a pressure differential between an upstream side and a downstream side of an EGR valve provided to an EGR passage of an engine, is provided. The method includes the steps of controlling an opening of the EGR valve based on an output value of the differential pressure sensor, determining the abnormality of the differential pressure sensor based on the output value of the differential pressure sensor, controlling at least a throttle valve of the engine toward a closed side so that the pressure differential is maintained at a given pressure or higher when determining, and prohibiting the execution of the abnormality determination when an engine speed is a given engine speed or higher, and permitting the execution of the abnormality determination when the engine speed is less than the given engine speed.

A pressure sensor comprises a deformable substrate, at least one coil supported by the substrate and responsive to a changing coil drive signal to produce a changing magnetic field, a fluid chamber having a first wall formed by the substrate and a second wall formed by a conductive material and positioned proximate to the at least one coil so that the changing magnetic field produces eddy currents within the conductive material that generate a reflected magnetic field, and at least one magnetic field sensing element configured to detect the reflected magnetic field and produce a signal responsive to a distance between the magnetic field sensing element and the second wall. The substrate is deformable by fluid pressure within the fluid chamber and the deformation of the substrate changes the distance between the magnetic field sensing element and the second wall.

A contamination detector device may compute a cross-sensitivity of a pressure sensor based on an amount of pressure change sensed by the pressure sensor and an amount of acceleration change sensed by an acceleration sensor. The cross-sensitivity of the pressure sensor indicates a measure of sensitivity of the pressure sensor to acceleration. The contamination detector device may determine, based on the cross-sensitivity of the pressure sensor, whether the pressure sensor is contaminated. The contamination detector device may selectively perform a contamination action based on whether the pressure sensor is contaminated.

A sensor module includes an inertial sensor, a storage unit that stores a structural resonance frequency in a detection axis direction of the inertial sensor at a first time point, a resonance frequency measurement unit that measures the structural resonance frequency in the detection axis direction of the inertial sensor at a second time point based on an output signal of the inertial sensor, and an abnormality determination unit that determines that the inertial sensor is abnormal when the structural resonance frequency at the first time point and the structural resonance frequency at the second time point are separated by a predetermined value or more.

A differential pressure measuring arrangement, comprising: a differential pressure measuring transducer; a first differential pressure line supplying the differential pressure measuring transducer with the first media pressure; a second differential pressure line supplying the differential pressure measuring transducer with the second media pressure; a temperature sensor; and a processing and evaluation unit for processing the differential pressure measurement signal and the temperature signal; wherein the processing and evaluation unit is adapted to determine a significant correlation between a change of the temperature signal and the differential pressure signal and to consider such as indication of a plugged differential pressure line and is further adapted to test whether a considered indication of a plugged differential pressure line can be verified based on additional process data, which preferably were not registered by the differential pressure measuring transducer.

Various embodiments include a method comprising: moving a piston toward TDC in successive pump cycles; during the movement, closing an inlet valve by applying current to an electromagnet; generating a pressure signal downstream of the outlet; applying a measurement current to the electromagnet when the inlet valve is closed; while the piston moves away from TDC, detecting an opening position at which an opening movement of the inlet valve begins on the basis of a predetermined change with respect to time of the measurement current; checking whether a value sequence of the ascertained opening positions over multiple pump cycles satisfies a predetermined discrepancy criterion with regard to the sensor signal; and if the discrepancy criterion is satisfied, generating a fault signal relating to the pressure sensor.