One embodiment provides an electronic control unit (ECU) for a vehicle. The ECU includes transceiver circuitry, voltage measurement circuitry and feature set circuitry. The transceiver circuitry is to at least one of send and/or receive a message. The voltage measurement circuitry is to determine at least one of a high bus line voltage (VCANH) value and/or a low bus line voltage (VCANL) value, for each zero bit of at least one zero bit of a received message. The received the message includes a plurality of bits. The feature set circuitry is to determine a value of at least one feature of a feature set based, at least in part, on at least one of a high acknowledge (ACK) threshold voltage (VthH) and/or a low ACK threshold voltage (VthL). The feature set includes at least one of an operating most frequently measured VCANH value (VfreqH2) of a number of VCANH values and/or an operating most frequently measured VCANL value (VfreqL2) of a number of VCANL values.

A first resistor and a second resistor are coupled in series between a voltage source and an active load. When the current drawn by the active load exceeds a current threshold corresponding to a maximum admissible voltage drop across the first resistor, a stabilization current is delivered to the node common to the series coupled first and second resistors in such a way as to stabilize the voltage on the terminals of the active load at a threshold value. In the presence of such a current in excess of the current threshold, the current consumed by the active load is measured from the voltage drop across the second resistor. Conversely, if the current is less than the current threshold, the current consumed by the active load is measured from the voltage drop across the first resistor.

A deposition substance monitoring device of a vacuum pump for rotatably driving a rotor by a motor to exhaust gas, comprises: a state determination section configured to determine whether or not the vacuum pump is in a predetermined exhaust state; and a deposition amount determination section configured to receive a deposition amount indicator for an amount of a deposition substance in the pump to determine as excessive deposition when the deposition amount indicator in the predetermined exhaust state is equal to or greater than an acceptable deposition threshold.

An electric fence monitoring unit and an integrated energizer/monitoring unit with remote control and communication capability using GSM based cellular technology, and a method for the use thereof, is provided. A simple set of commands can be used and sent, such as through text messaging (SMS) or a smartphone application, to control and/or receive information from the monitoring unit including alerts sent to the user in the case of faults or changes in fence loading. The monitoring unit includes a safety mode that uses time dependent voltage detection to detect when a sudden and significant drop in fence voltage has occurred, as may result when an animal becomes trapped or entangled in the fence. When such a large and rapid voltage drop is detected and the safety mode is enabled, the unit automatically de-energizes the electric fence and an alert is sent to the user advising that the fence should be looked at without delay.

A drive circuit includes a primary power supplier which supplies a primary electric power in accordance with a state of the drive circuit, a secondary power supplier which supplies an operation electric power and an excitation electric power, an excitation current supplier which supplies an excitation current to an excitation coil, a power supply monitor which compares the voltage value of the operation electric power with a voltage threshold and outputs monitoring information, and a controller which determines whether a short circuit has occurred in the excitation coil based on the monitoring information, and stops supplying the excitation current if the short circuit has occurred. The voltage threshold is higher than a lowest voltage value with which the controller operates, and the voltage threshold is a voltage value representing that the short circuit has occurred in the excitation coil.

Through-silicon via (TSV) crack sensors for detecting TSV cracks in three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs) (3DICs), and related methods and systems are disclosed. In one aspect, a TSV crack sensor circuit is provided in which doped rings for a plurality of TSVs are interconnected in parallel such that all interconnected TSV doped rings may be tested at the same time by providing a single current into the contacts of the interconnected doped rings. In another aspect, a TSV crack sensor circuit is provided including one or more redundant TSVs. Each doped ring for a corresponding TSV is tested independently, and a defective TSV may be replaced with a spare TSV whose doped ring is not detected to be cracked. This circuit allows for correction of a compromised 3DIC by replacing possibly compromised TSVs with spare TSVs.

A system and approach for a self-calculating test of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning load. The test may be run upon meeting predetermined conditions. Thermostatic control of the load may be disabled when the load test starts. If a call for heat or cool is made at the thermostat, response to the call may be delayed until the load test is completed, and if AC power is lost during the test, the test may finish and allow detection of the phantom AC detection device with a loss of AC power. If a voltage of a storage capacitor falls below a battery boost threshold, the test may be cancelled to allow the phantom circuit charge the storage capacitor. The system and approach may incorporate load test states that include an initialize state, start test state, get baseline state, test measure state, stabilize measurement state, calculation state, and finalize results state.

The present application discloses a detection circuit and a power management system including the detection circuit. The detection circuits include a threshold voltage generation circuit, a voltage-to-current conversion circuit, and a current-type successive approximation quantizer. The voltage-to-current conversion circuit converts an offset voltage of a signal to be detected into a proportional current with respect to a threshold voltage which is generated by the threshold voltage generation circuit. The current-type successive approximation quantizer obtains a comparison result between the signal to be detected and the threshold voltage, or a quantization result of the signal to be detected within a window by quantizing the proportional current. Thus, the circuit structure is simplified and the cost is reduced.

Methods and devices for detecting USB devices attached to a USB charging port including a USB port having a first data line D+, a second data line D, and a power line are disclosed. A USB device is attached to the USB port; applying power to the USB device by the power line; applying a first voltage to the line D+ at the USB port by a first impedance; applying a second voltage to the line D at the USB port by a second impedance. The voltages on the line D+ and the line D are then monitored at the USB port. If the voltage on the line D+ is approximately equal to a first predetermined value for a predetermined period and the voltage on the line D is below a second predetermined value, then the USB device is determined to be of an alpha type device.

A method for operating a power generation system coupled to a power grid during a grid unbalance event, a method for determining an injection current to be supplied into a power grid by a power generation system, and a method for addressing an asymmetric grid fault in a power grid connected to a power generation system are provided. The methods may be carried out based on a reactive or an active power/current priority.