An energy storage apparatus 20 includes: energy storage devices B1 to B4; a cutoff switch 40 that cuts off current of the energy storage device; a parallel circuit 70 including a rectifier element 75 in which a discharge direction is set to a forward direction, the parallel circuit 70 being connected in parallel to the cutoff switch 40; a first current sensor 50 that measures the current of the energy storage devices B1 to B4; a discharge circuit 90 that discharges an inspection current to the first current sensor 50 through a discharge path including the parallel circuit 70 using the energy storage device as a power source; and a controller 80. The controller 80 determines whether the first current sensor 50 correctly measures the current based on a measurement value of the inspection current Ib.

A vehicle management system (VMS) computer includes a power distribution controller that includes a plurality of power distribution circuits that are each controlled by the controller to supply power to end component loads. The power distribution controller is communicably coupled to a data processing system by a bus. The VMS computer also includes a plurality of settable circuit breakers, wherein each of the plurality of settable circuit breakers corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of power distribution circuits. The power distribution controller is configured to monitor various values such as voltages, currents, powers, power spikes, and interruptions and to interrupt a respective one of the plurality of power distribution circuits via a settable circuit breaker upon detecting an indication of a fault from the monitored values.

A method for determining whether an electric insulation of a conductor is sufficient, comprising switching on or off a resistive load between the conductor and ground, measuring a first voltage value u, of a resulting voltage U.sub.m between the conductor and ground at a first point in time t, after switching on or off the load, determining if the first voltage value u, fulfils a first condition, and/or determining an initial rate of change of the resulting voltage U.sub.m between the conductor and ground based on the first voltage value ui, and determining if the initial rate of change fulfils a second condition, determining that the electric insulation is sufficient when at least one of the first and second conditions is fulfilled.

An impedance measurement system configured to measure impedance of a measurement target capable of supplying power to an electrical load device includes one or more processors and one or more memories. The one or more processors are configured to perform a process including: acquiring data about output power from the measurement target when an alternating current signal of at least one frequency is superimposed on the output power; calculating impedance at the at least one frequency with data about an exclusion period when waveform distortion of the output power is detected being excluded; and in a case where how many times the data about the exclusion period is excluded at a certain frequency is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, changing of a setting of an operating condition of an electronic device coupled to the measurement target or the electrical load device.

Systems and methods for determining a fault in an electronic controller. The system includes a first electronic controller, a second electronic controller, and a remote electronic controller. The second electronic controller executes a diagnostic service routine configured to access a restricted section of a memory associated with the first electronic controller, receives a failure code from the restricted section of the memory associated with the first electronic controller, generates a logging file including the failure code, and sends the logging file to the remote electronic controller. The remote electronic controller determines a fault in the first electronic controller based upon the logging file.

A power management system is disclosed for managing power in a vehicle. The system may include a power distribution unit (PDU) communicably coupled to a power controller unit located in the vehicle. The power controller unit comprises a microcontroller configured to: receive, from the PDU, a temperature value that indicates a temperature of the PDU, one or more voltage values from the one or more voltage sensors, or one or more current values from the one or more current sensors, perform a determination that the temperature value, the one or more voltage values, or the one or more current values are below one or more of their respective pre-determined threshold values, and send, after the determination, a health status message to a computer located in the vehicle, where the health status message indicates that the PDU is operating in a safe operating condition.

Devices and systems for determining an alternator condition in a motor vehicle are provided. The method includes performing a plurality of micro wakeups to capture voltage values during a cranking event, determining the maximum cranking voltage and its timestamp, detecting an ignition signal, determining the maximum device voltage and its timestamp, and determining a potential alternator undercharging condition if a duration between the maximum cranking voltage timestamp and the maximum device voltage timestamp is greater than an undercharging indicator duration threshold. Advantageously, an alternator may be repaired or replaced before it fails thus averting having the motor vehicles inoperable.

Methods and systems to determine a presence or absence of engine misfire or spark plug fouling are presented. In one example, rates of change in engine speed are arranged in engine data blocks and root mean square values for the rates of change in engine speed are determined. The presence or absence of engine misfire or spark plug fouling may be based at least in part on the root mean square values.

When a battery is insufficiently charged to allow ohmic testing of its condition, a charging source is connected to the battery, and a charge-acceptance test is performed to determine whether the battery is simply discharged but otherwise usable or beyond its useful service life.

A diagnostic system includes a fan control circuit coupled to an electric fan and a microcontroller, and a sense line coupled to the fan control circuit and the microcontroller. The fan control circuit outputs a fan command sense signal at a duty cycle through the sense line to the microcontroller. A tachometer generates a tachometer signal at a frequency indicative of the rotational speed of the electric fan. A fan tachometer circuit receives the tachometer signal and outputs the tachometer sense signal at a frequency to the microcontroller in response to the tachometer signal. The microcontroller sets a second diagnostic flag to an error value indicating that the sense line has impaired operation if the frequency of the tachometer sense signal is within a desired frequency range, and a first diagnostic flag is equal to a first error value.