Disclosed are a solenoid actuator and a multi-stage solenoid actuator for transmitting a constant force. The solenoid actuator includes a tubular solenoid, a power unit capable of applying current to the solenoid, and a magnetic pair member having two magnetic members providing magnetic fields formed such that respective first poles thereof face each other and respective second poles thereof different from the first poles are located at both distal ends, and extending through the tub of the solenoid. The multi-stage solenoid actuator includes a solenoid assembly where at least two tubular solenoids are regularly aligned such that inner spaces of the tubes of the solenoids are arranged in series, a power unit capable of individually applying current to each solenoid of the solenoid assembly, at least one magnetic pair moveable unit having two magnetic members providing magnetic fields formed such that respective first poles thereof face each other and respective second poles thereof different from the first poles are located at both distal ends, and extending through the tub of the solenoid assembly, and a controller for determining and controlling a solenoid to receive the current from the power unit depending on a position of the magnetic pair moveable unit.

A device for the command and control of the electric power supply of windings of an electromagnetic actuator, comprising a plurality of electronic means configured to receive at the input either a direct current feeding voltage or alternatively an alternating current feeding voltage and to generate at the output a first digital command signal triggering an activation phase of the electromagnetic actuator in which at least one of the windings is powered, for a first predefined and adjustable time interval, with an activation current, a second digital command signal triggering a maintenance phase of the electromagnetic actuator in which the windings are powered with a maintenance current having an intensity lower than the activation current, and a third digital command signal triggering a third phase of deactivation of the electromagnetic actuator in which the power supply of the windings is interrupted for a second predefined and adjustable time interval.

A system may include an armature configured to move between a first position that electrically couples the armature to a first contact and a second position that electrically couples the armature to a second contact. The system may also include a coil configured receive a current, such that the current conducting in the coil is configured to magnetize a core. The magnetized core may cause the armature to move from the first position to the second position. The system may also include a control system configured to detect a position of the armature based on an inductance of the coil.

Disclosed herein are reluctance actuators and methods for feedback control of their applied force. Embodiments of the reluctance actuators include an electromagnet positioned to deflect a metallic plate to provide a haptic output. The control of the force is provided without force sensors (sensorless control) by monitoring voltage and/or current (V/I) applied during an actuation. For a given intended force output, an electrical parameter value (flux, current, or other parameter) is read from a look up table (LUT). The LUT may store a present value of the inductance of the reluctance actuator. The feedback control may be a quasi-static control in which the LUT is updated after actuation based on the monitored V/I. The feedback control may be real-time, with a controller comparing an estimated electrical parameter value based on the measured V/I with the value from the LUT.

The invention relates to a method for detecting a hardware configuration of an on-board device in an aircraft, capable of receiving as input a setpoint current (Ic), and of producing as output a response current (I), the method comprising the following steps: a) Send, to the input of the device, a setpoint current (Ic) at a given time (t.sub.0); b) Measure one or more values of the response current (I) at the output of the device in a measurement-time interval defined between two instants (t.sub.1 and t.sub.2) after the initial instant (t.sub.0); c) Infer the hardware configuration of the device, doing so from one or more values of the response current (I) measured.

The present disclosure provides a coil driving device comprising: an input voltage sensing unit for sensing an input voltage; a switch unit configured to make a switching operation to supply a driving current to a coil; a PWM circuit unit for outputting a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for the switching operation of the switch unit; an impedance adjustment unit for varying an impedance value such that the PWM signal is adjusted, thereby limiting the driving current; and a control unit for causing the impedance adjustment unit to vary the impedance value on the basis of the input voltage, thereby adjusting at least one of the duty ratio of the PWM signal and the frequency thereof.

Methods and systems for operating an on-off valve coupled to a system for regulating a system parameter are described herein. The method comprises setting an upper limit on a duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for controlling the valve, generating the PWM signal with the duty cycle less than or equal to the upper limit and applying the PWM signal to the valve, monitoring the system parameter as the PWM signal is applied, and increasing the upper limit on the duty cycle over time until the system parameter reaches a target.

A structure for closing an actuator in a magnetically actuated switch assembly, where the actuator includes an armature and a winding, and the switch assembly includes a manual actuation device coupled to one end of the armature and a movable terminal in a vacuum interrupter coupled to an opposite end of the armature. The structure includes commencing a closing operation of the actuator using the manual actuation device to move the armature towards a closed latch position, detecting that the actuator is being manually closed, and energizing the winding to assist moving the armature to the closed latch position when the armature gets to a predetermined distance from the closed latch position.

The semiconductor device controls the first circuit for supplying/stopping the current supplied by a DC power supply to the latching solenoid consisting of a coil and a movable iron core and a permanent magnet, the current is measured based on the input from the current detection circuit. The semiconductor device includes a control circuit having a low power dissipation mode in which the leakage current is reduced, and a normal operation mode. The control circuit maintains the low power consumption mode when no current is flowing through the coil, when a current is flowing through the coil maintains the normal operation mode, further, the movable iron core It comprises a control circuit configured to detect the inflection point of the current detected by the current detection circuit when leaving the permanent magnet.

A solenoid valve diagnostic apparatus includes a plurality of solenoid valves that open or close an entrance/exit opening of a fuel tank, a current sensor that measures an operating current of the solenoid valves, and a controller that diagnoses whether the solenoid valves fail, based on the operating current measured by the current sensor.