A checking apparatus for checking a number of start-up cycles of a detection device of a motor vehicle includes an electrical switching device for providing an electrical sensor supply for the detection device and includes a contact device for electrically contacting the electrical switching device with the detection device. The electrical switching device has a comparator circuit and, by way of the comparator circuit, a continuous wake up test of the detection device is carried out and thus the number of start cycles is checked.

A method of magnetic sensing uses at least two magnetic sensing elements including a first and a second magnetic sensor element. The method includes: a) measuring in a first configuration a combination of the first and second signal obtained from both sensors; b) measuring in a second configuration an individual signal obtained from the first sensor only; c) testing a consistency of the combined signal and the individual signal, or testing a consistency of signals derived therefrom, in order to detect an error. A sensor device is configured for performing this method. A sensor system includes the sensor device and optionally a second processor connected thereto.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for detecting a failure of a sensor device during operation of the sensor device. A test signal is generated in a first frequency band that is above a signal frequency band of the sensor device and fed into a sensor element of the sensor device. A set of samples is obtained, and a magnitude value is derived from said at least two consecutive samples at the first frequency band. The magnitude value is compared to a magnitude threshold value that defines a minimum for the magnitude value and if the magnitude value is below the magnitude threshold value, it is determined that an error has occurred in the sensor device.

The validity of sensor data of an Ethernet onboard network in a motor vehicle is checked by: determining a delay time of a first signal on a first connecting path between a first control unit of the Ethernet onboard network and a second control unit of the Ethernet onboard network; determining a maximum speed of the first connecting path on the basis of the delay time; and determining a type of a transmission medium of the first connecting path on the basis of the maximum speed. The following steps are also carried out: identifying at least a first control unit of the Ethernet onboard network, synchronizing at least a first control unit of the Ethernet onboard network, ascertaining the synchronization interval, ascertaining a drift of a timer of the first control unit, ascertaining a timestamp of the first control unit, reading a timestamp of the first control unit.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer program product for enabling multi-point shunt calibration of a sensor device. Multi-point shunt calibration provides at least a first, second, and third simulated calibration output, each simulated calibration output corresponding to an actual reading value and an expected reading value. The simulated calibration outputs are associated with a predefined output sequence, where each simulated calibration output is separated from an adjacent simulated calibration output by an output step size. Some embodiments are configured for automatically outputting each simulated calibration output for a particular period of time before outputting an adjacent simulated calibration output in the predefined output sequence. The various simulated calibration outputs, actual reading values, and/or expected values may be used in determining calibrated reading values for the sensor device.

A sensor test apparatus having excellent versatility is provided. The sensor test apparatus includes a first application unit 40 including a first application device including a socket to which the sensor is electrically connected, and a pressure chamber 43 which applies pressure to the sensor, a test unit which tests the sensor 90 via the socket, a conveying robot which conveys the sensor into and out of the first application unit 40, and an apparatus main body which houses the first application unit 40, the test unit 35 and the conveying robot, and the apparatus main body has an opening which allows the first application unit 40 to be inserted into the apparatus main body and removed from the apparatus main body to an outside.

Described herein are methods and systems for controlling a sensor assembly with a plurality of same type sensors. Sensors are operated in active and inactive states and have a corresponding performance parameter and reliability parameter that may be determined. The activation state of at least one of the sensors is changed based on an operational parameter. The performance parameter and/or the reliability parameter can then be updated.

Methods and apparatuses are provided, in which a magnetic field is measured using a coil in a first operating mode and a magnetic field is generated using the coil in a second operating mode in order to test a further magnetic field sensor.

A magnetic sensor that includes a Hall element; a switch circuit configured to switch a direction of a drive current supplied to the Hall element between a first direction and a second direction; a magnetic field detection circuit configured to execute a detection operation for detecting a target magnetic field acting on the Hall element, based on a first difference between a Hall voltage generated in the Hall element when the drive current is supplied to the Hall element in the first direction and a Hall voltage generated in the Hall element when the drive current is supplied to the Hall element in the second direction; and a test magnetic field generation circuit configured to generate a test magnetic field different from the target magnetic field in a test operation.

A capacitive sensor includes a first electrode structure; a second electrode structure that is counter to the first electrode structure, wherein the second electrode structure is movable relative to the first electrode structure and is capacitively coupled to the first electrode structure to form a capacitor having a capacitance that changes with a change in a distance between the first electrode structure and second electrode structure; a signal generator configured to apply an electrical signal at an input or at an output of the capacitor to induce a voltage transient response at the output of capacitor; and a diagnostic circuit configured to detect a fault in the capacitive sensor by measuring a time constant of the first voltage transient response and detecting the fault based on the time constant and based on whether the first electrical signal is the pull-in signal or the non-pull-in signal.