EXTERNAL LIGHTING CASCADE MONITORING METHOD Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: electrical engineering. SUBSTANCE: method involves shaping of monitoring pulse at end of last section of cascade with constant repetition rate. Cascade operation is monitored at all ON-stations and monitoring pulses at beginning of cascade section are recorded. Monitoring pulses are shaped at all ON-stations; if fault is detected at ON-station or absence of monitoring pulses is revealed at cascade section, fault detected and number of ON-station are encoded in monitoring pulse. If no fault is detected in ON-station, monitoring pulse translates content of monitoring pulse received at beginning of cascade section. At end of each cascade section, voltage across control wire of second channel is checked and voltage presence across this wire is encoded in monitoring pulse. Data on monitoring pulse voltage is checked for compliance with voltage across control wire of second channel at beginning of cascade section. In case voltages at beginning and end of cascade section do not agree, fault of "OPEN CIRCUIT" type is recorded at control wire of second channel. EFFECT: enlarged monitoring range, in particular, provision for checking second-channel control wire for continuity while it is alive. 2 cl, 3 dwg