Multi-channel actuator for driving a low-side device

1 . An actuator, comprising:

a controller configured to:

receive a first command for driving a low-side device; and

output data representative of the first command; and

a driving circuit having a plurality of detection and driving stages that are operative to be coupled to a plurality of channels of the low-side device, respectively, the low-side device being a tower light having four channels that include a first channel for a first light source of the tower light, a second channel for a second light source of the tower light, a third channel for a third light source of the tower light and a fourth channel for a buzzer of the tower light, wherein the driving circuit is configured to:

receive the data representative of the first command; and

cause a detection and driving stage of the plurality of detection and driving stages to drive a respective channel of the low-side device in accordance with the first command.

2 . The actuator of claim 1 , comprising:

a transceiver configured to:

receive a second command over an IO-Link interface;

decode the second command;

generate the first command based on the second command; and

output the first command to the controller.

3 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the detection and driving stage is configured to:

determine whether a respective channel of the low-side device is disconnected from the detection and driving stage; and

in response to determining that the respective channel of the low-side device is disconnected from the detection and driving stage, send, to the controller, data indicating that the respective channel is disconnected from the detection and driving stage.

4 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein:

the detection and driving stage includes:

a transistor, and

the detection and driving stage is configured to:

detect a temperature of the transistor;

determine whether the temperature is greater than a threshold; and

in response to determining that the temperature is greater than the threshold, send a signal to the controller indicating that the temperature is greater than the threshold.

5 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the detection and driving stage is configured to:

receive a supply voltage;

determine whether the supply voltage is below a threshold for the supply voltage; and

in response to determining that the supply voltage is below the threshold, send a signal to the controller indicating that the supply voltage is below the threshold.

6 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of detection and driving stages includes a first detection and driving stage coupled to the first channel and configured to drive the first light source, a second detection and driving stage coupled to the second channel and configured to drive the second light source, a third detection and driving stage coupled to the third channel and configured to drive the third light source and a fourth detection and driving stage coupled to the fourth channel and configured to drive the buzzer.

7 . The actuator of claim 1 , comprising:

a transceiver configured to:

receive a first request to establish communication from an IO-Link compliant system;

decode the first request to establish communication;

send a second request to establish communication to the controller,

wherein:

the controller is configured to:

receive the second request to establish communication; and

in response to receiving the second request to establish communication, send communication parameters to the transceiver, and

wherein the transceiver is configured to send the communication parameters to the IO-Link compliant system.

8 . The actuator of claim 7 , wherein the communication parameters include a communication cycle time, a device identity of the controller or the actuator or a device name of the controller or the actuator.

9 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a controller of an actuator, a first command for driving a low-side device;

outputting, by the controller, data representative of the first command;

receiving, by a driving circuit, the data representative of the first command, wherein the driving circuit has a plurality of detection and driving stages that are operative to be coupled to a plurality of channels of the low-side device, respectively;

causing, by the driving circuit, a detection and driving stage of the plurality of detection and driving stages to drive a respective channel of the low-side device in accordance with the first command, the detection and driving stage including a transistor;

detecting, by the detection and driving stage, a temperature of the transistor;

determining, by the detection and driving stage, whether the temperature is greater than a temperature threshold; and

in response to determining that the temperature is greater than the temperature threshold, sending, by the detection and driving stage, a signal to the controller indicating that the temperature is greater than the temperature threshold.

10 . The method of claim 9 , comprising:

receiving, by a transceiver, a second command over an IO-Link interface;

decode, by the transceiver, the second command;

generating, by the transceiver, the first command based on the second command; and

outputting, by the transceiver, the first command to the controller.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the low-side device is a tower light.

12 . The method of claim 9 , comprising:

determining, by the detection and driving stage, whether a respective channel of the low-side device is disconnected from the detection and driving stage; and

in response to determining that the respective channel of the low-side device is disconnected from the detection and driving stage, sending, to the controller, data indicating that the channel is disconnected from the detection and driving stage.

13 . The method of claim 9 , comprising:

receiving, by the driving stage, a supply voltage;

determining, by the detection and driving stage, whether the supply voltage is below a threshold for the supply voltage; and

in response to determining that the supply voltage is below the threshold for the supply voltage, sending, by the driving stage, a signal to the controller indicating that the supply voltage is below the threshold for the supply voltage.

14 . A system, comprising:

an IO-Link compliant system;

a low-side device; and

an actuator including:

a controller configured to:

receive, from the IO-Link compliant system, a first command for driving the low-side device; and

output data representative of the first command; and

a driving circuit having a plurality of detection and driving stages that are operative to be coupled to a plurality of channels of the low-side device, respectively, wherein the driving circuit is configured to:

receive the data representative of the first command; and

cause a detection and driving stage of the plurality of detection and driving stages to drive a respective channel of the low-side device in accordance with the first command, the detection and driving stage including:

a transistor, and

the detection and driving stage is configured to:

detect a temperature of the transistor;

determine whether the temperature is greater than a threshold; and

in response to determining that the temperature is greater than the threshold, send a signal to the controller indicating that the temperature is greater than the threshold.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the actuator includes:

a transceiver configured to:

receive a second command over an IO-Link interface;

decode the second command;

generate the first command based on the second command; and

output the first command to the controller.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the low-side device is a tower light.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the detection and driving stage is configured to:

determine whether the respective channel of the low-side device is disconnected from the detection and driving stage; and

in response to determining that the respective channel of the low-side device is disconnected from the detection and driving stage, send, to the controller, data indicating that the channel is disconnected from the detection and driving stage.

18 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the low-side device is a relay pump.

19 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the low-side device is a magnetic valve.

20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the low-side device is a tower light having four channels that include a first channel for a first light source of the tower light, a second channel for a second light source of the tower light, a third channel for a third light source of the tower light and a fourth channel for a buzzer of the tower light.