Method for detecting an unknown or unmarked slave device such as in an electronic blasting system

1. A method of detecting at least one unidentified electronic detonator in an electronic blasting system including a blasting machine and a plurality of electronic detonators, comprising the following steps:

a) providing each electronic detonator in the electronic blasting system with an identification, pre-loading one or more electronic detonator identifications into the blasting machine, and connecting at least one electronic detonator to the electronic blasting system;

b) after step a), issuing a detection command on the electronic blasting system from the blasting machine; and

c) after step b), issuing a response only from any electronic detonators on the electronic blasting system that have not been identified to the blasting machine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each response from any electronic detonators on the electronic blasting system that have not been identified to the blasting machine includes the responding electronic detonator's identification.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each said response further includes other information pertaining to the electronic detonator.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of said blasting machine issuing a request for other information to any electronic detonators that responded in step c).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein if a electronic detonator responds in step c), step b) is repeated until no electronic detonator responds in step c).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step a) includes the step of connecting a plurality of electronic detonators to the electronic blasting system, and said electronic blasting system and electronic detonators are configured and/or programmed so as to preclude more than one electronic detonator from simultaneously responding in step c).

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein step a) includes the step of logging the identifications of a plurality of electronic detonators.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of setting a detection status flag high in each electronic detonator the identification of which has been logged, wherein said detection status flag high represents a electronic detonator is deemed to have been identified to the blasting machine.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of issuing a clock sequence on the electronic blasting system after issuing said detection command, said clock sequence comprising sequential clock pulses.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of electronic detonators counting said sequential clock pulses.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of setting a detection status flag high in any electronic detonators that responded in step c).

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said sequential clock pulses are correlated to possible identifications of electronic detonators by one or more calculations that include a cyclic redundancy check of identifications of electronic detonators and parameters sent by the blasting machine.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detection command is issued along with data representing the identification of all electronic detonators for which identifications were pre-loaded in the blasting machine in step a), and step c) includes the step of each electronic detonator receiving said detection command checking said data against the identification provided to said electronic detonator in step a).

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step a) includes providing each electronic detonator in the electronic blasting system with an identification residing in a fixed memory in the electronic detonator.

15. A method of detecting unidentified electronic detonators in an electronic blasting system including a blasting machine and a plurality of electronic detonators, comprising the following steps:

a) providing each electronic detonator in the electronic blasting system with an identification, and connecting at least one electronic detonator to the electronic blasting system;

b) after step a), issuing a detection command on the electronic blasting system from the blasting machine;

c) issuing a clock sequence on the electronic blasting system after issuing said detection command, said clock sequence comprising sequential clock pulses correlated to possible identifications of electronic detonators such that each sequential clock pulse corresponds to a different multiplicity of possible identifications; and

d) issuing a response only from any electronic detonators on the electronic blasting system that have not been identified to the blasting machine.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein each response from any electronic detonators on the electronic blasting system that have not been identified to the blasting machine includes the responding electronic detonator's identification.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein each said response further includes other information pertaining to the electronic detonator.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of said blasting machine issuing a request for other information to any electronic detonators that responded in step d).

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein if a electronic detonator responds in step d), step c) is repeated until no electronic detonator responds in step d).

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein step a) includes the step of connecting a plurality of electronic detonators to the electronic blasting system, and said electronic blasting system and electronic detonators are configured and/or programmed so as to preclude more than one electronic detonator from simultaneously responding in step d).

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein step a) includes the step of logging the identifications of a plurality of electronic detonators.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising the step of setting a detection status flag high in each electronic detonator the identification of which has been logged, wherein said detection status flag high represents a electronic detonator is deemed to have been identified to the blasting machine.

23. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of electronic detonators counting said sequential clock pulses.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising the step of setting a detection status flag high in any electronic detonators that responded in step d).

25. The method of claim 15 , wherein said sequential clock pulses are correlated to possible identifications of electronic detonators by one or more calculations that include a cyclic redundancy check of identifications of electronic detonators and parameters sent by the blasting machine.

26. The method of claim 15 , wherein said detection command is issued along with data representing the identification of all electronic detonators, and step d) includes the step of each electronic detonator receiving said detection command checking said data against the identification provided to said electronic detonator in step a).