Backup control for solid state power controller (SSPC)

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more electrical loads;

one or more solid state switching devices, each configured to perform power switching functions for a respective electrical load of the one or more electrical loads, wherein each of the one or more solid state switching devices has a power switching function;

a supervisory controller configured to issue commands to control the power switching functions of the one or more solid state switching devices;

a nonvolatile memory device configured to store default commands, thereby providing a backup control circuit for the power switching functions of the one or more solid state switching devices; and

a monitor device to determine whether or not the supervisory controller is functioning properly,

wherein each electrical load is controlled in a desired state and wherein the default commands may either correspond to the commands most recently issued from the supervisory controller to the one or more solid state switching devices during normal mode, or correspond to a predetermined risk-abating configuration for the one or more solid state switching devices, such that the one or more solid state switching devices are locked into either an existing configuration, or a known safe configuration, when the supervisory controller is not functioning properly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more solid state switching devices perform the power switching functions according to a normal mode or backup mode, such that:

in normal mode, the one or more solid state switching devices perform the power switching functions in accordance with commands issued by the supervisory controller, and

in backup mode, the one or more solid state switching devices perform the default commands stored in the nonvolatile memory device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more solid state switching devices operate according to backup mode in response to the following conditions:

detection of a fault with respect to the supervisory controller; and

external initiation of the backup mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the default commands correspond to the commands most recently issued from the supervisory controller to the one or more solid state switching devices during normal mode, such that the one or more solid state switching devices are locked into an existing configuration when the backup mode is initiated.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the default commands correspond to a predetermined risk-abating configuration for the one or more solid state switching devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the supervisory controller transmits default commands to the nonvolatile memory device,

the nonvolatile memory device is enabled to receive and store the default commands transmitted by the supervisory controller during normal operation of the supervisory controller, and

the nonvolatile memory device is disabled from receiving and storing the transmitted default commands when a fault is detected with respect to the supervisory controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein

the nonvolatile memory device comprises a digital potentiometer,

the digital potentiometer includes a register for each power switching channel, each said register being configured to store a default command for a power switching channel corresponding to said register.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

a monitor device for monitoring the status of the supervisory controller and issuing a status signal in response to the monitoring,

wherein the non-volatile memory device includes a transceiver interfaced to the supervisory controller, the transceiver being configured to receive the status signal,

the transceiver is configured to allow transmission of default commands from the supervisory controller to the nonvolatile memory device when the status signal from the monitor device indicates normal operation of the supervisory controller, and

transceiver is configured to block transmission of default commands from the supervisory controller to the nonvolatile memory device when the status signal from the monitor device indicates a detected fault with respect to the supervisory controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the digital potentiometer is further configured to read and transmit stored default commands from the nonvolatile memory device to the supervisory controller through the transceiver in response to an instruction signal from the supervisory controller.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a serial bus connecting the supervisory controller to the digital potentiometer through the transceiver, the serial bus being configured to transmit default commands between the supervisory controller and the digital potentiometer through the transceiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a monitor device configured to enable online testing of the backup control circuit.

12. A power distribution apparatus assembled on a circuit board, comprising:

a circuit board;

a supervisory controller configured to issue commands and located on the circuit board;

a nonvolatile memory device configured to store default commands thereby forming a backup control circuit and located on the circuit board;

a monitor device to determine whether or not the supervisory controller is functioning properly; and

one or more solid state switching devices, each configured to perform power switching functions for a respective electrical load, and located on the circuit board;

wherein

during normal operation, the one or more solid state switching devices perform the power switching functions in accordance with the commands issued by the supervisory controller, and

in response to a fault detection of the supervisory controller, the one or more solid state switching devices perform the power switching functions in accordance with the default commands stored in the nonvolatile memory;

and wherein the default commands may either correspond to the commands most recently issued from the supervisory controller to the one or more solid state switching devices during normal mode, or correspond to a predetermined risk-abating configuration for the one or more solid state switching devices, such that the one or more solid state switching devices are locked into either an existing configuration, or a known safe configuration, when the supervisory controller is not functioning properly.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of solid state switching devices corresponding to a plurality of power switching channels,

wherein the nonvolatile memory device is a digital potentiometer with a plurality of registers, each register being configured to store a default command for a corresponding one of the power switching channels.

14. A secondary electric power distribution system (SEPDS) with backup functionality, comprising:

a local microprocessor for issuing power switching commands in accordance with instructions from an external master controller;

a non-volatile memory device configured to receive the power switching commands issued by the local microprocessor;

a monitor device configured to enable storing of the received power switching commands in the non-volatile memory device during a normal mode, and

disable storing of the received power switching commands in the non-volatile memory during a backup mode;

enable online testing of the backup control circuit; and

one or more solid state switching devices, each configured to: obtain power switching commands issued by the local microcontroller during the normal mode,

obtain power switching commands stored in the non-volatile memory device during the backup mode, and

selectively switch power on and off for a corresponding electrical load in accordance with the obtained power switching commands, such that each corresponding electrical load is controlled in a desired state when the supervisory controller is not functioning properly.