Abstract: A hydraulic brake wear detection apparatus and a method for detecting a degree of pad wear of a brake pad of a hydraulic brake includes a caliper piston located at least partially within a caliper cavity and attached to the brake pad. The caliper piston includes a piston cavity extending from a caliper piston rim into a caliper piston body at a location longitudinally opposite, and spaced from, the brake pad. An internal piston is located at least partially within the piston cavity and is entirely enclosed in an internal space defined cooperatively by the piston cavity and the caliper cavity for reciprocal longitudinal motion with respect to the internal space. The internal piston is reciprocated by a predetermined volume of pressurized hydraulic fluid responsive to wear of the brake pad.

Abstract: The reliability of a pressure sensor is improved either by utilization of redundant components. A pair of pressure sensors are mounted upon a single pressure sensor diaphragm. Each of the pressure sensors is connected to one of a pair of signal conditioning circuits. The gain of one of the signal conditioning circuits is a fraction of the gain of the other signal conditioning circuit. The outputs of each of the signal conditioning circuits are compared to a corresponding threshold. If both of the output signals exceed the corresponding threshold, it is determined that a malfunction of the pressure sensor has occured.

Abstract: The reliability of a pressure sensor is improved either by utilization of redundant composants. A pair of pressure sensors are mounted upon a single pressure sensor diaphragm. The pressure signals generated by the pressure sensors are compared and, if the difference between the signals exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that a malfunction of the pressure sensor has ocurred. Alternately, additional diagnostic testing may be included to detect a malfunctioning sensor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided in a manufacturing area wherein a semiconductor having nonvolatile memory space is automatically programmed, tested, marked and mounted at a predetermined position on a circuit board to obtain a programmed electronic control unit (ECU). These functions are performed automatically based on programs downloaded from a common controller such as the appropriately programmed personal computer. A handler conveys the semiconductors loaded in micro tubes to a programming head of a memory programmer for programming and testing the semiconductors. Then the handler conveys the programmed semiconductors to a marker, such as a laser etcher, to mark a surface of the semiconductor with indicia related to a particular ABS system in which the semiconductor is to be used. Then the marked semiconductors are conveyed in a tube adapted to be loaded in an automatic mounting device such as a robot under the control of a robot controller.

Abstract: Method and system for testing components, such as a motor, of a vehicular system capable of controlling the relative slip between a vehicle wheel and a road surface, for functionality prior to performing antilock functions utilizing a progressively increasing energization duty cycle, so as to minimize perception of noise by the vehicle operator by minimizing motor energization duration and minimizing peak motor rotational speed. The method includes energizing the motor successively with a plurality of electrical signals, each electrical signal being applied to the motor for a predetermined period of time and having at least one pulse having a width which is progressively increased with respect to the width of the at least one pulse of the previous electrical signal. Each pulse has a width sufficiently long to permit motor operation to test functionality and yet sufficiently short so that the noise associated with the operating motor during this test is minimized.