Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring signal processing units for sensors which detect the individual process control quantities or process measured values of a process. In order to improve the reliability of the sensor data of a vehicle, an at least redundant processing of the sensor data is carried out in two identical signal processing units (43, 31, 46; 44, 32, 45), which each have, independently and separately from the other, at least two processing devices (43, 44) in two evaluation devices (31, 32), whereby the sensor data are transmitted between the one processing device (43, 44) and the corresponding evaluation device (31, 32) through separate signal lines (60, 61).

Abstract: The invention relates to an offset regulation device for a sensor module and a method for realizing such an offset regulation, particularly for acceleration sensors and pressure sensors. The disadvantage of currently used offset regulation devices is that impermissible offset drifts or other errors are not recognized and are camouflaged by the offset regulation device. As a result, the measuring values can be distorted. The offset regulation device according to the invention comprises a monitoring device that is integrated into the offset regulation device and which recognizes and indicates such errors. This monitoring device comprises an analog or digital adder, which detects the deviation of the actual value from the desired value or values depending thereon. If the regulation takes too long because the deviation is too large and the offset is therefore not permissible, then a maximum or minimum value is reached during the adding up in the adder.

Abstract: Various devices are known for positioning and aligning direction-sensitive components. It is a disadvantage with these devices that either additional mechanical aids are required or in each case only one component is aligned and positioned in the housing. In the device according to the invention, a movable or elastic printed circuit board is attached to a housing which is shaped in such a way that the direction-sensitive components, modules or function groups affixed to the printed circuit board are positioned and aligned. With this device, even more than one direction-dependent component can be positioned in a housing by simple means and at low cost.

Abstract: A piezoelectric acceleration transducer characterized by a flexible element formed of a piezoelectric material with two external electrodes, a support member having two plate-type supporting components between which the flexible member is arranged, and a carrier plate to which the support member is mechanically and electrically connected such that the principal axis of sensitivity of the flexible element lies in the same plane as the carrier plate. The supporting components may be formed of a nonconducting material with a electrically conductive coating on the side facing the flexible element and at a point of contact with the carrier base. Alternatively, the supporting components may be made from an electrically conductive material.