Patent ID: 7948216

Claim:
A control apparatus which controls power generation of an electric generator and communicates with an external control apparatus, the control apparatus comprising: a control circuit that controls the power generation of the electric generator according to a command signal transmitted from the external control apparatus; means for resetting the control circuit; and means for informing the external control apparatus of a power generation condition of the electric generator by transmitting a condition signal, the condition signal indicating both the power generation condition of the electric generator and information on whether a reset of the control circuit is made by the resetting means, wherein the informing means transmits the condition signal in a cycle of less than a half of a time constant of field current supplied to the electric generator, and wherein when a reset of the control circuit is made by the resetting means, the informing means sets a reset flag to a first value, cyclically transmits for a predetermined time period the condition signal which represents the first value of the reset flag, and then sets the reset flag to a second value, the first value of the reset flag indicating that a reset of the control circuit is made, the second value of the reset flag indicating that no reset of the control circuit is made, the predetermined time period being longer than at least twice the cycle in which the condition signal is transmitted.