Patent ID: 8278938

Claim:
A source device for use with electrical wire, the source device comprising: a line side input configured to connect to a line side power source and receive an electrical power signal from the line side power source; a flat wire connection configured to connect to an electrical flat wire, the electrical flat wire comprising a plurality of conductors arranged in a stacked configuration; at least one relay configured to control the communication of the electrical power signal onto the electrical flat wire; and a control unit configured to (i) direct the communication of at least one test signal onto at least one conductor of the electrical flat wire, (ii) monitor one or more of the other conductors of the electrical flat wire for one or more return signals, (iii) determine, based at least in part on the monitoring, whether a short exists between adjacent conductors of the electrical flat wire, and (iv) control, based at least in part on the determination, the actuation of the at least one relay.