Patent ID: 8896250

Claim:
A method to avoid a single point of failure in a system that includes at least two monitoring devices, at least two power supplies and a switching device coupled between the at least two monitoring devices and the at least two power supplies, the method comprising: performing a test comprising: placing a portion of a machine being monitored by the at least two monitoring devices in a first position; causing the portion to cycle to a second position during a first cycle; measuring a component of electrical power provided by a first power supply of the at least two power supplies while the portion cycles during the first cycle; returning the portion to the first position; causing the portion to cycle to the second position during a second cycle; and measuring a component of electrical power provided by a second power supply of the at least two power supplies during the second cycle; determining whether an amount of the component of electrical power provided by the first power supply during the first cycle or the component of electrical power provided by the second power supply during the second cycle is equal to or less than a minimum value; generating an error code when at least one of the component of electrical power provided by the first power supply during the first cycle and the component of electrical power provided by the second power supply during the second cycle the is equal to or less than a minimum value; and varying a position of one or more switches in the switching device based on the error code.