A machine, such as, an off-highway machine may include steerable front wheels and steerable rear wheels. A driver operating the machine may give commands to steer the front wheels and the rear wheels, by turning a steering wheel positioned in a cab of the machine. The driver may turn the steering wheel to align the rear wheels in the straight-ahead position before changing between steer modes. An example may be from four-wheel steering mode (4WS) to two-wheel steering mode (2WS). Axle alignment may be an additional requirement for the selection of the steer mode. The desired steer mode may be selected only if the required axle alignment is available and confirmed. This is a difficult operation, particularly if the rear wheels are not visible from the driver's normal position in the cab. Hence, the front wheels and the rear wheels may be provided with alignment sensors that communicate with a controller. The alignment sensors indicate whether the respective wheels are in an aligned position in which their axes of rotation are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the machine.
However, the alignment sensor may be susceptible to electromagnetic capability interference (EMC) and electrostatic discharge (ESD). For this purpose, the existing alignment sensor may be coupled to one or more protection components. However, due to exposure to certain manufacturing, finishing, and packing processes, the protection components may become damaged or may not give an optimum output. This may result in damage of the alignment sensor.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds