Installation for programmable pyrotechnic shot firing

Abstract

Programmable pyrotechnical firing installation comprising a programming and firing control unit ( 8 ), a programming and control line comprising two conductor wires ( 6 a, 6 b ) and a plurality of electronic detonators ( 4 ) mounted in parallel on this two-wire line, wherein the programming unit ( 8 ) comprises means ( 9, 10 ) for establishing a continuous voltage between the two wires ( 6 a, 6 b ), means ( 9, 10 ) for producing pulses of this voltage so as to form coded signals, and means ( 11, 9 ) for reading the current variations existing on the two-wire line, wherein every detonator comprises an electronic module ( 12 ) that has means ( 14, 17 ) suitable for producing, in response to certain of the coded signals of the programming unit ( 8 ), current pulses in the two-wire line ( 6 a, 6 b ) for forming coded signals.

1 . A programmable pyrotechnical firing installation comprising a programming and firing control unit ( 8 ), a programming and control line comprising two conductor wires ( 6   a,    6   b ) and a plurality of electronic detonators ( 4 ) mounted in parallel on this two-wire line, wherein the programming unit ( 8 ) comprises means ( 9 ,  10 ) for establishing a continuous voltage between the two wires ( 6   a,    6   b ), means ( 9 ,  10 ) for producing pulses of this voltage so as to form coded signals and means ( 11 ,  9 ) for reading the current variations existing on the two-wire line and in that every detonator comprises an electronic module ( 12 ) that has means ( 14 ,  17 ) suitable for producing, in response to certain of the coded signals of the programming unit ( 8 ), current pulses in the two-wire line ( 6   a,    6   b ) for forming coded signals.  
   
   
       2 . A firing installation according to  claim 1 , wherein every electronic detonator module ( 12 ) comprises a switch ( 18 ) of the two-wire line ( 6   a,    6   b ), which normally is open and is closed in response to a signal emitted by the programming unit ( 8 ).