Patent attributes
A brake system for a motor vehicle comprises a normally closed circuit separation valve such that the system is configured to operate in 1) in a by-wire mode when the circuit separation valve is open, such that pressure only from a pressure chamber of a linear actuator is delivered to both first and second pairs of wheel brakes, and 2) in a circuit separation mode with the circuit separation valve in the normally closed position, such that pressure from a tandem master cylinder is delivered only to the first pair of wheel brakes, and such that pressure from the pressure chamber of the linear actuator is concurrently delivered only to the second pair of wheel brakes. The system can provide braking pressure even in the event of a by-wire braking module leak that causes inoperability of an ECU.