Sensor arrangement for application to at least one data item

• US 20020075162A1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Festo AG & Company KG (Festo GmbH & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Festo AG & Co.
• Inventors: Wagner, Dietmar, Medow, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/006 Intermittent recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/008 with calibration coefficients stored in memory

Abstract

A sensor arrangement for application to at least one data item, and comprising at least one sensitive element connected by way of sensor electronic circuitry having a storage arrangement with an input/output port. This input/output port of the sensor arrangement is able to be connected by a line arrangement having at least three lines, with an external electrical or electronic device with an external electrical device, two lines being adapted for use as power supply lines and at least one third line being adapted for the transmission of sensor signals to the electrical device. By way of an external parametrization means, able to be connected with the at least one sensor signal line, parametrization signals may be supplied to the sensor electronic circuitry in order to parametrize the sensor arrangement by the storage of parametrization values. Accordingly sensor arrangement may be parametrized or re-parametrized fitting without any additional line or wireless transmission path being necessary.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement for application to at least one data item, comprising at least one sensitive element connected by way of sensor electronic circuitry having a storage arrangement with an input/output port, a line arrangement having at least three lines, by means of which the sensor arrangement may be connected with an external electrical or electronic device, two lines being adapted for use as power supply lines and at least one third line being adapted for the transmission of sensor signals to the electrical device, and by way of an external parametrization means, able to be connected with the at least one sensor line, parametrization signals may be supplied to the sensor electronic circuitry in order to parametrize the sensor arrangement by the storage of parametrization values.

2. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein the parametrization device is adapted for the production of a transfer signal, by which the instantaneously present data item is taken over as at least one switching or threshold value in the storage arrangement, the parametrization means preferably being designed in the form of a teach in or short circuit switch.

3. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein the parametrization device is in the form of an input module of the electronic device or as a separate parametrization device.

4. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 3, wherein the parametrization device is provided with a display and with operating controls.

5. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 3, wherein the parametrization device is adapted for the transmission of parametrization signals and more particularly for the setting of switching points, sensor and/or switching functions, sensor and/or switching characteristics, switching times, sensor response thresholds, hysteresis factors or window functions.

6. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor signals are digital signals in the form of at least two different signal levels.

7. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 3, wherein the parametrization signals may be produced in the form of signal sequences and may be modulated onto the respectively present sensor signals.

8. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 7, wherein the signal level of the modulated parametrization signals is so much smaller than the sensor signals that they are negligible for the detection of the sensor signal levels.

9. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 3, wherein for parametrization a set parametrization protocol is utilized alternatingly changing over to one of two directions.

10. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 9, wherein the parametrization protocol includes one start bit able to be checked by the sensor electronic circuitry, means being provided for holding the instantaneous sensor signal for a set detection time.

11. The sensor arrangement as set forth in claim 9, wherein the sensor electronic circuitry includes means for holding the instantaneously existing sensor signal for a predetermined time during parametrization, such predetermined time being larger than a transmission cycle of the parametrization protocol.