Automatable measuring, cleaning and/or calibrating device for electrodes for measuring pH values or redox potentials

• US 20030130805A1
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Endress + Hauser Conducta GmbH + Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Endress + Hauser Conducta GmbH + Co. Kg
• Inventors: Gotz, Berthold, Wittmer, Detlev, Gunzert, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/293,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130805A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/31
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/38 Cleaning of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4165 for pH meters

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatable measuring, cleaning and/or calibrating device for electrodes for measuring pH values or redox potentials, in particular in process technology, with a measuring transducer (8) that has a programmable process computer for executing process steps, and with a control unit (10) that has a plurality of actuators (44) and/or signal inputs (42) and/or signal outputs (40).

A functional separation between the measuring transducer (8) and the control unit (10) is provided so as to be able to program the device more effectively, data being exchanged via a bidirectional communication link (13).

Claims

1. An automatable measuring, cleaning and/or calibrating device for electrodes for measuring pH values or redox potentials, in particular in process technology, with a measuring transducer (8) that has a programmable process computer for executing process steps, and with a control unit (10) that has a plurality of actuators (44) and/or signal inputs (42) and/or signal outputs (40), characterized in that process steps that include triggering the actuators (44) and/or the signal outputs (40) of the control unit (10) and/or detecting signals at the signal inputs (42) of the control unit (10) can be executed only by the control unit (10);

and that appropriate instructions for executing such process steps can be transmitted from the measuring transducer (8) to the control unit (10).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a bidirectional communication link (13), preferably a type RS 485 interface, is provided for transmitting the instructions.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a master-slave protocol is provided for communication via the communication link (13), the measuring transducer (8) constituting the master, and the control unit (10) the slave.

4. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the measuring transducer (8), an interface (C) for connecting a personal computer, via which the process computer can be programmed with the aid of the personal computer, and/or a field-bus, professional-bus, HART, or FOUNDATION field-bus interface, is provided.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that it is also possible to connect to the interface (C) a semiconductor memory, in particular an EEPROM/flash memory;

and that process cycles programmed into the semiconductor memory can be read out and/or programmed in by the measuring transducer (8).

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that a separate interface for connecting the semiconductor memory is provided in the measuring transducer (8).

7. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of control units (10) are provided;

and that the measuring transducer (8) has at least one measuring channel.

8. A method for operating an automatable measuring, cleaning and/or calibrating device for electrodes for measuring pH values or redox potentials, in particular in process technology, with a measuring transducer (8) that has a programmable process computer for executing process steps, and with a control unit (10) that has a plurality of actuators (44) and/or signal inputs (42) and/or signal outputs (40), characterized in that process steps that include triggering the actuators (44) and/or the signal outputs (40) of the control unit (10) and/or detecting signals at the signal inputs (42) of the control unit (10) can be executed only by the control unit (10);

and that appropriate instructions for executing such process steps can be transmitted from the measuring transducer (8) to the control unit (10).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the instructions are transmitted via a bidirectional communication link (13);

and that the communication proceeds according to the master slave principle, the measuring transducer (8) constituting the master, and the control unit (10) the slave.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that after being switched on (100), the control unit (10) goes into a service state (110) in which it awaits a first instruction from the measuring transducer (8);

that after receiving the first instruction from the measuring transducer (8) the control unit (10) executes the first instruction (130) and thereafter sends a status report (135) to the measuring transducer (8); and

that after sending the status report (135) the control unit (10) goes into a waiting state (180) in which it awaits further instructions from the measuring transducer (8).

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that after being switched on (200), the measuring transducer (8) runs through an initialization phase (210);

that after the initialization phase (210) the measuring transducer (8) sends a first instruction (220) to the control unit (10);

that after receiving (222) an appropriate status report from the control unit (10) the measuring transducer (8) sends an instruction (230) dependent on a process cycle to the control unit (10); and

that after receiving an appropriate status report (231) from the control unit (10) the measuring transducer (8) executes further process steps (240).

12. The method as claimed in one of claims 8-11, characterized in that if there is a power failure and/or a or the communications link (13) fails, the control unit (10) puts the actuators (44) and/or the signal outputs (40) in a defined state.