Remotely programmable integrated sensor transmitter

• US 20040190592A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intempco Controls Limited
• Original Assignee: Intempco Controls Limited
• Inventors: Lojen, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,223,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/172
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers

Abstract

A remotely programmable integrated sensor transmitter device for measuring and reporting a physical quantity of a given medium comprises a sensor for measuring a physical quantity of a medium and providing an electrical output as a function of the property measured, a scaler module for receiving the electrical output and for producing a scaled analog signal as a function of the physical quantity and a scale selection input, and a data interface for receiving programming data from an external computer and for providing the scale selection output to the scaler module.

Claims

1. A remotely programmable sensor and device for measuring a physical quantity of a medium comprising:

a sensor for measuring said physical quantity of said medium and providing an electrical output;

a scaler module for receiving said sensor output and for producing a scaled analog signal as a function of said physical quantity and a scale selection input;

a data interface for receiving programming data from an external computer and for providing said scale selection output to said scaler module

2. An integrated sensor and transmitter device as in claim 1, wherein said scaler module is digital and comprises a conditioning module for producing an analog signal from said sensor electrical output, an analog to digital converter in communication with said conditioning module for receiving said analog signal and converting it into a digital value, a scaler for scaling said digital value according to a scale selection input;

further comprising a digital to analog converter for receiving said scaled digital value and converting said scaled digital value into a pseudo-analog value output.

3. An integrated sensor and transmitter device as in claim 1, wherein said physical quantity is temperature.

4. An integrated sensor and transmitter device as in claim 3, wherein said sensor is a resistive temperature detector.

5. An integrated sensor and transmitter device as in claim 1, wherein said programming controller interface is digital over a communication link.

6. An integrated sensor and transmitter device as in claim 1, wherein said scaler module is an analog tunable scaler comprising at least one trimmable component for scaling said analog signal according to said scale selection input.

7. An integrated sensor and transmitter device as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is contained in a tip portion and said scaler module is contained in a transition portion, said tip portion and said transition portion being connected in a detachable manner.