Controlling modular measurement cartridges that convey interface information with cartridge controllers

• US 20060184335A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Odom, Brian Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A cartridge controller, usable to provide an interface between a cartridge and a controller for performing industrial operations using the cartridge. The cartridge controller may include interface circuitry, operable to provide an interface between a cartridge coupled to the cartridge controller and the cartridge controller, and detection circuitry coupled to the interface circuitry, operable to detect coupling of the cartridge to the cartridge controller via the interface circuitry. The interface circuitry may be further operable to query the cartridge for a cartridge type of the cartridge, determine a communication protocol required to communicate with the cartridge from a plurality of communication protocols based on the cartridge type, and establish communications with the cartridge based on the determined communication protocol. The cartridge controller may also be implemented with one or more modular blocks for providing the interface between the controller coupled to the cartridge controller and the cartridge.

Claims

1. A cartridge controller, comprising:

interface circuitry, wherein the interface circuitry is operable to provide an interface between a cartridge coupled to the cartridge controller and the cartridge controller; and

detection circuitry coupled to the interface circuitry, wherein the detection circuitry is operable to detect coupling of the cartridge to the cartridge controller via the interface circuitry;

wherein the interface circuitry is further operable to;

query the cartridge for a cartridge type of the cartridge;

determine a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols based on the cartridge type, wherein the communication protocol is required to communicate with the cartridge;

establish communications with the cartridge based on the determined communication protocol.

2. The cartridge controller of claim 1,

wherein the cartridge controller is usable to provide an interface between the cartridge and a controller, and wherein the controller is operable to perform one or more industrial operations utilizing the cartridge via the cartridge controller.

3. The cartridge controller of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more modular blocks for providing the interface between the controller coupled to the cartridge controller and the cartridge.

4. The cartridge controller of claim 3, wherein the one or more modular blocks comprise one or more of:

one or more timers;

one or more triggers;

one or more interfaces;

one or more ports;

one or more data formatters;

one or more shared memories;

one or more state machines;

one or more processors;

one or more messaging bits;

one or more data flow modules;

one or more controllers;

one or more queues;

or

one or more digital input/output (DIO) support blocks.

5. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein the cartridge controller includes and/or is coupled to one or more memory mediums operable to store information regarding the cartridge, wherein a first memory medium of the one or more memory mediums stores information in a registry that is substantially generic with respect to the cartridge type of the cartridge.

6. The cartridge controller of claim 5,

wherein the cartridge controller is coupled to and/or comprises one or more processors, and wherein the one or more processors are operable to retrieve data from the first memory medium.

7. The cartridge controller of claim 5, wherein the one or more memory mediums are operable to store one or more of:

cartridge configuration information;

cartridge identification information;

cartridge communication information;

information retrieved from the cartridge;

measurement data;

or

signal conditioning attributes.

8. The cartridge controller of claim 1,

wherein the cartridge controller is comprised in a programmable hardware element (PHE).

9. The cartridge controller of claim 1,

wherein the cartridge controller is comprised in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

10. The cartridge controller of claim 1,

wherein the cartridge controller comprises, is coupled to, and/or is controlled by, at least one configurable portion, and wherein the at least one configurable portion is configurable to implement user defined functionality.

11. The cartridge controller of claim 10,

wherein the at least one configurable portion is configurable in accordance with a graphical program.

12. The cartridge controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor; and

instruction memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is operable to execute instructions stored in the instruction memory, and wherein a controller is operable to configure the cartridge controller by storing the instructions in the instruction memory.

13. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein the interface circuitry comprises:

a communication assist block, wherein the cartridge controller is coupled to the cartridge via the communication assist block, and wherein the communication assist block is operable to provide serial-to-parallel and/or parallel-to-serial signal conversion for the cartridge controller and/or the cartridge.

14. The cartridge controller of claim 13, wherein the communication assist block comprises one or more of:

one or more data queues, wherein the one or more data queues are operable to store data corresponding to operations performed by the cartridge, and wherein the data queues are operable to buffer data to compensate for latency between reception of data from the cartridge and transmission of data to a controller, and/or between reception of data from the controller and transmission of data to the cartridge;

or

hardware flow control logic, wherein the hardware flow control logic is operable to decrease processing load during operation.

15. The cartridge controller of claim 14, wherein the communication assist block is operable to assist in controlling the cartridge, and wherein to assist in controlling the cartridge, the communication assist block is operable to transmit commands regarding operation of the cartridge to the cartridge via an output queue of the one or more data queues.

16. The cartridge controller of claim 14, wherein the communication assist block is operable to repeat transmission of information via an output queue of the one or more data queues without instruction from the controller.

17. The cartridge controller of claim 13, wherein to query the cartridge for a cartridge type of the cartridge, the communication assist block is operable to:

query EEPROM memory of the cartridge to retrieve cartridge identification information using an identification communication protocol supported by the cartridge.

18. The cartridge controller of claim 17, wherein the communication assist block is a serial peripheral interface port.

19. The cartridge controller of claim 1, further comprising:

timing circuitry, operable to provide timing signals to the cartridge.

20. The cartridge controller of claim 19,

wherein the timing circuitry independently generates timing signals for the cartridge controller.

21. The cartridge controller of claim 19,

wherein the timing circuitry generates timing signals that are coordinated with timing signals of other components coupled to the cartridge controller.

22. The cartridge controller of claim 1, further comprising

a pin multiplexer, for coupling to the cartridge, wherein the pin multiplexer is operable to route timing and/or triggering signals to and from the cartridge controller and the cartridge.

23. The cartridge controller of claim 1,

wherein the detection circuitry is further operable to identify coupling and/or decoupling of the cartridge during operation and initiate corresponding configuration detection and/or clean-up operations based on the coupling and/or decoupling respectively.

24. The cartridge controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor interface, operable to provide information regarding configuration, status, interrupts, and/or direct memory access (DMA) to a processor coupled to the cartridge controller.

25. The cartridge controller of claim of 24,

wherein the processor is operable to program the cartridge controller via the processor interface.

26. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises one or more of:

integrated conditioning logic;

integrated isolation logic;

signal conditioning logic;

signal conversion logic;

communication logic;

controlling logic;

networking logic;

or

power supply logic.

27. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is operable to implement one or more of:

one or more data-acquisition (DAQ) operations;

one or more control operations;

one or more analysis operations;

one or more measurement operations;

one or more user interface operations;

one or more image-acquisition operations;

or

one or more automation operations.

28. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication protocols comprise one or more of:

an SPI protocol;

a source synchronous SPI protocol;

an embedded clock protocol;

a bidirectional communications with adjustable bit width protocol;

a protocol specified by and/or stored on the cartridge;

or

a protocol negotiated by the cartridge and the cartridge controller.

29. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein to determine a communication protocol of a plurality of communication protocols, the interface circuitry is further operable to:

determine a timing and/or triggering protocol for communicating timing and/or triggering information to the cartridge.

30. The cartridge controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of action bits, wherein the plurality of action bits allow for flow control and notification between the cartridge controller and a controller.

31. The cartridge controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a data formatting circuitry, wherein the data formatting circuitry is operable to store and format data according to one or more components comprised in the cartridge controller.

32. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein the cartridge controller is operable to independently operate without instructions from a controller.

33. The cartridge controller of claim 1, wherein the cartridge controller is comprised in a microcontroller.

34. A method for establishing communication with a cartridge to perform one or more industrial operations, comprising:

querying a cartridge coupled to a cartridge controller for a cartridge type of the cartridge;

determining a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols based on the cartridge type, wherein the communication protocol is required to communicate with the cartridge; and

establishing communications with the cartridge based on the determined communication protocol;

wherein after said establishing communications the cartridge controller is operable to provide instructions to the cartridge to perform one or more industrial operations.

35. A system, comprising:

means for querying a cartridge coupled to a cartridge controller for a cartridge type of the cartridge;

means for determining a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols based on the cartridge type, wherein the communication protocol is required to communicate with the cartridge; and

means for establishing communications with the cartridge based on the determined communication protocol;

wherein after establishing communication, the cartridge controller is operable to provide instructions to the cartridge to perform one or more industrial operations.