Protocol independent bridge

• US 20080109581A1
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Pham, Hai D., Kikta, Christopher E., Huseth, Steve D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4045 where the bus bridge performs an extender function

Abstract

A wireless bridge includes a first universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) for coupling to a serial bus that receives data packets. A protocol independent module has a timer set to a desired time to detect a start and/or an end of a data packet received from the serial bus. A wireless transceiver is coupled to the universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter for sending and receiving data packets.

Claims

1. A bridge comprising:

a first universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) for coupling to a serial bus that receives data packets;

a protocol independent module that has a timer set to a desired time to detect a start and end of a data packet received from the serial bus; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter.

2. The bridge of claim 1 wherein the first UART is adapted to receive and transmit packets serially from an IEEE RS-485 data bus

3. The bridge of claim 1 and further comprising a second UART for coupling to the serial bus that receives and transmit data packets at a baud rate different from that of the first UART.

4. The bridge of claim 3 wherein the first UART is a 1747 baud UART and the second UART is a 9600 baud UART

5. The bridge of claim 1 wherein the bridge is protocol independent.

6. The bridge of claim 1 wherein the desired time is a function of baud rate of the serial bus and expected time between different packets.

7. The bridge of claim 1 wherein the first UART operates at 9600 baud and wherein the desired timer'"'"'s expiration time is approximately between 2-3 milliseconds and other specific expiration times for other baud rates

8. The bridge of claim 1 wherein two bridges are used to replace a wired connection between two devices.

9. The bridge of claim 1 wherein the timer can be software or hardware implemented as a one shot timer.

10. A method comprising:

coupling a wireless bridge circuit to a hardwire serial bus connection of each of a device and a controller, wherein the wireless bridge circuit performs a method comprising;

receiving serial information from a serial hard wired bus;

transmitting serial information to a serial hard wired bus;

setting a timer when a stream of serial data is received; and

indicating a packet has been received after a predetermined time.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising wirelessly receiving and sending packets between the wireless bridge circuits.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the hard wire bus connection is an IEEE RS-232/485 wired bus connection.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the serial information is received at 1747 baud or 9600 baud and various baud rates

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined time is a function of baud rate of the serial bus and expected time between different packets.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein serial hard wired bus operates at 9600 baud and wherein the predetermined time is approximately between 2-3 milliseconds.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the timer is a software or/and hardware implemented one shot timer.

17. A wireless bridge circuit for coupling to devices via a hard wired serial bus, the wireless bridge circuit comprising:

means for receiving serial information from a serial hard wired bus;

means for transmitting serial information to a serial hard wired bus;

means for setting a timer when a serial bit is received; and

means for indicating a packet has been received after a predetermined time.

18. The wireless bridge circuit of claim 17 and further comprising means for wirelessly sending and/or receiving packets between the wireless bridge circuits.

19. The wireless bridge circuit of claim 17 wherein the hard wired serial bus is an IEEE RS-232/485 wired connection.

20. The wireless bridge circuit of claim 17 wherein the timer is a software or hardware implemented one shot timer and wherein the predetermined time is a function of baud rate of the serial bus and expected time between different packets.