Network Device Interface For Digitally Interfacing Data Channels To A Controller Via A Network
First Claim
1. A communication system for communicating commands and data between a bus controller and a plurality of data channels via a common digital bus, the communication system comprising:
- a bus controller connected to the common digital bus;
a plurality of network device interfaces connected between the common digital bus and at least one of said plurality of data channels, wherein said network device interfaces each include a memory containing a unique number identifying the network device interface, and at least one address and group mask identifying each data channel connected to said network device interface,wherein said bus controller in a device inventory mode is configured to conduct a competition between the plurality of data channels to uniquely identify each network device interface, and then determine addresses and group masks for each data channel associated with the network device interface, wherein said network device interfaces do not allow the memory containing the addresses and group masks and special memory locations to be overwritten until after the unique number identifying the network device interface has been determined by the bus controller during the competition.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system and method are provided for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is converted into digital signals and transmitted to the controller. Network device interfaces associated with different data channels can coordinate communications with the other interfaces based on either a transition in a command message sent by the bus controller or a synchronous clock signal.
37 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A communication system for communicating commands and data between a bus controller and a plurality of data channels via a common digital bus, the communication system comprising:
-
a bus controller connected to the common digital bus; a plurality of network device interfaces connected between the common digital bus and at least one of said plurality of data channels, wherein said network device interfaces each include a memory containing a unique number identifying the network device interface, and at least one address and group mask identifying each data channel connected to said network device interface, wherein said bus controller in a device inventory mode is configured to conduct a competition between the plurality of data channels to uniquely identify each network device interface, and then determine addresses and group masks for each data channel associated with the network device interface, wherein said network device interfaces do not allow the memory containing the addresses and group masks and special memory locations to be overwritten until after the unique number identifying the network device interface has been determined by the bus controller during the competition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for assigning individual addresses to a plurality of data channels located remote from a bus controller and communicated with by the bus controller via a common digital bus, the method comprising:
-
providing a plurality of network device interfaces connected between the common digital bus and at least one of the plurality of data channels, wherein the network device interfaces each include a memory containing a unique number identifying said network device interface; conducting a competition between the plurality of network device interfaces to determine the unique number of each network device interface one at a time; and prohibiting overwrites of the memory of each network device interface containing the addresses and group masks and special memory locations before and during the competition until a unique number for the network device interface has been determined by the bus controller so that the bus controller may assign a unique address to each data channel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification