SENSOR WITH SUBASSEMBLIES FEATURING STORAGE DEVICES

• US 20100256942A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: HAAS, Juergen, GAISER, Martin, MOTZER, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/104
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

A sensor includes an electronic module that comprises several electronic subassemblies and a processor that can be electrically coupled to the electronic subassemblies. The subassemblies respectively feature a programmable storage device with subassembly-specific data of the respective subassembly. The content of the respective programmable storage devices can be read out and evaluated by the processor.

Claims

1. A sensor, comprising:

an electronic module including electronic subassemblies, the subassemblies respectively include a programmable storage device with subassembly-specific data of the respective subassembly; and

a processor electrically coupled to the subassemblies,

wherein content of the respective programmable storage devices is read out and evaluated by the processor.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the storage devices include of non-volatile storage devices.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the data comprises an identification code to determine at least one of the subassembly and the manufacturer.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the identification code includes a serial number.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the data comprises test data determined using functional tests of the subassembly.

6. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the test data includes measured values of the subassembly that were determined using tests.

7. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein the test data includes manufacturing irregularities of the subassembly that were determined using tests.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the data is verified with data expected by the processor in order to check a correct assembly of the subassemblies.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein an operation of the electronic module is configured as a function of the data.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein an operation of the electronic module is calibrated as a function of data.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the data includes information on a type of functional tests carried out on the subassembly and wherein the data is verified with data expected by the processor in order to check a completeness of the functional tests of the subassemblies.

12. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the subassemblies includes at least one of a microwave subassembly, an interface subassembly, a power supply subassembly, a detector subassembly and a frequency control subassembly.

13. The sensor of one of claims 1, wherein the sensor includes a level sensor.

14. A method for manufacturing a sensor, comprising:

determining subassembly-specific data of electronic subassemblies;

storing the subassembly-specific data in respective storage devices of the subassemblies;

assembling the subassemblies into an electronic module;

electrically coupling the subassemblies to a processor;

reading out the data from the storage devices using the processor, and

evaluating the storage device contents using the processor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one of configuring and calibrating an operation of the electronic module as a function of the data.