Automatic device selection circuit
First Claim
1. A device interconnecting system for automatically assigning a unit address to each device depending upon the position of the device in a chain of devices, said system comprisingcontrol means having N terminals, said control means being capable of energizing any one or more of said N terminals,N controlled devices, each having first and second sets of terminals, each of said sets of terminals having N terminals, each terminal in said first and second sets being designated by a different one of the numerals 1 through N, respectively, the first terminal of said first set of terminals being connected to the device with which said set is associated, each of the remaining of said first set of terminals of each device being connected to the next lower numbered terminal of the second set of terminals that is associated with the device,N cables, each having N conductive leads therein, one of said cables being connected between said N controller terminals and a first one of said N controlled devices, and each of the remaining (N-1) of said cables being connected between the second set of terminals of a respective one of said N devices and the first set of terminals of the next adjacent one of said N devices, each of said cables having polarized terminations whereby a first lead in each cable is connected between the first terminal of the two sets of terminals to which that cable is connected, the Nth lead in each cable is connected between the Nth terminal of the two sets of terminals to which that cable is connected, and each of the remaining leads in each cable is connected between corresponding terminals of the two sets of terminals to which that cable is connected,whereby the first terminal of said control means becomes connected to the first controlled device in the chain of devices extending from said control means, and each of the second through the Nth terminals of said control means becomes connected to the respective one of the second through the Nth controlled devices in the chain of devices extending from said control means so that the unit address of each device is automatically determined in accordance with the position of that device in the chain of devices extending from said control means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of controlled devices are connected to a controller in such a manner that the first device is connected by a cable to the controller, the second device is connected by a cable to the first device and so on. Interconnection means at each controlled device, which connects the cable from the previous device to the cable connected to the next device, automatically assigns a unit address to each device depending upon the position of that device in the chain of devices. Thus, if four devices are connected in a chain to the controller, their addresses are 1, 2, 3 and 4, beginning with the first unit connected to the controller and ending with the last unit in the chain of devices.
141 Citations
4 Claims
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1. A device interconnecting system for automatically assigning a unit address to each device depending upon the position of the device in a chain of devices, said system comprising
control means having N terminals, said control means being capable of energizing any one or more of said N terminals, N controlled devices, each having first and second sets of terminals, each of said sets of terminals having N terminals, each terminal in said first and second sets being designated by a different one of the numerals 1 through N, respectively, the first terminal of said first set of terminals being connected to the device with which said set is associated, each of the remaining of said first set of terminals of each device being connected to the next lower numbered terminal of the second set of terminals that is associated with the device, N cables, each having N conductive leads therein, one of said cables being connected between said N controller terminals and a first one of said N controlled devices, and each of the remaining (N-1) of said cables being connected between the second set of terminals of a respective one of said N devices and the first set of terminals of the next adjacent one of said N devices, each of said cables having polarized terminations whereby a first lead in each cable is connected between the first terminal of the two sets of terminals to which that cable is connected, the Nth lead in each cable is connected between the Nth terminal of the two sets of terminals to which that cable is connected, and each of the remaining leads in each cable is connected between corresponding terminals of the two sets of terminals to which that cable is connected, whereby the first terminal of said control means becomes connected to the first controlled device in the chain of devices extending from said control means, and each of the second through the Nth terminals of said control means becomes connected to the respective one of the second through the Nth controlled devices in the chain of devices extending from said control means so that the unit address of each device is automatically determined in accordance with the position of that device in the chain of devices extending from said control means.
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3. In a module for a programmable controller, said module including enabling means for enabling said module upon receipt of a module enabling signal, and conductor means on said module for conducting said module enabling signal to said enabling means, the improvement comprising:
- a set of input terminals arranged on said module in a preselected pattern having a successive numerical order of 1, 2, 3 . . . n;
a set of output terminals arranged on said module in said preselected pattern;
means on said module for connecting said input terminal in said number one position to said conductor means;
means on said module for connecting each of the remaining input terminals to output terminals in the corresponding next lower numerical positions of said preselected pattern of output terminals.
- a set of input terminals arranged on said module in a preselected pattern having a successive numerical order of 1, 2, 3 . . . n;
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4. The improvement as defined in claim 6 wherein said input terminals are located at a first preselected position on said module and said output terminals are located at a second preselected position on said module, with said first and second preselected positions being mutually aligned.
Specification