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Measuring arrangement with a plurality of measuring units

  • US 4,807,149 A
  • Filed: 07/24/1986
  • Issued: 02/21/1989
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A measuring system comprisinga central control unit which is adapted to control measuring cycles by generating and emitting encoded setting signals and encoded address signals, and by receiving and processing measuring signals,several measuring unit groups, each measuring unit group comprising a selecting unit and a plurality of measuring units, which, in an activated state, generate said measuring signals, anda cable connecting said central control unit with said selecting units and said measuring units and comprising a system voltage supply wire which is adapted to connect a power supply provided in said central control unit with electric and electronic components provided in said selecting units and said measuring units,a system ground wire connecting ground terminals of said selecting units and said measuring units with a system ground provided in said central control unit, command line wires on which said setting signals and said address signals are transmitted from said central control unit to said selecting units and said measuring units, anda system measurment line wire on which said measuring signals are transmitted from said measuring units back to said central control unit,wherein said central control unit is adapted to generate two different kinds of encoded address signals, namely encoded selecting unit address signals and encoded measuring unit address signals, and two different kinds of encoded setting signals, namely encoded selecting unit setting signals and encoded measuring unit setting signals, wherein said command line wires of said cable comprise at least two wires, namely a system command line wire on which said encoded address signals and said encoded setting signals are transmitted from said central control unit to all of said selecting units, and a group command line wire which is subdivided into a plurality of lengths, each of which is associated with a respective one of said measuring unit groups by connecting the selecting unit of the measuring unit group with all measuring units of this measuring unit group.wherein each of said selecting units is arranged remote from said central control unit, is integrated into said cable and comprisesa selecting unit signal decoder having an input terminal which is connected with said system command line wire and receives therefrom said encoded address signals and said encoded setting signals, said selecting unit signal decoder being adapted to decode said encoded address signals and said encoded setting signals so that it generates decoded selecting unit address signals and decoded selecting unit setting signals upon receipt of the respective encoded signals, and that it discards said encoded measuring unit address signals and said encoded measuring unit setting signals,a first programmable selecting unit address recognition circuit which has a set input receiving said decoded selecting unit setting signals and an address input receiving said decoded selecting unit address signals, said first programmable selecting unit address recognition circuit being programmed to store a unique selecting unit address which is different from all other selecting unit addresses in said system, and being adapted to be set by said decoded selecting unit setting signals to an initial state starting from which it compares decoded selecting unit address signals received from said selecting unit signal decoder with its stored selecting unit address in order to generate a first selecting unit activation signal when a decoded selecting unit address signal coincides with its stored selecting unit address, and in order to terminate generation of said first selecting unit activation signal upon receipt of a further decoded selecting unit address signal which does not coincide with its stored selecting unit address,a first selecting unit switch arrangement comprising at least one controllable ON/OFF switch which is closed only when said first selecting unit activation signal is applied to its control input terminal, and which, in its closed state, connects a length of said group command line wire, which length is associated with the measuring unit group of the selecting unit, with said system command line wire,and wherein each of said measuring units is arranged remote from said central control unit, is integrated into said cable and comprisesa measuring unit signal decoder having an input terminal which is connected with a length of said group command line wire being associated with the respective measuring unit group and receives therefrom said encoded address signals and said encoded setting signals when said ON/OFF switch of said first selecting unit switch arrangement in the selecting unit of the respective measuring unit group is closed, said measuring unit signal decoder being adapted to decode said encoded address signals and said encoded setting signals so that it generates decoded measuring unit address signals and decoded measuring unit setting signals upon receipt of the respective encoded signals, and that is discards said encoded selecting unit address signals and said encoded selecting unit setting signals,a programmable measuring unit address recognition circuit which has a set input receiving said decoded measuring unit setting signals and an address input receiving said decoded measuring unit address signals, said programmable measuring unit address recognition circuit being programmed to store a measuring unit address which is different for each of the measuring units belonging to the same measuring unit group, and being adapted to be set by said decoded measuring unit setting signals to an initial state starting from which it compares decoded measuring unit address signals received from said measuring unit signal decoder with said stored measuring unit address in order to generate a measuring unit activation signal when a decoded measuring unit address signal coincides with said stored measuring unit address, and in order to terminate generation of said measuring unit activation signal upon receipt of a further decoded measuring unit address signal which does not coincide with said stored measuring unit address, anda measuring unit switch arrangement comprising at least one controllable ON/OFF switch, which is closed only when said measuring unit activation signal is applied to its control input terminal, and which, in its closed state, allows a measuring signal, which is generated in the measuring unit, to be transmitted on said system measurement line wire back to said central control unit.

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