Magnet wire oven control apparatus

• US 4,839,818 A
• Filed: 09/25/1987
• Issued: 06/13/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Essex Group Incorporated (LS Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Essex Group Incorporated (LS Corporation)
• Inventors: Phillips, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/101,325
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 364/477, 364/189, 364/188, 364/200, 364/900, 364/148, 364/150, 364/146, 364/138, 364/140, 427/177, 427/178, 427/117, 427/379, 427/372.2
• US Class Current: 700/211
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 19/00 Arrangements of controlling devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

A magnet wire oven for an in-line drawing fabrication process is controlled by means of a local operator control station having a plurality of menu screens stored therein for operator call-up and control via a remote controller for controlling a plurality of oven parameters. The remote controller is located in an output of the way location so as to efficiently utilize floorspace while at the same time controlling a large number of parameters in one main controller unit. The local operator station comprises a local signal processor, a keyboard, a display and an input/output port. The remote controller comprises a remote signal processor, a multiplexer and a plurality of analog loop controllers. The remote controller may also include either analog or digital input/output devices or both.

Claims

1. Apparatus for controlling a plurality of sensed parameters comprising:

an operator control station for locally controlling a system having a local signal processor, a keyboard and a display, said local signal processor responsive to operator input signals received via said keyboard for providing setpoint signals at an output of said operator control station; and

a remote controller, comprising;

a remote signal processor, responsive to said setpoint signals from said operator control station for conditioning said setpoint signals and for providing said conditioned setpoint signals at an output of said remote signal processor and for providing multiplexer channel select signals at an output of said remote signal processor;

a multiplexer responsive to said conditioned setpoint signals and to said channel select signals for providing said conditioned setpoint signals on selected output channels of said multiplexer; and

a plurality of loop controllers, each responsive to a selected one of said conditioned setpoint signals provided on a selected output channel of said multiplexer and responsive to a selected one of a second plurality of sensed analog signals for comparing the magnitude of said selected conditioned setpoint signal to the magnitude of said selected sensed analog signal and for providing an output analog control signal for controlling a parameter to a value indicated by the magnitude of said conditioned setpoint signal,

said multiplexer being responsive to a plurality of output analog control signals and to said conditioned setpoint signals from said plurality of loop controllers for routing said output analog control signals and said conditioned setpoint signals to said remote signal processor for storage therein,

said remote signal processor conditioning said output analog control signals and reconditioning said conditioned setpoint signals and for providing said conditioned output analog control signals and said reconditioned setpoint signals at an output of said remote signal processor,

said operator control station'"'"'s local signal processor responsive to said conditioned analog control signals and to said reconditioned setpoint signals for providing said conditioned analog control signals and said reconditioned setpoint signals to said display for display thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said remote signal processor comprises:

a first signal processor, responsive to said setpoint signals from said operator control station for storing said setpoint signals, and for providing said setpoint signals at an output of said first signal processor and for providing multiplexer channel select signals;

a programmable logic controller, responsive to said setpoint signals from said first signal processor for conditioning said setpoint signals and for providing said conditioned setpoint signals at an output of said logic controller, said logic controller responsive to said channel select signals for storing said select signals and for providing said channel select signals at an output of said logic controller;

a second signal processor, responsive to said conditioned setpoint signals and to said channel select signals from said logic controller, for storing said conditioned setpoint signals and said channel select signals and for providing said conditioned setpoint signals and said channel select signals at an output of said second signal processor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said remote controller further comprises:

an analog input/output (I/O) device, responsive to a plurality of sensed analog signals at a first input thereof for providing digital signal representations thereof as a first plurality of digital signals, and responsive at a second input thereof to at least one conditioned signal indicative of a function of said first, plurality of controlled parameters for converting said at least one conditioned signal to analog form and for providing said converted signal at an output thereof;

a digital input/output device, responsive to a plurality of sensed digital signals at a first input thereof for providing said sensed digital signals as a second plurality of digital signals, and responsive at a second input thereof to at least one conditioned signal for providing said at least one conditioned signal at an output thereof; and

said remote signal processor responsive to said first plurality of digital signals indicative of the values of a corresponding first plurality of controlled parameters for conditioning said first plurality of digital signals and for providing said at least one conditioned signal indicative of the magnitude of a function of said first plurality of controlled parameter at an output of said remote signal processor, said remote signal processor responsive to said second plurality of digital signals indicative of the values of a corresponding second plurality of controlled parameters for conditioning said second plurality of signals and for providing said at least one conditioned signal indicative of the magnitude of a function of said second plurality of controlled parameters at an output of said remote signal processor.