Intelligent programmable sensing

• US 5,335,186 A
• Filed: 01/04/1993
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Tarrant, Richard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/000,530
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/557, 364/505, 364/579, 364/580, 340/825.06
• US Class Current: 702/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/022 having an ideal characteristic, map or correction data stored in a digital memory
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/25 using digital measurement techniques

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for intelligent programmable sensing using elements mounted on a silicon base comprise a silicon sensor transducer (12) and a configurable analog signal conditioner (16). A configurable memory (18) is part of signal conditioner (16) and stores conditioning instructions to direct configurable analog signal conditioner operations. A configurable memory (24) is part of configurable analog-to-digital converter (24) and stores converting instruction to direct configurable analog-to-digital converter operation. Digital signal processor (28) processes digitized signals (26) from configurable analog-to-digital converter (24). A program memory (30) stores program instructions for processor (28) to generate results (32). Configuration and results bus (34) directs communications within the sensor (10) and through communications interface (36). Communications interface (36) interfaces to system communications bus (38) to interconnect other intelligent programmable sensors (40,42) and supervisor monitor/control computer (44) which process results/reconfiguration memories (18,24,30).

Claims

1. An intelligent programmable sensing apparatus using elements mounted on at least one silicon base, said elements comprising:

a transducer for sensing physical variables and generating a plurality of raw analog signals representing said sensed physical variables; and

a configurable analog signal conditioner receiving said raw analog signals from said transducer, said configurable analog signal conditioner conditioning said raw analog signals to transmit conditioned analog signals, said configurable analog signal conditioner including;

a first configurable memory for storing at least one signal conditioning instruction for directing said configurable analog signal conditioner, said first configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different sets of signal conditioning instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal conditioning instructions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes:

a configurable analog-to-digital converter on said at least one silicon base for receiving said conditioned analog signals and converting said conditioned analog signals to a plurality of digitized signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, including a second configurable memory on said at least one silicon base and integral to said configurable analog-to-digital converter, said second configurable memory for storing at least one signal converting instruction for directing said configurable analog-to-digital converter, said second configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different signal converting instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal converting instructions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, including a digital signal processor on said at least one silicon base and in communication with said analog-to-digital converter for processing said digitized signals from said configurable analog-to-digital converter.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, including a program memory on said at least one silicon base and in communication with said digital signal processor for storing a plurality of program instructions for controlling digitized signal processing and directing said digital signal processor to process said digitized signals according to said program instructions, said program memory being reprogrammable to contain different program instructions for controlling and directing said digital signal processor immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different program instructions.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, including a configuration and results bus on said at least one silicon base and in communication with said first configurable memory of said analog signal conditioner, said second configurable memory of said analog-to-digital converter, said program memory, and said digital signal processor for directing communications throughout said intelligent programmable sensing apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said apparatus communicates with external circuitry and wherein said apparatus includes a communications interface residing on said at least one silicon base and in communication with said configuration and results bus for interfacing communication signals between said apparatus and said external circuitry.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said configurable analog-to-digital converter, said second configurable memory, said digital signal processor, and said program memory are mounted in a single silicon base.

9. An intelligent programmable sensing apparatus using elements mounted on at least two silicon bases, comprising:

a silicon sensor transducer integral to a first one of said silicon bases for sensing physical variables and generating a plurality of raw analog signals representing said sensed physical variables; and

a configurable analog signal conditioner also mounted on said first silicon base for receiving said raw analog signals from said transducer, said configurable analog signal conditioner conditioning said raw analog signals and transmitting conditioned analog signals, said configurable analog signal condition including;

a first configurable memory for storing at least one signal conditioning instruction for directing operations of said configurable analog signal conditioner, said first configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different sets of signal conditioning instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal conditioning instructions; and

a configurable analog-to-digital converter mounted on at least one other silicon base for receiving said conditioned analog signals and converting said conditioned analog signals to a plurality of digitized signals, said analog-to-digital converter including;

a second configurable memory integral to said configurable analog-to-digital converter for storing at least one signal converting instruction to direct operations of said configurable analog-to-digital converter, said second configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different signal converting instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal converting instructions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, including a digital signal processor mounted on at least one silicon base other than said first base and in communication with said configurable analog-to-digital converter for processing said digitized signals from said configurable analog-to-digital converter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, including:

a program memory in communication with said digital signal processor for storing a plurality of program instructions for controlling the processing of said digitized signals and directing said digital signal processor to process said digitized signals, said program memory being reprogrammable to contain different program instructions for controlling and directing said digital signal processor immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different program instructions.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 and including:

a configuration and results bus in communication with said first configurable memory of said signal conditioner, said second configurable memory of said analog-to-digital converter, said program memory, and said digital signal processing for directing communications throughout said apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said apparatus communicates with external circuitry, said apparatus including:

a communications interface in communication with said configuration and results bus for interfacing communication signals between said apparatus and said external circuitry.

14. An intelligent programmable system for diagnostics analyses, said system comprising:

a sensor accelerometer for sensing physical variables and generating a plurality of raw signals representing said sensed physical variables;

a configurable signal conditioner for producing conditioned analog output signals in response to receiving said raw signals from said accelerometer; and

a first configurable memory for storing at least one signal conditioning instruction for controlling said configurable signal conditioner, said first configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different sets of signal conditioning instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal conditioning instructions;

wherein said sensor, said signal conditioner and said memory are mounted in a unitary structure.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said unitary structure includes:

a configurable analog-to-digital converter for receiving said conditioned analog output signals and converting said conditioned analog output signals to a plurality of digitized signals;

a second configurable memory for storing at least one signal converting instruction to control said configurable analog-to-digital converter, said second configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different signal converting instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal converting instructions;

a digital signal processor in communication with said configurable analog-to-digital converter for processing said digitized signals from said configurable analog-to-digital converter and producing digitally processed machine diagnostics data;

a program memory in communication with said digital signal processor for storing a plurality of program instructions for controlling the processing of said digitized signals and for directing said digital signal processor to process said digitized signals carrying said machine diagnostics data, said program memory being reprogrammable to contain different program instructions for controlling and directing said digital signal processor immediate at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different program instructions;

a configuration and results bus in communication with said first configurable memory of said signal conditioner, said second configurable memory of said digital converter, said program memory, and said digital signal processor for directing communications throughout said system;

external circuitry to said unitary structure; and

a communications interface in communication with said configuration and results bus for interfacing communication signals between said intelligent programmable sensor and said external circuitry.

16. The system of claim 14, including:

circuitry for monitoring said conditioned analog output signals; and

circuitry controlled jointly by said signal converting instructions and by said monitored conditioned analog output signal for changing said signal conditioner.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said sensor accelerometer, said configurable signal conditioner and said first configurable memory are mounted in a single silicon base.

18. A system for integrating intelligent programmable sensors, comprising:

a systems communications bus;

at least one transducer for sensing physical variables and generating a plurality of raw signals representing said sensed physical variables;

reprogrammable circuitry in communication with said at least one transducer for processing said raw signals and generating digital data representing said sensed physical variables, said reprogrammable circuitry residing on a single silicon base with each of said at least one transducer and said reprogrammable circuitry being reprogrammable to contain different sets of instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of instructions; and

a supervisor monitor/control computer in communication among said at least one transducer via said systems communications bus.

19. The system of claim 18, including communications circuitry for directing internal communications between said reprogrammable circuitry and said at least one transducer.

20. The system of claim 19, including communications circuitry for directing external communications between said reprogrammable circuitry and said supervisor monitor/control computer.

21. A method of physical variable sensing using an intelligent programmable sensor on at least one silicon base comprising the steps of:

sensing physical variables with a transducer and generating a plurality of raw signals representing said sensed physical variables;

receiving said raw signals from said transducer in a configurable signal conditioner;

conditioning said raw signals in said configurable signal conditioner;

transmitting a plurality of conditioned signals from said configurable signal conditioner; and

storing at least one signals conditioning instruction for directing operatings of said configurable signal conditioner in a first configurable memory, said storing including reprogramming said first configurable memory to contain different sets of signal conditioning instructions immediately at any time and said storing including receiving the different sets of signal conditioning instructions from an external programming device.

22. The method of claim 21, including the step of receiving said conditioned signals and converting said conditioned signals to a plurality of digitized signals in a configurable analog-to-digital converter.

23. The method of claim 22, including the step of digitally processing said digitized signals from said configurable analog-to-digital converter using a digital signal processor.

24. The method of claim 23, including the steps of storing in a program memory a plurality of program instructions for controlling the processing of said digitized signals and applying said instructions to direct said digital signal processor to process said digitized signals, said storing including reprogrammable said program memory to contain different sets of program instructions immediately at any time and said storing including receiving the different sets of program instructions from an external programming device.

25. The method of claim 23, including the step of storing at least one signal converting instruction to control said configurable analog-to-digital converter in a second configurable memory, said storing including reprogramming said second configurable memory to contain different sets of signal converting instructions immediately at any time and said storing including receiving the different sets of signal converting instructions from an external programming device.

26. The method of claim 25, including the step of directing digital signal communications among said configurable memory of said signal conditioner,said configurable memory of said analog-to-digital converter, said program memory, and digital signal processor using a configuration and results bus on a single silicon base.

27. A method of physical variable sensing that integrates intelligent programmable sensors with monitoring and control of said intelligent programmable sensors, comprising the steps of:

sensing physical variables using at least one intelligent programmable silicon sensor;

interconnecting said at least one intelligent programmable silicon sensor with a supervisor monitor/control computer; and

monitoring and controlling said at least one intelligent programmable silicon sensor with said supervisor monitor/control computer, said controlling including executing instructions and said controlling including reprogramming said instructions immediately at any time.