Fault tolerant multipoint data collection system
First Claim
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1. A multipoint data collection system comprising:
- a plurality of parallel data buses organized into a single cable, each data bus being adapted to carry data independently of each other data bus;
a central controller including a plurality of bus interface means each being connected to a corresponding one of the data buses, the central controller being adapted to send an address signal to a plurality of sensor interfaces, the address signal including a sensor address identifying a selected sensor interface and a bus address identifying a selected one of the parallel data buses from among the plurality of parallel data buses; and
the plurality of sensor interfaces, each being connected to more than one of the parallel data buses in the cable and to a corresponding sensor and each having a unique sensor address, each sensor interface including address means responsive to the address signal for connecting the corresponding sensor to the selected one of the parallel data buses specified in the bus address of the address signal when the unique sensor address of the corresponding sensor matches the sensor address specified in the address signal to send data from the corresponding sensor to the central controller over the selected one of the parallel data buses.
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Abstract
A multipoint data collection system uses multiple parallel data buses connecting a central controller to addressable sensor interfaces to permit any sensor to be connected to a central controller over any one of the data buses. Faults on a data bus may be bypassed, or multiple sensors monitored simultaneously in real time, through the use of the parallel data buses. Digital address signals and analog data are transmitted on the same data bus, distinguished from one another by restricting the voltage range of the analog data to voltages above the voltage corresponding to a digital zero and below the voltage corresponding to a digital one.
64 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A multipoint data collection system comprising:
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a plurality of parallel data buses organized into a single cable, each data bus being adapted to carry data independently of each other data bus; a central controller including a plurality of bus interface means each being connected to a corresponding one of the data buses, the central controller being adapted to send an address signal to a plurality of sensor interfaces, the address signal including a sensor address identifying a selected sensor interface and a bus address identifying a selected one of the parallel data buses from among the plurality of parallel data buses; and the plurality of sensor interfaces, each being connected to more than one of the parallel data buses in the cable and to a corresponding sensor and each having a unique sensor address, each sensor interface including address means responsive to the address signal for connecting the corresponding sensor to the selected one of the parallel data buses specified in the bus address of the address signal when the unique sensor address of the corresponding sensor matches the sensor address specified in the address signal to send data from the corresponding sensor to the central controller over the selected one of the parallel data buses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A multipoint data collection system comprising:
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a plurality of data buses organized into a cable, each data bus having a corresponding bus address and each data bus being adapted to carry data independently of each other data bus; a central controller including; an input means for selecting a sensor from which data is to be collected, a microcontroller responsive to the input means for generating an address signal including a sensor address corresponding to the selected sensor and a bus address specifying a selected data bus over which the data should be transmitted, a data output means for outputting data received from the selected sensor, and a plurality of bus interfaces corresponding to the plurality of data buses, each bus interface being connected to the corresponding data bus and to the microcontroller and including; address means for placing the address signal onto the corresponding data bus connected to the bus interface, sensor power means for applying sensor power to the corresponding data bus connected to the bus interface; and a plurality of sensor interfaces adapted for connection at spaced locations along the cable, each sensor interface being connected to the plurality of data buses and to a corresponding sensor, each sensor interface comprising;
means for storing a unique sensor address,an address detector connected to the plurality of data buses, an address comparator, responsive to the address detector, producing a bus select output signal corresponding to the bus address upon receipt of a sensor address from the address detector that matches the unique identifying sensor address, a bus select means, responsive to the bus select output signal of the address comparator, for connecting the sensor to the selected one of the data buses specified in the bus address, and reset means for disconnecting the sensor from the selected data bus. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A multipoint data collection system comprising:
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at least one data bus having a plurality of connection points at spaced locations along the length of the at least one data bus; a central controller including a bus interface means connected to the at least one data bus for sending a digital address signal on the at least one data bus identifying a selected sensor interface; a plurality of sensors producing analog sensor data; and a plurality of sensor interfaces, corresponding to the plurality of sensors, adapted for connection to a at least one data bus and to the corresponding sensor and each including; means for storing a unique address, address means responsive to the digital address signal to produce a match signal when the unique address is included in the digital address signal, switch means closing in response to the match signal to connect the corresponding sensor to the at least one data bus to send analog sensor data to the central controller over the at least one data bus, and reset means for opening the switch means to disconnect the corresponding sensor from the at least one data bus. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification