Control device for the actuation of switchgears according to a time program

• US 5,629,879 A
• Filed: 12/19/1994
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Landis & GYR Technology Innovation AG (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Lelle, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/359,277
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/579, 371/24, 371/48, 371/72, 395/750, 110/185, 373/108, 307/141, 307/141.4, 307/141.8, 307/11, 307/125, 307/130, 307/131, 307/39, 307/12, 307/31, 307/35
• US Class Current: 702/108
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/08 Microprocessor; Microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/20 Opto-coupler
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2227/16 Checking components, e.g. electronic
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/242 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/167 Circuits for remote indication

Abstract

The information on the state of switchgears (2.1;2.2) appearing on call circuits in the form of analog low-voltage signals is conveyed in parallel to a circuit block (4). The information is digitalized at given points in time in the form of binary values "0" or "1" and is transmitted in series to a microprocessor (1). Preferably the circuit block (4) comprises at least one shift register in cascade connection. Call circuits are coupled to the circuit block solely via a high-impedance resistor (3.1;3.2). The circuit block (4) is supplied by a voltage supply circuit (5) so that when one of the switchgears (2.1;2.2) is in the open state, a current flows alternately via one of the protection diodes (D1S.1,D2S.1;DIS.2,D2S.2) of the circuit block (4), and does not do so when one of the switchgears (2.1;2.2) is in the closed state. To ascertain whether a voltage (U₁,U2) at the input (4.1;4.2) of the circuit block (4) is D.C. or A.C., the microprocessor (1) effects a multiple scanning within a time period of one to two network half-waves and makes an analysis of values detected consecutively in time. The control device is especially well suited for the control of art oil or gas burner in continuous operation.

Claims

1. A control device comprising,

a timer and control logic unit,

a plurality of switchgears actuated by said timer and control logic unit according to a time program,

a plurality of loads having a current supply which is controlled by the switchgears, the loads being connected in a mains-voltage network between a phase and ground in series with the switchgears,

a circuit block having a plurality of inputs electrically connected to taps located in a current path between said switchgears and said loads and having an output connected to said timer and control logic unit,

a plurality of call circuits, each call circuit having an output connected to an input of the circuit block and an input connected to one of said taps wherein each call circuit comprises a resistor, and

a voltage supply circuit which supplies said circuit block from between said phase and said ground,

wherein said circuit block comprises a plurality of protection diodes,

wherein when one of said switchgears is in an open state, current flows via said protection diodes assigned to a corresponding input of said circuit block so that voltage signals from said call circuits assume a varying evolution in time at said corresponding input in relation to a reference point of said circuit block, and wherein said evolution of said voltage signals is constant when said switchgear is in a closed state, and

wherein said timer and control logic unit carries out a test cycle at given points in time to ascertain the state of the switchgears.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein during said test cycle said timer and control logic unit

detects said voltages at said circuit block inputs at predetermined points in time as a function of a predetermined voltage;

causes said detected voltages to be transmitted to itself via a serial output of said circuit block and a serial data line, and

determines the state of the switchgears according to said detected voltages.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein said timer and control logic unit comprises a microprocessor.

4. The control device of claim 1, wherein said detected voltages are detected as binary numbers.

5. The control device of claim 1, wherein said test cycle comprises a multiple scanning.

6. The control device of claim 1, wherein said timer and control logic unit is supplied by said voltage supply circuit from the phase of the mains-voltage network and said resistors are connected directly to inputs of said timer and control logic unit.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein said circuit block comprises at least one shift register connected in cascade.

8. The control device of claim 1, wherein said circuit block and said timer and control logic unit are galvanically separated.

9. The control device of claim 1, wherein said timer and control logic carries out a test cycle at certain points in time to detect the state of said switchgears in order to detect malfunctions in continuous operation of a system controlled by said control device.

10. The control device of claim 1, wherein said timer and control unit determines the state of the switchgears based on an addition of the detected binary numbers.

11. The control device of claim 4, wherein said timer and control unit determines the state of the switchgears as soon as one of the binary numbers is different from an appertaining binary number found at a previous point in time t_i-1 or as soon as a time period between a first scanning at point in time t₁ and a last scanning at point in time t_i is longer than the duration of a network half-wave.

12. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a test module having a serial data input and a plurality of parallel outputs, wherein said parallel outputs are connected to said parallel inputs of said circuit block, said parallel outputs being switchable to either a conductive or a high-impedance tristate state and said serial data input is connected to said timer and control logic unit.

13. The control device of claim 12, wherein said test module comprises at least one shift register connected in cascade.

14. The control device of claim 12, wherein said timer and control logic unit carries out a test cycle at predetermined points in time to detect input coupling errors or hardware errors of the circuit block by entering a test pattern via a serial circuit line into said test module, by putting said test module in a conductive state, by causing the voltage levels (U₁ to U₈) appearing at the inputs of the circuit block to be detected and transmitted to itself, by comparing this reported test pattern with the emitted test pattern and by putting the test module back into the tristate state.

15. The control device of claim 14, wherein said test pattern comprises binary values.