Accelerometer method and apparatus for integral display and control functions
First Claim
1. Display apparatus responsive to a transducer for detecting mechanical vibration and outputting an analog signal in response thereto, said display apparatus comprising:
- a transducer electrical output connection for receiving a transducer signal;
a display driver for generating digital signals and applying said digital signals to a plurality of output lines, said digital signals being responsive to the amplitude of said analog transducer signal;
a bar graph display connected to said plurality of output lines, said bar graph display having a plurality of optical display segments which are activatable in response to said digital signals;
an output connector having a digital trip point signal contact;
a plurality of switches for selectively interconnecting said output connector and said display driver, at least one of said switches having a first contact in common with said output connector digital trip point signal contact, said at least one of said switches having a second contract in common with a corresponding one of said plurality of output lines of said display driver, said at least one of said switches including means for selectively connecting said first and second contacts in common with each other; and
means for optically and electrically isolating said trip point control signal.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for detecting mechanical vibrations and outputting a signal in response thereto. An accelerometer package having integral display and control functions is suitable for mounting upon the machinery to be monitored. Display circuitry provides signals to a bar graph display which may be used to monitor machine conditions over a period of time. Control switches may be set which correspond to elements in the bar graph to provide an alert if vibration signals increase in amplitude over a selected trip point. The circuitry is shock mounted within the accelerometer housing. The method provides for outputting a broadband analog accelerometer signal, integrating this signal to produce a velocity signal, integrating and calibrating the velocity signal before application to a display driver, and selecting a trip point at which a digitally compatible output signal is generated.
116 Citations
9 Claims
-
1. Display apparatus responsive to a transducer for detecting mechanical vibration and outputting an analog signal in response thereto, said display apparatus comprising:
-
a transducer electrical output connection for receiving a transducer signal; a display driver for generating digital signals and applying said digital signals to a plurality of output lines, said digital signals being responsive to the amplitude of said analog transducer signal; a bar graph display connected to said plurality of output lines, said bar graph display having a plurality of optical display segments which are activatable in response to said digital signals; an output connector having a digital trip point signal contact; a plurality of switches for selectively interconnecting said output connector and said display driver, at least one of said switches having a first contact in common with said output connector digital trip point signal contact, said at least one of said switches having a second contract in common with a corresponding one of said plurality of output lines of said display driver, said at least one of said switches including means for selectively connecting said first and second contacts in common with each other; and means for optically and electrically isolating said trip point control signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. Apparatus responsive to a transducer electrical analog output signal representative of mechanical vibration for producing a bar graph display, said apparatus comprising:
-
means for filtering a D.C. electrical component from said transducer electrical signal to produce filtered electrical output signal; means for integrating said filtered electrical output signal to produce an integrating signal; means for calibrating said integrated signal to produce a calibrated signal; means for producing from said calibrated signal a number of discrete digitally compatible electrical output signals wherein the number of said digitally compatible electrical output signals is a positive correlation function of the amplitude of said calibrated signal and each said digitally compatible electrical output signal is generated at a different discrete threshold level of amplitude of said calibrated signal; an output terminal; means for applying a selected one of said digitally compatible output signals to said output terminal as an electrically isolated trip signal when said calibrated signal reaches the level of amplitude at which said selected digitally compatible output signal is generated; a plurality of bar graph elements, each having an electrical input terminal and activatable by application of an electrical signal to its input terminal; and means for electrically coupling each of said plurality of digitally compatible output signals to a different one of the input terminals of said bar graph elements and activating those of said bar graph elements which are coupled to the digital output signals which exceed said trip level to thereby display said digitally compatible output signals as a function of the amplitude of said calibrated signal. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
-
9. Apparatus responsive to a transducer analog output signal representative of mechanical vibration for producing a bar graph display, said apparatus comprising:
-
means for calibrating said transducer signal and for producing from said calibrated signal a number of discrete digitally compatible electrical output signals wherein the number of said digitally compatible electrical output signals is a positive correlation function of the amplitude of said calibrated signal and each said digitally compatible electrical output signal is generated at a different discrete threshold level of amplitude of said calibrated signal; an output terminal; means for applying a selected one of said digitally compatible output signals to said output terminal as a trip signal when said calibrated signal reaches the level of amplitude at which said selected digitally compatible output signal is generated; means for electrically and optically isolating said trip signal to preclude ground loop interference therewith; a plurality of bar graph elements, each having an electrical input terminal and activatable by application of an electrical signal to its input terminal; and means for electrically coupling each of said plurality of digitally compatible output signals to a different one of the input terminals of said bar graph elements and activating those bar graph elements which are coupled to the digital output signals which exceed said trip level to thereby display said digitally compatible output signals as a function of the amplitude of said calibrated signal.
-
Specification