Modular water quality apparatus and method

• US 5,821,405 A
• Filed: 08/14/1997
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hydrolab Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hydrolab Corporation
• Inventors: Dickey, Terry Lee, Alkier, Michael Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Politzer, Jay L.
• Application Number:
  US08/911,213
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 73/19.01, 73/53.01, 73/170.29, 73/866.5, 73/431, 364/509, 364/550
• US Class Current: 73/53.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/002 Automatic recalibration G01D18/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1886 using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys

Abstract

A modular water quality measurement apparatus and method includes a sealed or unsealed housing with a universal sensor interface cap (12) and mechanical and electrical sensor connections (14) for receiving removably attachable sensors (16 or 16'"'"'). Each of the mechanical and electrical sensor connections (14) are individually electrically connected to a programmable motherboard (20) within the housing. Sensor daughterboards (22) are removably attached to the motherboard (20) corresponding to individual sensors (16 or 16'"'"') connected to the universal sensor interface cap (12). Further, removably attachable input/output daughterboards (24) are electrically connected to the motherboard (20) for accommodating various serial interface types and software is provided for collecting information from the sensors (16 or 16'"'"') and transmitting the information through the input/output daughterboards (24) for manipulation by a user. Additionally, a removably attachable plug (26) is provided for sealing mechanical sensor connections (14) which are not sealed by sensors (16 or 16'"'"'). The software includes product software for gathering information from the sensors (16 or 16'"'"'), learnable sensor driver software for directing the product software and manipulating gathered information, and learnable interface software for transmitting the gathered information for further manipulation by various interface devices. In another preferred embodiment, sensor (16'"'"') while including sensing sensor element (28) as does sensor (16), further includes a sensor PCB (32) thereby eliminating the need for sensor daughterboards (22). Sensor (16'"'"') is connected to motherboard (20) by means of sensor interface bus connections (38) thereby enabling the product to be more compact and efficient.

Claims

1. A modularized sensor apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing with a universal sensor interface cap;

(b) mechanical sensor connections in said universal sensor interface cap for receiving uniform, removably attachable, sensors, with each of the mechanical sensor connections individually connected to a programmable motherboard within said housing;

(c) bi-directional sensor daughterboards removably attached to the motherboard, corresponding to individual sensors connected to the universal sensor interface cap; and

(d) software for collecting information from said sensors and transferring the information for manipulation by a user, said software comprising product software for gathering information from the sensor(s), sensor driver software for directing the product software and manipulating gathered information, and interface software for communicating with various interface devices and transmitting the gathered information for further manipulation wherein;

i. said product software further comprising a product software services table for said sensor driver software to call comprising identification services, non-volatile memory write services, and configuration table read access;

ii. said sensor driver software further comprising a sensor driver software table comprising sensor driver title and version identification, parameter number, name(s), and unit(s), parameter calibration, parameter setup, and parameter data; and

iii. said interface software further comprising the following functions;

identification of product title and software version, parameter number, name(s), and unit(s) of said product software, parameter calibration, parameter setup, parameter data, login status, login setup, and login dump.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising removably attachable bi-directional input/output daughterboards connected to the motherboard for accommodating various serial interface types.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising removable, attachable plugs for sealing sensor connections not sealed by sensors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the uniform, removably attachable, sensors further comprise:

(a) a sensor sensing element; and

(b) a sealed connector conformed to fit and seal the mechanical sensor connections in the uniform, sensor interface cap.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional sensor daughterboards further comprise circuitry, appropriate to specific sensor type, at the lowest level necessary to operate the sensor.

6. In a water quality sensing device of the type used to sense physical and chemical properties of water with sensors, a modularized sensor apparatus comprising:

(a) a sealed housing with a universal sensor interface cap;

(b) mechanical sensor connections in said universal sensor interface cap for receiving uniform, removably attachable, sensors with each of the mechanical sensor connections individually connected to a programmable motherboard within said housing, the sensors comprising a sensor sensing element and a sealed connector conformed to fit and seal the mechanical sensor connections in the universal sensor interface cap;

(c) bi-directional sensor daughterboards removably attached to the motherboard corresponding to individual sensors connected to the universal sensor interface cap;

(d) software for collecting information from said sensors and transferring the information for manipulation by a user, said software comprising product software for gathering information from the sensor(s), sensor driver software for directing the product software and manipulating gathered information, and interface software for communicating with various interface devices and transmitting the gathered information for further manipulation wherein;

i. said product software further comprising a product software services table for said sensor driver software to call comprising identification services non-volatile memory write services and configuration table read access;

ii. said sensor driver software further a sensor driver software table comprising sensor driver title and version identification, parameter number, name(s), and unit(s), parameter calibration, parameter setup, and parameter data; and

iii. said interface software further comprising the following functions;

identification of product title and software version, parameter number, name(s), and unit(s) of said product software, parameter calibration, parameter setup, parameter data, login status, login setup, and login dump; and

(e) removably attachable plugs for sealing sensor connections not sealed by sensors.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising removably attachable bi-directional input/output daughterboards connected to the motherboard for accommodating various serial interface types.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bi-directional sensor daughterboards further comprise circuitry, appropriate to the specific sensor type, at the lowest level necessary to operate the sensor.