System for converting input/output signals where each amplifier section comprises a storage unit containing information items relating to an associated terminal end

• US 6,052,655 A
• Filed: 03/17/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Instruments Engineering Company Limited, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi NAKA Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujita, Masahiro, Kobayashi, Teruo, Oono, Kouji, Kitakami, Shigemi, Nagase, Ryoichi, Noguchi, Shinzou
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yuan, Chien
• Application Number:
  US09/040,104
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 47/17, 340/517, 340/870.17, 364/184, 702/51, 702/183, 702/57, 702/85, 702/86, 702/104, 702/127, 702/189, 710/15, 710/18, 710/124, 710/130
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/02 Multiplex transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/08 Microprocessor; Microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/203 using electronic means

Abstract

A signal converter which receives signals from a plurality of sensor terminal ends to detect physical quantities in a plant and conducts a necessary correction for the signals to send the signals to a host computer or which transmits signals from the host computer to operation terminal ends in the plant includes a sensor terminal end amplifier including a processing unit for receiving a signal from a sensor terminal end and conducting a predetermined amplifying operation for the signal and a storage unit in which information items related to the sensor terminal and the processing unit are stored, an operation terminal end amplifier including a converting unit for converting signals into predetermined control signals which can be received by the operation terminal end and a storage unit in which information items related to the operation terminal end and the converting unit are stored, and a signal converting section including a connecting unit for connecting the sensor terminal amplifier section to the operation terminal amplifier section and a signal processing unit for conducting signal processing to communicate with the host computer.

Claims

1. An input and output signal converter system of a mixed type which receives signals representing physical quantities from a plurality of sensor terminal ends for detecting physical quantities in a plant, and conducts a necessary correction for the signals to send the signals to a host computer, and which transmits signals from the host computer to operation terminal ends in the plant, wherein, the signal converter system comprises

a sensor terminal end amplifier section including a processing unit for receiving a signal from the sensor terminal end, conducting a predetermined amplifying operation for the signal and outputting the signal to a connecting unit, and a storage unit in which information items related to the sensor terminal end and the processing unit are stored;

an operation terminal end amplifier section including a converting unit for converting signals from the connecting unit into predetermined control signals which can be received by the operation terminal end and a storage unit in which information items related to the operation terminal end and the converting unit are stored; and

a signal converting section including the connecting unit adapted to be connected to the sensor terminal end amplifier section and the operation terminal end amplifier section, and a signal processing unit connected to the connecting unit for conducting signal processing to communicate with the host computer.

2. A signal converter system in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the sensor and operation terminal end amplifier sections can be installed in and can be removed from an arbitrary position of the connecting unit of the signal converter.

3. A signal converter system in accordance with claim 2, wherein

the connecting unit includes a first terminal to receive a signal from the processing unit of the sensor amplifier section, a second terminal to send a signal to the converting unit of the operation amplifier section, and a third terminal to read information from the storage unit respectively of the sensor and operation amplifier sections.

4. A signal converter system in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the processing unit of the sensor amplifier section is set differently in accordance with a type of the sensor terminal end connected thereto.