Device and method for discrete signal conditioning

• US 7,340,543 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Benninger, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Alan S.
• Application Number:
  US10/668,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 710 62- 65
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00314 Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00048 Software architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00322 Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00475 Sorting mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00685 Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00725 Reading symbols, e.g. OCR

Abstract

A circuit card assembly provides signal conditioning for signal discretes in control systems integrating a legacy, distributed processing architecture and a distributed I/O control system. Signal conditioning functions are determined, and the necessary physical circuits to perform the signal conditioning functions are incorporated into a circuit card. The Integrated Signal Conditioning Circuit Card Assembly is installed within the control system between legacy controllers and distributed I/O modules. The Integrated Signal Conditioning Circuit Card Assembly may leave any discrete signal unaltered or otherwise condition discretes with interrupt, interrupt on demand, over-ride, and monitor circuits. The centralized processor accesses and controls the conditioned discretes transmitted over a common hardware connection for use in system feedback and control.

Claims

1. A circuit card assembly connectable to a system, the circuit card assembly comprising:

a plurality of system connections;

circuitry coupled to the plurality of system connections and capable to receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of system connections, the circuitry including

monitoring circuitry capable to receive one of the plurality of signals, and to generate a monitor signal based on the signal received by the monitoring circuit;

interrupt circuitry capable to receive one of the plurality of signals, and to interrupt the signal received by the interrupt circuitry;

override circuitry capable to receive one of the plurality of signals, and to override the signal received by the override circuitry with an override signal; and

pass-through circuitry capable to receive one of the plurality of signals, and to pass the signal received by the pass-through circuitry.

2. The circuit card assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signals, the override signal, and the monitor signal has an analog, direct current format.

3. The circuit card assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signals, the override signal, and the monitor signal has a 5 to 30 volts, analog, direct current format.

4. The circuit card assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signals, the override signal, and the monitor signal has an analog, alternating current format.

5. The circuit card assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signals, the override signal, and the monitor signal has an analog, alternating current format of less than 250 volts.

6. The circuit card assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of signals, the override signal, and the monitor signal has an analog, alternating current format of less than 250 volts, and wherein at least one of the plurality of signals, the override signal, and the monitor signal has a 5 to 30 volts, analog, direct current format.

7. The circuit card assembly of claim 1, wherein the monitoring circuitry, the interrupt circuitry, the override circuitry, and pass-through circuitry include a monitoring circuit, a interrupt circuit, an override circuit, and a pass-through circuit, respectively.

8. The circuit card assembly of claim 7, wherein the monitoring circuitry is further capable to receive the one of the plurality of signals from one of the plurality of system connections, and communicate the signal received by the monitoring circuitry to another of the plurality of system connections,

wherein the interrupt circuitry is further capable to receive the one of the plurality of signals from one of the plurality of system connections, and communicate the signal received by the interrupt circuitry to another of the plurality of system connections when the interrupt circuitry does not interrupt the signal received by the interrupt circuitry,

wherein the override circuitry is further capable to receive the one of the plurality of signals from one of the plurality of system connections, communicate the signal received by the override circuitry to another of the plurality of system connections when the override circuitry does not override the signal received by the override circuitry, and communicate the override signal to the another of the plurality of system connections coupled to the override circuit when the override circuit overrides the signal received by the circuitry, and

wherein the pass-through circuitry is further capable to receive the one of the plurality of signals from one of the plurality of system connections, and to pass the signal received by the pass-through circuitry to another of the plurality of system connections.

9. The circuit card assembly of claim 8, wherein the one of the plurality of signal connections for the monitoring circuitry, the one of the plurality of signal connections for the interrupt circuitry, the one of the plurality of signal connections for the override circuitry, and the one of the plurality of signal connections for the pass-through circuitry are respective system connections, and

wherein the another of the plurality of system connections for the monitoring circuitry, the another of the plurality of signal connections for the interrupt circuitry, the another of the plurality of signal connections for the override circuitry, and the another of the plurality of signal connections for the pass-through circuitry are respective system connections.

10. A system comprising:

a device

a controller;

a circuit card assembly including a first plurality of discrete connections, a second plurality of discrete connections, and a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits electrically coupling a respective one of the first plurality of discrete connections to a respective one of the second plurality of discrete connections, one of the first plurality of discrete connections being coupled to one of the device and the controller, and the respective one of the second plurality of discrete circuit connections being coupled to the other of the device and the controller, the plurality of circuits including

a monitor circuit capable to receive a first signal and generate a monitor signal based on the first signal,

an interrupt circuit capable to receive a second signal and interrupt the second signal,

an override circuit capable to receive a third signal and to override the third signal with an override signal,

a pass-through circuit capable to receive a fourth signal and to conduct the fourth signal through the pass-through circuit.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second controller electrically coupled to the circuit card assembly, and wherein the second controller is capable of receiving a signal based on the monitor signal and of generating a signal having a relation to the override signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the signal based on the monitor signal includes a discrete monitor signal, and the signal having a relation to the override signal includes a discrete override signal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the system includes a modified legacy system, wherein the first controller includes a legacy controller, and wherein the device includes a legacy input device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, override, and monitor signals are selected from a format consisting of an analog, alternating current format of less than 250 volts, and a 5 to 30 volts, analog, direct current format.

15. A method of operating on a plurality of signals of a system, the system including a circuit card assembly having at least eight system connections, the method comprising:

establishing the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, system connections of the circuit card assembly;

receiving a first signal through the first system connection;

monitoring the first signal;

communicating the first signal through the second system connection;

receiving a second signal through the third system connection;

interrupting the second signal;

communicating the second signal through the fourth system connection based on an absence of the interrupting of the second signal;

receiving a third signal through the fifth system connection;

receiving an override signal;

overriding the third signal with the override signal;

communicating the third signal through the sixth system connection based on an absence of overriding the third signal;

communicating the override signal through the sixth system connection based on the overriding the third signal;

receiving a fourth signal through the seventh system connection; and

communicating the fourth signal at the eighth system connection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the system includes a plurality of input and/or output devices, and a controller, and wherein establishing the system connections includes

connecting one of the first system connection and the second system connection to the controller,

connecting the other of the first system connection and the second system connection to a respective one of the plurality of input and/or output devices,

connecting one of the third system connection and the fourth system connection to the controller,

connecting the other of the third system connection and the fourth system connection to a respective one of the plurality of input and/or output devices,

connecting one of the fifth system connection and the sixth system connection to the controller, connecting the other of the fifth system connection and the sixth system connection to a

respective one of the plurality of input and/or output devices, connecting one of the seventh system connection and the eighth system connection to the controller, and

connecting the other of the seventh system connection and the eighth system connection to a respective one of the plurality of input and/or output devices.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the system includes a legacy system, wherein the controller includes a legacy controller.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the system further includes a second controller, wherein the monitoring the first signal includes generating a monitor signal based on the first signal, and wherein the method further comprises communicating the monitor signal to the second controller.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the system further includes a second controller, wherein the method further comprises communicating an interrupt signal from the second controller to the circuit card assembly, and wherein interrupting the second signal is based on the interrupt signal being communicated to the circuit card assembly.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the system further includes a second controller, wherein the method further comprises communicating the override signal from the second controller to the circuit card assembly, and wherein overriding the second signal is based on the overriding signal being communicated to the circuit card assembly.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the system further includes a second controller, wherein the monitoring the first signal includes generating a monitor signal based on the first signal, wherein the method further comprises communicating the monitor signal to the second controller, communicating an interrupt signal from the second controller to the circuit card assembly, and communicating the override signal from the second controller to the circuit card assembly, and wherein interrupting the second signal is based on the interrupt signal being communicated to the circuit card assembly, and wherein overriding the second signal is based on the overriding signal being communicated to the circuit card assembly.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, override, and monitor signals are selected from a format consisting of an analog, alternating current format of less than 250 volts, and a 5 to 30 volts, analog, direct current format.