Compact input measurement module

• US 7,865,326 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Foote, Garritt W., Johnson, Chris S., Clifton, Glen E., Truchard, James J., White, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem; Michael P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Toan M
• Application Number:
  US10/928,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20050234681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,321 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702/127, 702/117, 702/33, 702/57, 702/85, 702/108, 702/113, 702116-118, 710/2, 710/100, 710/104, 710300-305, 710/313, 361724-733, 361/748, 361/752, 361/754, 361/756, 439/325, 439/327, 439/374, 439/526, 439/527, 439/620.01
• US Class Current: 702/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1461 Slidable card holders; Card stiffeners; Control or display means therefor

Abstract

In some embodiments, an input measurement module may be configured to insert into a slot of a carrier using alignment guide slots and corresponding guide projections. Clips on the input measurement module or the carrier may engage corresponding depressions to secure the input measurement module to the carrier. The clips may be spring-loaded. The input measurement module may include a first outer casing and a second outer casing coupled together around a circuit board that interfaces with a backplane of the carrier through a backplane connector.

Claims

1. A module, comprising:

a casing, wherein the casing comprises a module insertion guide;

a circuit board at least partially enclosed in the casing;

a backplane connector coupled to the circuit board;

wherein the module is operable to be inserted into a carrier, wherein the module insertion guide is operable to align the module during insertion into the carrier;

wherein the backplane connector is operable to interface the circuit board with a backplane of the carrier;

wherein at least one latch is operable to physically secure the module to the carrier upon said insertion; and

wherein the at least one latch comprises a clip projection operable to engage a corresponding depression on an exterior surface of the carrier upon insertion of the module into the carrier, and wherein at least a portion of the at least one latch overlaps the exterior surface of the carrier when the at least one latch engages the corresponding depression.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the module insertion guide comprises two or more module insertion guides and wherein at least two of the two or more module insertion guides are mutually asymmetric.

3. The module of claim 2, wherein the two or more module insertion guides are on opposing sides of the casing and are operable to engage corresponding guides on opposing interior surfaces of the carrier to align the module in a correct orientation for insertion into the carrier.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein the module is a reconfigurable input/output module.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the casing has a height approximately in a range of 6 to 10 centimeters (cm), a width approximately in a range of 1 to 3 cm, and a length approximately in a range of 6 to 8 cm.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein the casing has a height approximately in a range of 7 to 9 cm, a width approximately in a range of 2 to 2.5 cm, and a length approximately in a range of 6.5 to 7.5 cm.

7. The module of claim 1, further comprising a front connector on a front of the module operable to be exterior to the carrier when the module is inserted in the carrier.

8. The module of claim 1, further comprising at least one indicator light on a front face of the casing.

9. The module of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a first outer casing and a second outer casing, wherein the first outer casing couples to the second outer casing through a fastening mechanism and wherein the first outer casing and the second outer casing substantially enclose the circuit board when the first outer casing is coupled to the second outer casing through the fastening mechanism.

10. The module of claim 9, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises at least one screw and the first outer casing couples to the second outer casing through the at least one screw proximate to the backplane connector.

11. The module of claim 1, wherein the at least one latch is spring loaded.

12. The module of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises:

an enclosure;

a heat sink coupled to the enclosure; and

a controller comprising a processor board and a power supply board, wherein the controller is coupled to the enclosure.

13. The module of claim 1, wherein the casing is sloped along at least two opposing sides, wherein the at least two opposing sides slope toward each other toward a back of the module that includes the backplane connector.

14. The module of claim 13, wherein the two opposing sides slope toward each other toward a back of the module that includes the backplane connector.

15. The module of claim 1, wherein the module insertion guide comprises at least two asymmetric guide slots, wherein at least one asymmetric guide slot, of the at least two asymmetric guide slots, is on an opposing side of the module as another asymmetric guide slot, of the at least two asymmetric guide slots, and wherein the at least two asymmetric guide slots on the module are operable to be aligned with corresponding guide projections on opposing interior surfaces of the carrier to align the module with the carrier.

16. The module of claim 1,

wherein the at least one latch comprises a first latch and wherein the module further comprises a second latch on an opposing side of the casing as the first latch;

wherein the corresponding depression comprises a first corresponding depression and wherein the carrier further comprises a second corresponding depression; and

wherein the first latch is operable to engage the first corresponding depression on the exterior surface of the carrier and the second latch is operable to engage the second corresponding depression on an exterior surface of the carrier on an opposite side of the carrier as the first corresponding depression upon insertion of the module into the carrier.

17. A module operable to be inserted into a carrier, comprising:

a circuit operable to condition a measurement signal;

a casing substantially enclosing the circuit;

a connector coupled to the casing and to the circuit, wherein the connector is operable to couple the circuit to a backplane;

an alignment device on the casing, wherein the alignment device is operable to align the casing with the carrier as the casing is inserted into the carrier, wherein the alignment device comprises two or more module insertion guide slots on the casing operable to engage two or more guides projections on the carrier, and

a latch, wherein the latch comprises a clip projection operable to engage a corresponding depression on an exterior surface of the carrier, and wherein the latch is operable to physically secure the casing to the carrier when the casing is inserted into the carrier.

18. The module of claim 17, wherein the module is a reconfigurable input/output module.

19. The module of claim 17, wherein the casing has a height approximately in a range of 6 to 10 centimeters (cm), a width approximately in a range of 1 to 3 cm, and a length approximately in a range of 6 to 8 cm.

20. The module of claim 17, wherein the casing has a height approximately in a range of 7 to 9 cm, a width approximately in a range of 2 to 2.5 cm, and a length approximately in a range of 6.5 to 7.5 cm.

21. The module of claim 17, wherein the latch engages the corresponding depression on the exterior surface of the carrier after insertion of the module into the carrier.

22. The module of claim 17, wherein the casing comprises a first outer casing and a second outer casing, wherein the first outer casing couples to the second outer casing through a fastening mechanism and wherein the first outer casing and the second outer casing substantially enclose the circuit board when the first outer casing is coupled to the second outer casing through the fastening mechanism.

23. The module of claim 17, wherein the carrier comprises:

an enclosure;

a heat sink coupled to the enclosure; and

a controller comprising a processor board and a power supply board, wherein the controller is coupled to the enclosure.

24. The module of claim 17, wherein the latch comprises at least one latch on an exterior surface of the carrier.

25. The module of claim 17, wherein the two or more module insertion guide slots comprise at least two asymmetric guide slots, wherein at least one asymmetric guide slot, of the at least two asymmetric guide slots, is on an opposing side of the casing as another asymmetric guide slot, of the at least two asymmetric guide slots, and wherein the asymmetric guide slots on the casing are operable to be aligned with corresponding guide projections, of the two or more guide projections, on opposing interior surfaces of the carrier to align the module with the carrier.

26. A method for inserting an input measurement module into a carrier, comprising:

aligning at least one guide slot with at least one corresponding guide projection to align the input measurement module with the carrier;

inserting the input measurement module into the carrier; and

engaging a clip projection on at least one module clip coupled to the input measurement module to a corresponding depression on an exterior surface of the carrier when the input measurement module is inserted into the carrier to secure the input measurement module to the carrier, wherein at least a portion of the at least one module clip overlaps the exterior surface of the carrier when the clip projection engages the corresponding depression.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the at least one guide slot is on the carrier and at least one of the at least one guide projection is on the input measurement module.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the at least one guide slot is on the input measurement module and at least one of the at least one guide projection is on the carrier.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising applying force to at least one of the at least one module clip coupled to the input measurement module prior to the inserting the input measurement module into the carrier.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the input measurement module comprises the at least one guide slot, wherein the at least one guide slot comprises at least two asymmetric guide slots, wherein at least one asymmetric guide slot, of the at least two asymmetric guide slots, is on an opposing side of the input measurement module as another asymmetric guide slot, of the at least two asymmetric guide slots, and wherein the asymmetric guide slots, of the at least two asymmetric guide slots, on the input measurement module are operable to be aligned with corresponding guide projections, of the at least one corresponding guide projection, on opposing interior surfaces of the carrier to align the input measurement module with the carrier.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

applying force to the at least one module clip to disengage the clip projection on the at least one module clip from the corresponding depression; and

removing the input measurement module from the carrier.