Fieldbus unit for a two-conductor fieldbus

• US 9,035,483 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Simon, Antoine
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ BORROTO, ALFONSO
• Application Number:
  US12/452,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,504 Days
• Field of Search: 307/1, 700/295
• US Class Current: 307/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40221 Profibus

Abstract

A fieldbus unit for connection of a field device to a fieldbus comprising two conductors is designed to transfer a signal via the fieldbus by modulation of an electrical current drawn by the field device. The fieldbus unit comprises: an electrical current control transistor, through which the electrical current drawn by the field device flows, wherein the electrical current drawn by the field device is controlled via a base current of the electrical current control transistor; a bipolar transistor, via whose emitter-collector, electrical current path the base current for driving the electrical current control transistor flows; as well as an electrical current controller, which produces an electrical current control signal for controlling the electrical current drawn by the field device. The base of the bipolar transistor is placed at an essentially constant potential, which is so selected, that the bipolar transistor supplies the electrical current control transistor a base current sufficient for start-up of the field device, when the electrical current controller is not supplied with electrical current and delivers no electrical current control signal. The electrical current controller feeds the electrical current control signal via the emitter-collector, electrical current path of the bipolar transistor.

Claims

1. A fieldbus unit for the connection of a field device to a fieldbus comprising two conductors, wherein the fieldbus unit is designed for transferring a signal over the fieldbus by modulation of an electrical current drawn by the field device, the fieldbus unit, comprises:

an electrical current control transistor, through which the electrical current drawn by the field device flows, wherein the electrical current drawn by the field device is controlled via a base current of said electrical current control transistor;

an electrical current controller, which produces an electrical current control signal for controlling the electrical current drawn by the field device; and

a bipolar transistor, which is operated in common base configuration and via whose emitter-collector, electrical current path the base current for operating said electrical current control transistor flows, wherein;

the base of said bipolar transistor is kept at an essentially constant potential, which so is selected, that said bipolar transistor supplies said electrical current control transistor a base current sufficient for start-up of the field device, when said electrical current controller is not supplied with electrical current and delivers no electrical current control signal; and

said electrical current controller feeds the electrical current control signal via the emitter-collector, electrical current path of the bipolar transistor.

2. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the field device comprises a physical to electrical, sensor element, and the signal is a measurement signal of said physical to electrical, sensor element.

3. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said bipolar transistor provides for said electrical current control transistor, when said electrical current controller is not supplied with electrical current and delivers no electrical current control signal, a base current, which is sufficiently large to make said electrical current control transistor conductive and to supply the field device with electrical current.

4. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the base of said bipolar transistor is set with the aid of one or more, series connected, conductively oriented diodes to a potential positive relative to the circuit zero point.

5. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the base of said electrical current control transistor is connected via the emitter-collector path of said bipolar transistor and an electrical current limiting resistor with a circuit zero point of the fieldbus unit.

6. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said bipolar transistor is an npn-transistor, and the emitter of said bipolar transistor is connected with the circuit zero point via an electrical current limiting resistor.

7. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said bipolar transistor is an npn-transistor; and

said electrical current controller is designed to supply the electrical current control signal to the emitter of said bipolar transistor.

8. A field device for connection to a fieldbus comprising two conductors, wherein the field device comprises a fieldbus unit for the connection of a field device to a fieldbus comprising two conductors, wherein the fieldbus unit is designed for transferring a signal over the fieldbus by modulation of an electrical current drawn by the field device, the fieldbus unit, comprises:

an electrical current control transistor, through which the electrical current drawn by the field device flows, wherein the electrical current drawn by the field device is controlled via a base current of said electrical current control transistor;

an electrical current controller, which produces an electrical current control signal for controlling the electrical current drawn by the field device; and

a bipolar transistor, which is operated in common base configuration and via whose emitter-collector, electrical current path the base current for operating said electrical current control transistor flows, wherein;

the base of said bipolar transistor is kept at an essentially constant potential, which so is selected, that said bipolar transistor supplies said electrical current control transistor a base current sufficient for start-up of the field device, when said electrical current controller is not supplied with electrical current and delivers no electrical current control signal; and

said electrical current controller feeds the electrical current control signal via the emitter-collector, electrical current path of the bipolar transistor.

9. A fieldbus unit for connection of a field device to a fieldbus comprising two conductors, wherein the fieldbus unit is designed for transferring a signal via the fieldbus by modulation of an electrical current drawn by the field device, the fieldbus unit, comprises:

an electrical current control transistor, through which the electrical current drawn by the field device flows, wherein the electrical current drawn by the field device is controlled via a base current of said electrical current control transistor;

an electrical current controller, which produces an electrical current control signal for controlling the electrical current drawn by the field device;

a field effect transistor, which is operated in common gate configuration and via whose source-drain, electrical current path the base current for driving said electrical current control transistor flows, wherein;

the gate connection of said field effect transistor is placed at an essentially constant potential, which is so selected, that said field effect transistor supplies to said electrical current control transistor a base current sufficient for start-up of the field device, when said electrical current controller is not supplied with electrical current and delivers no electrical current control signal; and

said electrical current controller feeds the electrical current control signal via the source-drain, electrical current path of the field effect transistor.

10. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the field device comprises a physical to electrical, sensor element and the signal is a measurement signal of said physical to electrical, sensor element.

11. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said field effect transistor provides to said electrical current control transistor, when said electrical current controller is not supplied with electrical current and delivers no electrical current control signal, a base current, which is sufficiently large to make said electrical current control transistor conductive, in order to supply the field device with electrical current.

12. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said field effect transistor is a junction-FET, abbreviated JFET, whose source-drain path conducts, when its gate is connected with the circuit zero point.

13. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the base of said electrical current control transistor is connected via the source-drain path of said field effect transistor and an electrical current limiting resistor with a circuit zero point of the fieldbus unit.

14. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the gate of said field effect transistor is connected with the circuit zero point.

15. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the drain of said field effect transistor is connected with the circuit zero point via an electrical current limiting resistor.

16. The fieldbus unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said electrical current controller is designed to supply the electrical current control signal to the drain of said field effect transistor.

17. A field device for connection to a fieldbus comprising two conductors, wherein the field device comprises a fieldbus unit for connection of a field device to a fieldbus comprising two conductors, wherein the fieldbus unit is designed for transferring a signal via the fieldbus by modulation of an electrical current drawn by the field device, the fieldbus unit, comprises:

an electrical current control transistor, through which the electrical current drawn by the field device flows, wherein the electrical current drawn by the field device is controlled via a base current of said electrical current control transistor;

an electrical current controller, which produces an electrical current control signal for controlling the electrical current drawn by the field device;

a field effect transistor, which is operated in common gate configuration and via whose source-drain, electrical current path the base current for driving said electrical current control transistor flows, wherein;

the gate connection of said field effect transistor is placed at an essentially constant potential, which is so selected, that said field effect transistor supplies to said electrical current control transistor a base current sufficient for start-up of the field device, when said electrical current controller is not supplied with electrical current and delivers no electrical current control signal; and

said electrical current controller feeds the electrical current control signal via the source-drain, electrical current path of the field effect transistor.