Measuring machine communication

• US 9,660,820 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Fritsch, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Towfighi, Afshawn
• Application Number:
  US14/415,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20150207639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/047 Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/02 Speed or phase control by the received code signals, the signals containing no special synchronisation information H04L7/0075 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method for line-conducted bidirectional communication between subscribers in a measuring system, the subscribers being arranged in a chain-like series structure. In said series structure, each of the subscribers is connected to one of the subscribers that precedes same by means of a first communication interface and to one of the subscribers that follows same by means of a second communication interface. Each of the subscribers has a message processing unit, by means of which the first and second communication interfaces can be operated independently of each other in order to send and/or receive a message. In the communication by the message processing unit, the message is received as a digital data structure by means of the first communication and an identification range of the message is evaluated by comparing a content of the identification range within specified target criteria.

Claims

1. A method for line-connected bidirectional communication between subscribers in a position measuring system of a coordinate measuring device, the position measuring system comprising an arrangement of the subscribers in a chain-shaped serial structure in which, apart from a first and a last of the subscribers in the serial structure, each of the subscribers is connected by means of a first communication interface to one of the subscribers in front and by means of a second communication interface to one of the subscribers behind,

wherein each subscriber has a message processing unit that can be used for controlling the first and second communication interfaces to send and/or receive a message independently of one another, and

the method comprising:

receiving the message as a digital data structure via the first communication interface;

evaluating an identifier region of the message, which region contains information about the message handling by the subscriber, by means of comparison of a content of the identifier region with prescribed setpoint criteria;

on the basis of the comparison result, modifying of the content of the identifier region of the message using a prescribed mapping function that uses the received content of the identifier region to determine a content that needs to be sent for the identifier region;

subsequently forwarding of the message that has had its identifier region modified via the second communication interface; and

processing of the message in the subscriber.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setpoint criteria and the mapping function are the same in all subscribers, wherein the setpoint criteria and the mapping function are firmly stored in the subscribers.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein all subscribers to the communication have equal rank among one another in respect of their communication, and

wherein none of the subscribers is in the form of a communication master that respectively assigns subscriber-specific setpoint criteria and/or mappings to other subscribers.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mapping function is chosen such that groups of subscribers are formed and simultaneously addressed, wherein the mapping function is chosen such that it is possible to perform a broadcast or a multicast for the message.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modification is effected on the basis of that one of the communication interfaces of the subscriber at which the message has been received.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the basis of the message or the identifier of the message the processing prompts generation and dispatch of a response message for the message via at least one of the first interface, the second interface, or all interfaces.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the basis of the message or the identifier of the message the processing prompts no generation and dispatch of a response message.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a special unicast content of the identifier region is used in the measuring system to execute a unicast in which the mapping function prompts decrementing of the content of the identifier region, and

the processing is performed for a content of the identifier region with a prescribed value.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the prescribed value is zero.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a special broadcast content of the identifier region is used in the measuring system to execute a broadcast in which the message is processed by all subscribers and the message is forwarded using mapping that does not alter the content of the identifier region.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a special multicast content of the identifier region is used in the measuring system to execute a multicast in which the message is processed by a subset of all subscribers, which comprises more than one subscriber, and the message is forwarded using mapping that does not alter the content of the identifier region.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a special response content of the identifier region is used in the measuring system to execute response forwarding in which the mapping function prompts incrementing of the content of the identifier region.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the avoidance of access conflicts for one of the communication interfaces involves received messages being buffer-stored in the message processing unit.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication is also effected between a first communication interface of the first of the subscribers and a second communication interface of the last of the subscribers, so that the first of the subscribers is behind the last of the subscribers and the last of the subscribers is in front of the first of the subscribers and the serial structure of the subscribers is closed to form a ring.

21. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause one or more processors to execute the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more programs compares a content of an identifier region of a received message with a setpoint condition and takes the comparison result as a basis for modifying the content of the identifier region in accordance with a mapping function and then forwards the modified message and/or processes the message locally, preferably when the program is executed in a subscriber of a measuring system, specifically in the message processing unit thereof.

15. A subscriber to bidirectional line-connected measuring system communication of a coordinate measuring device, the subscriber comprising:

message processing unit; and

at least two communication interfaces that can be controlled independently of one another by the message processing unit and can be connected to a subscriber in front and a subscriber behind,

wherein the message processing unit is configured to;

receive the message as a digital data structure via the first communication interface;

evaluate an identifier region of the message, which region contains information about the message handling by the subscriber, by means of comparison of a content of the identifier region with prescribed setpoint criteria;

on the basis of the comparison result, modify of the content of the identifier region of the message using a prescribed mapping function that uses the received content of the identifier region to determine a content that needs to be sent for the identifier region;

subsequently forward of the message that has had its identifier region modified via the second communication interface; and

process of the message in the subscriber.

16. The subscriber as claimed in claim 15, wherein the subscriber to bidirectional line-connected measuring system communication comprises a measurement sensor in a position measuring system.

17. The subscriber as claimed in claim 15, wherein the communication interfaces are designed in accordance with the RS422, RS423, RS323 or RS485 specification.

18. The subscriber as claimed in claim 15, wherein a synchronization interface is used to synchronize a subscriber-internal, local clock signal in all subscribers.

19. The subscriber as claimed in claim 18, wherein local clock signal comprises a combined clock trigger signal.

20. A coordinate measuring device having a line-connected communication system with subscribers as claimed in claim 15.