ANALOG FRONT-END CIRCUIT FOR MEASUREMENT

• US 20130182595A1
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: SHIMIZU, Kazuhiro, KOMACHI, Tomonori, YASUDA, Kazuhide, MORI, Sadao
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/022 having an ideal characteristic, map or correction data stored in a digital memory
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/0827 of electromagnetic or electrostatic field noise, e.g. preventing crosstalk by shielding or optical isolation
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/368 of noise other than the quantisation noise already being shaped inherently by delta-sigma modulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0083 Arrangements for transferring signals between different components of the apparatus, e.g. arrangements of signal lines or cables for control or supervision between image input and output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

An analog front-end circuit for measurement used as an interface between a sensor and a control device includes: an isolated part including at least an AD conversion circuit configured to serve as an interface to the sensor; a non-isolated part including at least a control circuit configured to serve as an interface to the control device; and an isolated communication unit configured to perform isolated half-duplex communication between the isolated part and the non-isolated part. The control circuit is configured to transmit an AD conversion instruction to the AD conversion circuit after providing setting for measurement to the isolated part via the isolated communication unit, obtain a result of AD conversion by the AD conversion circuit from the isolated part via the isolated communication unit, and transfer the obtained AD conversion result to the control device.

Claims

1. An analog front-end circuit for measurement used as an interface between a sensor and a control device, the circuit comprising:

an isolated part including at least an AD conversion circuit configured to serve as an interface to the sensor;

a non-isolated part including at least a control circuit configured to serve as an interface to the control device; and

an isolated communication unit configured to perform isolated half-duplex communication between the isolated part and the non-isolated part, wherein

the control circuit is configured to

transmit an AD conversion instruction to the AD conversion circuit after providing setting for measurement to the isolated part via the isolated communication unit,

obtain a result of AD conversion by the AD conversion circuit from the isolated part via the isolated communication unit, and

transfer the obtained AD conversion result to the control device.

2. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 1, wherein

the non-isolated part is configured to insert continuous NOP instructions at equal intervals between the AD conversion instruction and a next AD conversion instruction, and transmit these instructions to the isolated part via the isolated communication unit, and

the isolated part is configured to recover a clock to be used therein by extracting clock components superimposed on the AD conversion instructions and the NOP instructions, and further transfer the AD conversion result and provide a status response to the non-isolated part via the isolated communication unit.

3. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 1, wherein the isolated part includes:

an input switching circuit configured to switch one or more input sensor outputs;

a setting monitor register in which the setting for measurement provided by the non-isolated part is stored;

an amplifier configured to amplify the output from the sensor selected in a range included in the setting and output the amplified sensor output to the AD conversion circuit;

a communication circuit configured to perform the isolated half-duplex communication with the non-isolated part via an isolated communication transformer; and

a DC-DC converter configured to convert power supplied from the control device via the non-isolated part and an isolated power supply transformer into a required voltage.

4. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 3, wherein the isolated part further includes an excessive input protection circuit that is arranged between the sensor and the input switching circuit and configured to protect internal circuits from excessive input due to the output from the sensor.

5. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 3, wherein the isolated communication transformer is formed by a wiring pattern on a substrate on which the isolated part and the non-isolated part are mounted.

6. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 3, wherein the isolated power supply transformer is a piezoelectric transformer.

7. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 3, wherein the isolated part, the non-isolated part, the isolated communication unit, and the isolated power supply transformer are mounted on the same substrate.

8. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 1, wherein the non-isolated part includes:

a peripheral circuit connected to an internal bus and including a communication circuit configured to perform isolated half-duplex communication via the control circuit and the isolated communication unit; and

a transformer driver configured to drive the isolated power supply transformer configured to supply power supplied from the control device to the isolated part.

9. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 8, wherein the isolated power supply transformer is a piezoelectric transformer.

10. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 1, wherein the isolated part, the non-isolated part, and the isolated communication unit are mounted on the same substrate.

11. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 8, wherein the isolated part, the non-isolated part, the isolated communication unit, and the isolated power supply transformer are mounted on the same substrate.

12. The analog front-end circuit for measurement according to claim 1, wherein the non-isolated part is configured to insert continuous NOP instructions at equal intervals between the AD conversion instruction and a next AD conversion instruction when transmitting the AD conversion instruction to the isolated part via the isolated communication unit.