Method and apparatus for transmission of energy and data

• US 8,928,181 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser GmbH+Co (ENDRESS)
• Original Assignee: Endress + Hauser Conducta Gesellschaft Fur Mess- Und Regeltechnik Mbh + Co. Kg
• Inventors: Buschnakowski, Stephan, Pechstein, Torsten, Scheibe, Sven-Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/733,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 307/91, 607/61, 607/32, 607/33, 607/10
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0211 with control of the supply voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0238 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/321 Use of a microprocessor in an amplifier circuit or its control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2176 Class E amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0266 Arrangements for providing Galvanic isolation, e.g. by means of magnetic or capacitive coupling

Abstract

In a method and in an apparatus for transmission of energy and data, with a primary side, on which an amplifier is arranged, with a secondary side, on which a data source, e.g. a measuring sensor, is arranged, and with a plug-together assembly inductively coupling, galvanically completely isolated, the primary side and the secondary side, to minimize power losses and disturbing influences of fluctuating parameters, power from the plug-together assembly and from the amplifier, preferably a Class-E-amplifier, is controlled to a predeterminable, desired value. For this, a microcontroller taps the primary voltage on the primary winding and produces for the amplifier a controlled operating voltage as well as a controlled operating frequency, in order to keep the working point of the amplifier always in the optimal region.

Claims

1. A method for the transmission of energy and data, wherein a primary side with an amplifier with a connected primary winding and a secondary side with a data source are provided, wherein said data source is a digital sensor with a connected secondary winding, comprising the steps of:

inductively coupling, galvanically completely isolating the amplifier and the data source by means of a plug-together assembly;

inductively transmitting energy from the amplifier to the data source on the secondary side, and inductively transmitting data in the opposing direction from the data source to the amplifier;

controlling the power drawn by the plug-together assembly and the data source by means of a microcontroller, wherein said microcontroller is situated on the primary side;

controlling the operating frequency for the amplifier by means of the microcontroller as a function of primary voltage on said primary winding; and

controlling the operating voltage for the amplifier by means of the microcontroller as a function of the primary voltage on said primary winding,

wherein said microcontroller receives said primary voltage from said primary winding and produces and controls, as a function of the primary voltage, said operating frequency and said operating voltage for said amplifier,

wherein said microcontroller controls a DC-DC converter for producing said controlled operating voltage for said amplifier,

wherein on the input of said DC-DC converter lies a voltage delivered by a measured value transmitter,

wherein said amplifier is a Class-E amplifier,

wherein connected to the output of said Class-E amplifier is said primary winding,

wherein said secondary winding is connected to a combined input and output of the digital sensor, and

wherein said primary winding and said secondary winding are arranged in said plug-together assembly.

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

the microcontroller supplies the amplifier with the operating frequency.

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

the method is provided in a measurement installation for measuring physical variables.

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

supplementally, inductive data transmission occurs from the primary side to the secondary side.

5. An apparatus for the transmission of energy and data, comprising:

a primary side with an amplifier with a connected primary winding and a secondary side with a data source, wherein said data source is a digital sensor with a connected secondary winding;

a microcontroller, wherein said microcontroller is situated on the primary side; and

a plug-together assembly, wherein;

said amplifier and said data source are inductively coupled, galvanically completely isolated by said plug-together assembly;

energy is inductively transmittable from the amplifier to the data source on the secondary side and data are inductively transmittable in the opposing direction from the data source to the amplifier;

power drawn by said plug-together assembly and said data source is controllable by means of said microcontroller;

the operating frequency for said amplifier is controllable by means of said microcontroller as a function of primary voltage on said primary winding;

the operating voltage for said amplifier is controllable by means of said microcontroller as a function of the primary voltage on said primary winding;

wherein said microcontroller receives said primary voltage from said primary winding and produces and controls, as a function of the primary voltage, said operating frequency and said operating voltage for said amplifier,

wherein a DC-DC converter is operable by means of said microcontroller for producing said controlled operating voltage for said amplifier,

wherein on the input of said DC-DC converter lies a voltage delivered by a measured value transmitter,

wherein said amplifier is a Class-E amplifier,

wherein connected to the output of said Class-E amplifier is said primary winding,

wherein said secondary winding is connected to a combined input and output of the digital sensor, and

wherein said primary winding and said secondary winding are arranged in said plug-together assembly.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said amplifier is suppliable with the operating frequency by means of said microcontroller.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the apparatus is provided in a measurement installation for measuring physical variables.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

supplementally, inductive data transmission is provided from said primary side to said secondary side.