Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Safety and protection of systems and devices – With specific current responsive fault sensor
Patent
1996-02-29
1996-12-24
Gaffin, Jeffrey A.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Safety and protection of systems and devices
With specific current responsive fault sensor
361103, H02H 300
Patent
active
055878636
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a device for adaptation of signals in an electrical system in which members in the form of sensors, actuators or similar members are fed with digital output signals from the device or in which these members feed the device with digital input signals.
BACKGROUND ART
In connection with communication between electrical units, for example when electrical members of various types communicate with an electronic unit for conveying information to or collecting information from these members, demands for signal adaptation between the electrical units will immediately arise. To carry out this signal adaptation, an input or output unit can be connected nearest the electrical member, which input or output unit is intended to see to the need of signals of the connected member or the electronic unit with respect to current and voltage level as well as signal type. Both analog and digital signal types occur. In this description only digital signal types are described.
In modularized electronic building systems, special input and output units, I/O units, occur, in this case digital I/O units, DI/DO, which take care of the above-mentioned signal adaptation. Such building systems are utilized, for example, within car electronics and industrial process adaptation systems. To cover as many of the signal types occurring as possible, the DI/DO units are designed with a plurality of different functions for adaptation to various demands. The relevant functions of a DI/DO unit are primarily its use as DI unit or DO unit as well as cable supervision, current level warning, current level limitation, temperature level warning, overtemperature protection and the possibility of selection of the voltage range.
All of the above functions are each currently realized in known technique within the field. To be able to satisfy different requirements for fields of applications for DI/DO units, such units have been designed in a number of different variants corresponding to different specifications of requirements. This causes problems in the design and installation of electronics systems according to the above, since each individual DI/DO unit must be specified. A requirement for realization of one single DI/DO unit will naturally arise, which, per se, comprises all of the above desirable functions.
Modularized DI/DO units already exist on the market, which units integrate several of the above-mentioned functions in one and the same module, however, not all of those enumerated above at the same time. In the following description, a DI/DO module will be described which claims to possess all of the above-mentioned functions available and integrated in one and the same module.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a device for adaptation of digital input signals or output signals and which, per se, exhibits the following functions: selection between utilizing the device as a binary input or output unit, selection of cable supervision, selection of current level warning, selection of current limiting level, selection of temperature level warning, selection of temperature protection, and selection of voltage range. By having access to the functions current limiting level and overtemperature protection, unlimited faulty connection under current and voltage conditions within the field of application may be allowed. All of the enumerated functions are housed within one and the same electronic unit, which is achieved by a far-reaching. integration of the components used in few integrated circuits. The selection of the function mode is obtained by a simple programming.
The far-reaching integration of the invention, which at the same time comprises the above-mentioned supervision functions, is made possible by utilizing power MOSFET circuits, called PMF, integrated as application specified integrated circuits, usually called ASIC circuits. These ASIC circuits comprise power MOSFET transistors adapted to realize the above-mentioned supervision and protection functions.
The princip
REFERENCES:
patent: 4593380 (1986-06-01), Kocher et al.
patent: 4628397 (1986-12-01), Gareis et al.
patent: 4951250 (1990-08-01), Cruickshank et al.
ASIC Like HVIC for Interfacing to Half-Bridge Based Power Circuits; Mansmann et al.; PESC '88 Record (Apr. 1988).
Bergstrom Jan O.
Liljegren Lars
renas Anders
Skarhed Ove
Asea Brown Boveri AB
Gaffin Jeffrey A.
Leja Ronald W.
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