Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral configuration
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-13
2001-04-03
Lee, Thomas (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral configuration
C710S036000, C710S037000, C710S038000, C710S012000, C358S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212580
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an instrumentation recorder system, and more particular to an instrumentation recorder system which reads an instrumental signal from an input module so as to record instrumental data derived from the instrumental signal, and transmits the instrumental data recorded therein to an output module.
(2) Description of the Related Art
An instrumentation recorder system which reads instrumental signals supplied by plural input modules, so as to record the instrumental data from the input modules in a data memory, is known. In the instrumentation recorder system, a recorder main part is provided to record the instrumental data in the data memory, and the recorder main part includes plural slots for accommodating the input modules being inserted. The input modules inserted in the recorder main part are changeable depending on the type of the instrumental signals supplied by the input modules. Among the input modules being inserted, there are an analog-input module and a digital-input module, the analog-input module supplying an analog instrumental signal to the recorder main part, the digital-input module supplying a digital instrumental signal to the recorder main part.
In a conventional instrumentation recorder system of the above type, some of the slots of the recorder main part are allocated for the analog-input modules only, and the other slots of the recorder main part are allocated for the digital-input modules only. For example, it is impossible to make use of the digital-input module inserted in one of the analog-input slots for the analog-input modules only. The number of the analog-input modules that can be effectively used with the recorder main part or the number of the digital-input modules that can be effectively used with the recorder main part is limited.
There is another conventional recorder system in which a particular one of the slots of the recorder main part is allocated for an output module only. When the output module is inserted in the recorder main part, the recorder main part transmits the recorded instrumental data to the output module. Similarly, in such a recorder system, it is impossible to make use of the output module inserted in one of the analog-input slots or the digital-input slots. Because the output slot for the output module only must be included in the slots of the recorder main part, the number of the input modules that can be effectively used with the recorder main part is further limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved instrumentation recorder system in which the above-described problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated recorder system in which a plurality of modules can be arbitrarily inserted in or withdrawn from the slots of the recorder main part, regardless of whether the module being inserted is the input module or the output module.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an integrated recorder system comprising: a recorder main part having a control unit which records instrumental data in a data memory, the control unit and the data memory being interconnected by a shared bus; a plurality of modules which are arbitrarily inserted in or withdrawn from the recorder main part, the plurality of modules including an input module, the input module having a connector terminal from which an instrumental signal is supplied, wherein, when the instrumental signal is an analog signal, the input module converts the analog signal into a digital signal indicating instrumental data, and supplies the digital signal to the recorder main part; and a data interface unit which is provided in the recorder main part and has a plurality of slots which connect the plurality of modules inserted therein to the data interface unit, the data interface unit being controlled by the control unit through the bus to read the instrumental signal from the input module when inserted in the recorder main part, such that the instrumental data is recorded in the data memory, and controlled by the control unit through the bus to transmit the instrumental data, recorded in the data memory, to an output module when inserted in the recorder main part.
In the integrated recorder system of the present invention, the plurality of modules can arbitrarily be inserted in or withdrawn from the slots of the data interface unit of the recorder main part, regardless of whether the module being inserted is the input module or the output module. It is not necessary to allocate a particular slot of the recorder main part for an output-only module or to allocate a particular slot of the recorder main part for an input-only module. It is possible for the integrated recorder system of the present invention to allocate all the slots of the data interface unit to the input modules which supply either analog signals or digital signals to the recorder main part. The integrated recorder system of the present invention is effective in providing flexibility of the number of the input modules or the output modules that can be inserted in the slots of the data interface unit.
In the integrated recorder system of the a present invention, each of the plurality of modules is provided with a memory which stores a module description data indicating the type of the module and the type of the instrumental signal related to the module, and the recorder main part supplies control data to a control register of the module based on the module description data from the memory of the module. The control register supplies the control data to the elements of the module, and the elements of the module are operated with the recorder main part in accordance with the control data. The integrated recorder system of the present invention is effective in automatically reading an instrumental signal from the input module, so as to record instrumental data derived from the instrumental signal, and in automatically transmitting the instrumental data recorded therein to the output module, regardless of the type of the modules inserted in the recorder main part.
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Hosaka Shizuo
Ihara Keizo
Kumamoto Mineaki
Ladas & Parry
Lee Thomas
Perveen Rehana
Teac Corporation
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