Electricity: measuring and testing – Measuring – testing – or sensing electricity – per se – Plural ranges – scales or registration rates
Patent
1994-09-08
1996-02-13
Wieder, Kenneth A.
Electricity: measuring and testing
Measuring, testing, or sensing electricity, per se
Plural ranges, scales or registration rates
439266, G01R 104, H01R 2900, G01D 104
Patent
active
054914060
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a device with a unit comprising at least one plug for a pluggable module that forwards signals to a processing and/or peripheral unit, with adaptation of the measuring range of the unit to the measuring range of the signals being provided.
A device of this kind is known from Siemens Catalog ST 54.1, 1990, Chapter 4, "input/output modules." A signal former, e.g. an analog input module, is provided with four plugs to receive pluggable modules, which adapt the measuring ranges of this signal former to the measuring ranges of process input signals. The signals are digitized in the signal former and forwarded to a processing unit for further processing. Different measuring range modules are provided for different measuring ranges, e.g. .+-.1 V, .+-.20 mA, which interferes with planning an automation system. In addition, it is not possible to match the signal former and module to one another, since the module and the signal former are manufactured and tested separately and planning during testing is not known.
The goal of the present invention is to provide a device of the species recited at the outset which simplifies planning of an automation system with regard to the use of signal formers.
This goal is achieved by virtue of the fact that the module is differently pluggable into the plug, by the fact that the plug is provided with a first means that bears an effective relationship with a second means of the module such that a measuring range is set by the position of the plugged-in module.
With the device according to the invention, only one module is required for all measuring ranges, i.e. for all voltage and current ranges. The desired measuring range is adjusted by the position of the module on the plug.
The plug of the signal former has a simple input circuit with a plurality of connectable measuring points which are short circuited by bridges in the module in accordance with the desired measuring range to be set.
In one embodiment of the invention according to features of claim 3, the processing unit detects for example what measuring range has been set and can then distinguish non-noisy signals from noisy signals. It can process signals correctly and recognize signal errors.
The module can be designed so that the necessary bridges for each measuring range are arranged on partial surfaces of a side, for example of a cube. The module can however also be designed in such fashion that each side of a cube has bridges for one measuring range.
Additional advantageous embodiments of the invention will follow from the other subclaims.
The invention will now be described in greater detail together with its embodiments and advantages with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.
FIG. 1 shows an input circuit for an analog input;
FIG. 2 shows different measuring range settings with the input circuit according to FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 show various module designs;
FIG. 5 shows various types of modules; and
FIG. 6 shows the marks on a plug on an analog input.
In FIG. 1, S1, S2, . . . S9 represent connectable measuring points of an input circuit of a plug of an analog input. These measuring points conduct input signals to inputs E1, E2 through resistors R1, R2, . . . R5 depending on the bridge settings at these measuring points to outputs A1, A2. Thus for example three circuit versions shown in FIGS. 2a to 2c can be set for three different measuring ranges. A circuit version according to FIG. 2a is produced by virtue of the fact that a connection of measuring point S7 with S8 and bridging of measuring point S9 are produced, a circuit version according to FIG. 2b is produced by connecting measuring point S2 with S7, measuring point S5 with S8, and by bridging measuring point S9. Another circuit version according to FIG. 2c is produced by connecting point S7 with S8 and S3 with S9.
In order to set the three circuit versions shown in FIG. 2 and hence three measuring ranges, bridges BR are combined in FIG. 3 in a module MO1 embedded in plastic, corresponding to these measuring ranges to be s
Bowser Barry
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Wieder Kenneth A.
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