Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Plural supply circuits or sources – Diverse or unlike electrical characteristics
Patent
1980-04-10
1983-03-29
Griffin, Donald A.
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Plural supply circuits or sources
Diverse or unlike electrical characteristics
361397, H05K 118, H02J 116
Patent
active
043785026
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for interfacing input signals of a system with a processor of a programmable controller controlling said system.
In programmable controllers the processor receives input data from the system being controlled via a plurality of input modules arranged on an input rack assembly. The modules are adapted to receive input data from the system indicating the status of the various elements of the system and produce from this data logic signals which are then passed to the processor. The modules also serve to indicate the status of the associated element and to suppress noise.
The input status signals from the system, i.e. inputs from push buttons, limit switches, selector switches, pressure switches, etc., may be of different amplitudes and may be either d.c. or a.c. In such cases it is necessary to identify the characteristics of the signal in a particular channel and provide a compatible input module which is capable of receiving a signal of that characteristic to produce therefrom the required logic signal.
Because of this circumstance, it has been necessary to provide a plurality of different input modules capable of handling the plurality of different input status signal characteristic found in a given system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for interfacing input signals of a system having a plurality of diverse sources of input signals which is manually adjustible to receive and compatibly function with input signals having a range of characteristics. This eliminates the need to maintain or produce diverse input modules each of which is compatible with only one type of status input signal source. Instead, only the interfacing apparatus of the present invention needs to be inventoried and then manually adjusted on site as need arises for compatibility with input status signals of different characteristics.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a circuit board for an input rack assembly of a programmable controller of the type employing input modules. The board includes a plurality of input terminals for receiving status input signals from the system being controlled and a plurality of socket stations for receiving plug-in input modules. Each socket is connected to selected input terminals through an associated signal adjusting circuit. In the preferred embodiment, the signal adjusting circuits include selectably adjustable filters and selectably adjustable potentiometers. By means of manual adjustment the status input signals passed to the individual sockets are adjusted for the desired characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing objects, features and advantages will be described in greater detail and the further objects, features and advantages will be made apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention which is given with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of a circuit board for an input rack assembly according to the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is an electrical circuit diagram of the circuit board of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1, the interfacing apparatus is seen to include a circuit board for an input rack assembly for a programmable controller with a base 1 to which are mounted a plurality of pairs of socket mouldings 11. Each pair of socket mouldings 11 forms a socket adapted to receive plug-in input modules of the type, for example, described in U.K. Pat. Specification No. 1,453,195, now British Pat. No. 1,453,195. Each socket 11 is provided with terminals which connect with pins of the plug-in input module. Socket output terminals connect the plug-in input module to addressing integrated circuits 3 to 8 and serve to feed logic signals from the module to the processor. Alternatively, the sockets and plug-in input modules are replaced by input modules which are permanently
Griffin Donald A.
Guttman Richard T.
Potthast James W.
Square D Company
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