Signal-identifying circuit arrangement

Details Signal-identifying circuit arrangement Signal-identifying circuit arrangement

2000-10-04

2003-10-14

Hoff, Marc S. (Department: 2857)

Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing

Testing system

Of circuit

C702S117000, C702S057000, C702S089000, C702S104000, C324S072500, C324S076390, C324S601000, C700S052000, C700S067000, C710S065000, C710S069000, C710S071000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06633826

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a circuit arrangement for identifying classified signals.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By means of industrial measurement devices, measurands, such as pH value, pressure, temperature, or tank-contents level, are converted into measured-value-carrying electric measurement signals. To accomplish this, the measurand is sensed by means of suitable sensing elements, such as pH electrodes, pressures cells, thermistors, or resistance strain gages, and modulated onto a current component or a voltage component of the measurement signal by means of suitable measurement electronics, such as a resistance bridge. Since sensors can be used only over respective limited measurement ranges of the measurand, the measured values are also represented in a limited current or voltage range.
These current and voltage ranges are generally standardized. Current-modulated measurement signals, for example, are preferably used in a current range of 4 mA . . . 20 mA. Other types of measurement signals familiar to those skilled in the art are, for example, voltage-modulated signals in a voltage range of 0 to 10 V.
To indicate, record, or further process the measured values from the measurement signal and to determine corresponding measurement results, the measurement devices are followed by analog and/or digital signal-processing units, to which the measurement signal is fed through suitable signal-matching input circuits.
If the measured value is modulated on the current of the measurement signal, the signal-matching input circuit is adjusted to operate in a current-sensing mode, and if the measured value is modulated on the voltage of the measurement signal, the input circuit is adjusted to operate in a voltage-sensing mode. Furthermore, it is usual to use such input circuits to implement a signal preprocessing dependent on the type of the measurement signal, e.g., to amplify and/or filter the measurement signal. To accomplish this, during start-up, the respective input signal must be adapted to the respective current or voltage range to be represented.
The setting and adapting of the signal-processing unit can be very time-consuming, particularly if the signal-processing unit receives output signals from two or more measurement devices simultaneously; this may entail very high downtime and start-up costs. In addition, the setting of the signal-processing unit requires exact knowledge of the type of the measurement signals at the measuring points to be connected.
Accordingly, sufficiently fast start-ups necessitate complicated presettings, particularly of the input circuit, i.e., start-ups of such signal-processing units at short notice are practically impossible. In the case of transportable signal-processing units, repeated start-ups are necessary, involving a correspondingly greater expenditure of time and money.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a signal-identifying circuit arrangement for a signal-processing unit which reduces the cost and complication of starting up the signal-processing unit.
To attain this object, the invention consists in a circuit arrangement for identifying an input signal belonging to a predetermined signal class, said circuit arrangement comprising:
signal-matching electronics for the input signal which generate an output signal representative of
a current component of the input signal and/or
a voltage component of the input signal; and
signal recognition electronics which derive from the output signal a recognition signal representative of the signal class.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the circuit arrangement comprises setting electronics that derive from the recognition signal a setting signal serving to set and/or parameterize the signal-matching electronics.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the circuit arrangement comprises a current source providing the current component of the input signal.
In a third embodiment of the invention, the input signal is an output signal from a measurement device. In a fourth embodiment of the invention, the circuit arrangement serves as a component of a data-gathering signal-processing unit.
A basic idea of the invention is to use the signal-processing unit in a signal environment of predetermined signal classes and apply to it, particularly during start-up of the circuit arrangement, an input signal belonging to one of these signal classes and to determine the signal class of the input signal, and thus identify the input signal, by means of the signal recognition electronics.
From the respective detected signal class, inputs for adjusting the signal-matching electronics to operate in a current
or voltage-sensing mode and, if necessary, for a corresponding parameterization of the signal-matching electronics are derived, which are implemented automatically or semiautomatically in communication with the user.
One advantage of the invention is that during start-up, based on an identification of the input signal, the circuit arrangement can be adapted to the input signal automatically and, thus, within a very short time, so that it can be changed to the measuring mode correspondingly fast.
Another advantage of the invention is that during start-up of the signal-processing unit, circuit arrangements not in use, i.e., not having an input signal applied to them, can be identified and, thus, deactivated. Conversely, such circuit arrangements can be activated later during operation of the signal-processing unit and set in a corresponding manner.
The invention and further advantages will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.


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Profos, Paul and Pfeifer, Tilo,Handbuch der industriallen Me⊖technik,R. Oldenbourg Verlag München Wien 1992, pp. 184-187.
Voigt, D.,Ein frei programmierbares mikroprozessorgesteuertes Datensystem für die Erfassung, Übertragung, Speicherung und Auswertung von Me⊖werten,Messen + Prüfen/automatik,Jul./Aug. 1982, pp. 475-476, 479-481.

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