Reconfigurable and scalable hardware management architecture

A digital controller comprising:

• a plurality of input/output (I/O) interfaces configured to be connected to one or more analog sense-and-control (ASC) circuits, wherein:
• each ASC circuit is configured to be connected to monitor an analog characteristic of one or more devices, and
• each ASC circuit is configured to be connected to the digital controller via a different, dedicated, bidirectional interface to a different one of the I/O interfaces of the digital controller to:
• communicate with the digital controller over the interface in a first direction regarding the monitored analog characteristic, and
• control the one or more devices in response to control signals received from the digital controller over the interface in a second direction, wherein the control signals are based at least in part on the monitored analog characteristic communicated to the digital controller;
• and
• a processor configured to, for each ASC circuit:
• generate a control signal based at least on analog characteristic information received from the ASC circuit via the dedicated interface of the ASC circuit, the analog characteristic information being associated with the analog characteristic of the associated one or more devices of the ASC circuit, and
• provide the control signal for transmission to the ASC circuit via the dedicated interface of the ASC circuit to control the ASC circuit ,
• wherein the ASC circuits are implemented independently of the digital controller to facilitate reconfiguration by selective addition or selective removal of the ASC circuits.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of analog sense-and-control (ASC) circuits, each ASC circuit comprising:
• a dedicated interface configured to connect to an input/output (I/O) interface of a digital controller;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• monitor an analog characteristic of one or more devices connected to the ASC circuit,
• communicate, over the dedicated interface in a first direction, information associated with the monitored analog characteristic to the digital controller, and
• control the one or more devices in response to control signals received from the digital controller over the dedicated interface in a second direction, wherein the control signals are based at least in part on the monitored analog characteristic communicated to the digital controller,
• wherein the ASC circuits are implemented independently of the digital controller to facilitate reconfiguration of the system by selective addition or selective removal of the ASC circuits.