Mini-automation controller

A transmission and receive event control system, comprising:

• at least one receiver;
• at least one transmitter;
• a test control system comprising a display, a non-transitory storage medium adapted to store a plurality of non-transitory machine readable instructions, an input/output system, and a plurality of test control system machine readable instructions stored on said non-transitory machine readable media including instructions operable to generate one or more graphical user interface on said display adapted to facilitate user control of said transmission and receive event control system, wherein said one or more graphical user interfaces comprises a menu of a plurality of operations associated with one or more transmission sequence events and receiver events;
• and
• a mini automation controller comprising:
• a first controller adapted to convert a plurality of first signals to a plurality of second signals, wherein said first signals are defined by a first communication protocol and said second signals are defined by a second communication protocol;
• a microcontroller operable to automate and monitor at least one event of a group of events comprising said transmission sequence events and receiver events, said microcontroller being electronically coupled to the first controller;
• a receiver monitor section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and at least one receiver comprising a monostable multivibrator integrated circuit coupled between the first controller and at least one interface to said at least one receiver;
• a transmitter control section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and at least one transmitter, said transmitter control section comprising a transmitter control pulse section and a transmitter power output section, said transmitter control pulse section and transmitter power output section are coupled to said at least one transmitter;
• wherein the microcontroller can receive a transmitter or receiver event control signal from said control system external to the mini automation controller via the first controller and activates the transmitter control section to send a transmission signal from the transmitter control pulse section and power output section, the microcontroller is configured to receive a receiver activation signal from the monostable multivibrator integrated circuit that the receiver monitor section has received the transmission signal;
• and
• wherein the microcontroller sends the plurality of first signals to the first controller regarding a status of the transmitter control section and the receiver monitor section wherein the plurality of first signals are converted to the plurality of second signals by the first controller and at least one of the plurality of second signals is sent to the control system external to the mini automation controller.

A method of automating and monitoring one or more transmission event sequences and receiver event sequences comprising:

• providing at least one receiver;
• providing at least one transmitter;
• providing a mini automation controller;
• providing a test control system comprising a display, an input/output system, a plurality of test control system machine readable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine readable media including instructions operable to generate one or more graphical user interfaces on said display adapted to facilitate user control of said transmission and receive event sequences, said one or more graphical user interfaces comprise a first graphical user interface including a first user input box that allows a user to input a desired transmission interval, a second user input box that allows the user to input a desired transmission length, and a third user input box operable to allow the user to set a network address associated with said mini automation controller, wherein said first graphical user interface includes a graphical representation of transmit and receive data associated with the operation of elements of said one or more transmission event sequences and receiver event sequences;
• said mini automation controller comprising:
• a network interface controller coupled to said test control system adapted to convert a plurality of first signals to a plurality of second signals, wherein said first signals are defined by a first communication protocol and said second signals are defined by a second communication protocol;
• a microcontroller comprising a non-transitory memory and a plurality of machine readable instructions stored in said non-transitory memory, said machine readable instructions are operable to automate and monitor at least one event of a group of events comprising said one or more transmission event sequences and said one or more receiver event sequences, said microcontroller being electronically coupled to the network interface controller;
• a receiver monitor section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and at least one receiver comprising a monostable multivibrator integrated circuit coupled between the network interface controller and said at least one interface to said at least one receiver;
• a transmitter control section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and said at least one transmitter, said transmitter control section comprising a transmitter control pulse section and a transmitter power output section, said transmitter control pulse section and transmitter power output section are coupled to said at least one transmitter;
• wherein the microcontroller can receive a transmitter or receiver event control signal from said test control system via the network interface controller and transmitter event control signal activates the transmitter control section to send a transmission signal from the transmitter control pulse section and power output section, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive a receiver activation signal from the monostable multivibrator integrated circuit that the receiver monitor section has received the transmission signal, where said control system is external to the mini automation controller and comprises a test control system adapted to receive user inputs;
• wherein the microcontroller sends the plurality of first signals to the network interface controller regarding a status of the transmitter control section and the receiver monitor section wherein the plurality of first signals are converted to the plurality of second signals by the network interface controller and sent to the control system external to the mini automation controller;
• providing said at least one transmitter and said at least one receiver and coupling said at least one transmitter and said at least one receiver respectively to said transmitter control section and said receive monitor section;
• setting one or more microcontroller settings, said microcontroller settings comprising one or more user modifiable configuration settings, assigning functions to the microcontroller pins including transmission event and receive event related functions associated respectively with said at least one transmitter and said at least one receiver, setting one or more communications parameters associated with the network interface controller, and setting one or more default settings for timing of at least one of said transmission sequence event, wherein said one or more user modifiable configuration settings comprise timing of said transmission sequence event;
• monitoring for a first message from said test control system using said microcontroller, wherein a first command is received through said network interface controller;
• operating at least one of said one or more graphical user interfaces to generate said first message to said mini automation controller;
• performing a look-up of said first message in said non-transitory memory comprising identifying and selecting one or more of said plurality of machine readable instructions associated with said first message, said one or more of said plurality of machine readable instructions associated with said first message comprising a plurality of instructions operable to control said mini automation controller, said at least one receiver, and said at least one transmitter, said one or more of said plurality of machine readable instructions associated with said first message including instructions operable for controlling execution of said one or more transmission event sequences and receiver event sequences in response to said first message comprises changing said configuration settings;
• and
• executing said one or more of said plurality of machine readable instructions associated with said first message.