Method and apparatus for reducing microprocessor speed requirements in data acquisition applications
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorMichael A. Steffen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for improving microprocessor data acquisition. Noise in analog signals is removed by a low pass filter with a variable cutoff frequency controlled to cut off all frequencies above a frequency range of interest. The filtered signal is sampled by an analog-to-digital converter at a sampling rate which is variable and controlled to sample at a rate that is at least two times the low pass filter cutoff frequency thereby reducing the rate at which data is passed to a microprocessor and reducing the need for speed in the microprocessor's processing.
Claims24
An apparatus for reducing microprocessor speed requirements in data acquisition applications comprising:
- a low pass filter having a variable cutoff frequency;
- an analog to digital converter in communication with the low pass filter;
- at least one microprocessor in communication with the analog to digital converter for receiving a first signal, the first signal indicating a rate of data acquisition, the at least one microprocessor determining and providing a low pass filter cutoff frequency control signal to the low pass filter for controlling the variable cutoff frequency of the low pass filter;
- the low pass filter removing frequencies above the variable cutoff frequency from a second signal creating a filtered second signal;
- the filtered second signal being sampled by the analog to digital converter at a sampling rate creating a sampled second signal;
- and
- the sampled second signal being provided to one of the at least one microprocessor.
An apparatus for balancing a rotating structure while the structure is rotating, comprising:
- at least one microprocessor;
- at least one sensor in communication with the rotating structure for measuring and providing at least one unbalanced condition signal;
- and
- means for monitoring a rate of rotation of the rotating structure, the means transmitting a signal to one of the at least one microprocessor;
- the at least one microprocessor calculating and generating a cutoff frequency control signal corresponding to the rate of rotation;
- and
- the at least one microprocessor calculating and directing the balancing of the rotating structure based upon the at least one unbalanced condition signal, the at least one unbalanced condition signal having been processed by a low pass filter controlled by the cutoff frequency control signal and having been processed by an analog to digital converter sampling at a sampling frequency.
A method for reducing microprocessor speed requirements in a data acquisition application with varying rates of data acquisition comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first signal proportional to a desired rate of data collection;
- providing a source of data signals creating a second signal;
- variably filtering the second signal, creating a filtered data signal, to remove frequencies higher than a cutoff frequency proportional to the desired rate of data collection;
- sampling the filtered data signal at a sampling rate to create a sampled signal;
- and
- providing the sampled signal to a microprocessor.
A method for reducing microprocessor speed requirements comprising the steps of:
- continuously measuring a first signal and providing the first signal to a microprocessor;
- continuously calculating a sample frequency corresponding to the first signal;
- continuously calculating a cutoff frequency corresponding to the first signal;
- using the calculated cutoff frequency to control the cutoff frequency of a variable low pass filter;
- using the calculated sample frequency to control the sampling rate of an analog to digital converter;
- filtering a second signal by the low pass filter at the calculated cutoff frequency, and sampling a resulting filtered signal by the analog to digital converter at the calculated sampling frequency, and
- providing a resulting sampled signal to the microprocessor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.