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.

An electronic controller comprising:

• a converter component communicably coupled to a computing device, the converter component configured to receive at least one data signal from the computing device and output a first converted data signal;
• a controller component communicably coupled to the converter component and configured to receive the first converted data signal and output a control signal;
• a first circuit configured to receive the control signal and generate a transmitter control pulse directed to a test device;
• a second circuit configured to receive one or more indicator signals from the test device wherein the indicator signals include at least one of a high state indicating the test device received the transmitter control pulse and a low state indicating the test device did not receive the transmitter control pulse;
• a signal hold circuit electrically coupled to the second circuit and the controller component, the signal hold circuit configured to hold at least one of the one or more indicator signals for a duration and output the held indicator signal;
• and
• wherein the controller component includes logic operative to generate at least one data signal provided to the converter component wherein the data signal indicates the state of the indicator signal;
• and wherein the converter component operative to provide a second converted data signal directed to the computing device wherein the second converted data signal indicates the state of the indicator signal.

An automated control system comprising:

• a graphical user interface (GUI) operative to display data corresponding to one or more characteristics of the automated control system;
• an electronic controller having one or more circuits configured to:
• generate a reoccurring transmitter control pulse configured for receipt by a test device and receive an indicator signal indicating the test device received at least one occurrence of the reoccurring transmitter control pulse;
• and
• a computing device communicably coupled to the GUI and communicably coupled to the electronic controller, the computing device configured to provide one or more operational inputs to the electronic controller and to display, via the GUI, at least one of:
• a signal waveform corresponding to the actual number of transmitter control pulses generated by the electronic controller and a signal waveform corresponding to the actual number of indicator signals received by the electronic controller.

A method in an automated control system comprising:

• providing, by a graphical user interface (GUI), one or more operational inputs to an electronic controller;
• sending, by a computing device, a first data signal to a converter component wherein the data signal includes a first data protocol format;
• converting, by the converter component, the first data signal to a second data signal including a second data protocol format;
• generating, by the electronic controller, one or more control signals corresponding to at least one of:
• a transmitter control pulse and a supply voltage of a predetermined voltage value;
• providing, by the electronic controller, one or more control signals to a test device wherein at least one control signal is a reoccurring transmitter control pulse that causes a transmitter of the test device to transmit a first signal to a receiver of the test device;
• receiving, by the electronic controller, one or more indicator signals from the receiver of the test device wherein the indicator signals indicate whether the receiver received the first signal;
• and
• receiving, by the computing device, one or more data signals corresponding to the number of indicator signals received by the electronic controller and the number of reoccurring transmitter control pulses provided to the test device.

A method of interfacing with a controller of an automated control system comprising:

• providing a command to the controller from a computing device to verify a connection between the computing device and the controller;
• providing a command to the controller from a computing device to obtain a first signal transmit interval wherein the controller responds by providing an integer corresponding to the first signal transmit interval;
• providing a command to the controller from a computing device, the command indicating a desire to provide a second signal transmit interval;
• providing an integer to the controller from a computing device in response to the controller requesting a user input, wherein the integer indicates the second signal transmit interval;
• providing a command to the controller from a computing device to obtain a firmware revision number wherein the controller responds by providing the firmware revision number;
• providing a command to the controller from a computing device to obtain a serial number corresponding to the controller wherein the controller responds by providing the serial number;
• providing a command to the controller from a computing device to obtain a first transmit signal length wherein the controller responds by providing an integer corresponding to the first transmit signal length;
• providing a command to the controller from a computing device, the command indicating a desire to provide a second transmit signal length;
• providing an integer to the controller from a computing device in response to the controller requesting a user input, wherein the integer indicates the second transmit signal length;
• and
• providing a command to the controller from a computing device to begin a signal transmit and signal receive sequence wherein the controller responds by providing an integer indicating that:
• no transmit signal was detected and no receive signal was detected;
• only a transmit signal was detected;
• only a receive signal was detected;
• a transmit signal was detected and a receive signal was detected.