Method and apparatus for use in measurement data acquisition

A sensor unit for use in measurement data acquisition, the sensor unit comprising:

• an analog-to-digital converter operative to derive a digital sense signal from an analog sense signal,
• a control circuit configured to derive a status data signal from status information, wherein the control circuit is configured to derive a select signal based on operational information, and
• a transmit select unit configured to receive the select signal,
• wherein the transmit select unit is configured, based on the select signal, to selectively output a transmit digital signal indicative on the status data signal or the digital sense signal.

A measurement system for use in measurement data acquisition, comprising:

• at least one sensor unit configured to form, based on a detected quantity, an analog sense signal and to provide, based on the analog sense signal, a digital data signal,
• an interface coupled to the at least one sensor unit and configured to receive the digital data signal,
• a control unit coupled to the interface and configured to receive the digital data signal from the interface, and
• a discriminator unit coupled to the control unit and configured to extract a digital sense signal from the digital data signal,
• wherein the discriminator unit is configured to extract status data from a status data signal comprised in the digital data signal received at the discriminator unit.

A medium incorporating a sequence of operation acts that, when executed, perform a method for use in a measurement system for data acquisition, the method comprising:

• at a control unit, receiving a data receive signal provided by a sensor unit configured to detect a quantity and form a sensor data signal corresponding to the data receive signal, and
• interpreting the data receive signal to represent one of at least:
• a sensor data signal and a another data signal,
• wherein the interpreting is based on attribute information intrinsic to the data receive signal,
• wherein the attribute information is duration of an interval between a point in time, when a control signal was sent to the sensor unit, and a point in time, when the data receive signal was received at the control unit, and
• wherein the difference is predetermined sufficiently large for the sensor unit to transit from a low power mode to a high power mode.