Multichannel remote transducer monitoring system

A method for measuring a plurality of physical parameters by means of a transducer assembly positioned at a remote location and connected to a near location via a single conductor cable means at its near end, said transducer assembly connected to the remote end of said cable means, said assembly including a stepper switch and a plurality of transducer elements, comprising the steps of:

• (a) switcing said stepper switch to a first switch contact having no transducer element connected thereto in response to the termination of a current pulse on said cable means, said stepper switch being coupled with a fixed comparator resistor;
• (b) coupling a constant current pulse on said cable means at its near end thereof and measuring the voltage generated on said cable means thereby;
• (c) switching said stepper switch to a second switch contact having a fixed value calibrate resistor connected thereto in response to the termination of the current pulse of step (b);
• (d) coupling a constant current pulse onto said cable means at its near end thereof and measuring the voltage generated on said cable means thereby;
• (e) switching said stepper switch to a predetermined next switch contact having a transducer element connected thereto, in response to the termination of the current pulse on said cable means generated in the previous step, each transistor element resistively varying as a function of the variation in the respective physical parameter such transducer element is monitoring;
• (f) coupling a constant current pulse onto said cable means at its near end thereof, and measuring the respective voltage generated on said cable means by such element thereby;
• (g) repeating of steps (e) and (f) for each transducer element connected to said stepper switch at said remote end of said cable means;
• and
• (h) repeating of steps (a)-(g).