US 4,617,566 A · Addressable-port, daisy chain telemetry system with self-test capability

Abstract

A telemetry system for transferring blocks of pulsed data signals to and from daisy chains of addressable data ports. The telemetry system includes a daisy chain of input data ports and a parallel daisy chain of output data ports; an output data line and an input data line each serially-connecting the data ports; a clock signal generator for generating square wave clock pulses for common system timing; and a clock line for carrying the clock pulses to the ports. Each data port contains an address circuit which determines when during each block of serially-transmitted data signals that port is enabled to transfer data independent of its physical location on the data line. Data signals are transmitted over the data lines during high-state intervals of the clock signal and control signals such as frame signals, are transmitted over the data lines during the low-state intervals of the clock signals. The data ports demultiplex received data/control signals received over the data line for data transfer operations and internal control, regenerate the received signals for further transmission to distant data ports in the chain, and multiplex the regenerated data and control signals onto the data line for such further transmission. The system is also capable of determining the serial location of a data port where a failure has occurred.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A telemetry system for transferring pulsed input data signals in series from a daisy chain of input data ports to a receiver, said system comprising

a daisy chain of input data ports;
a clock signal generator for generating a pulsed clock signal having periodically alternating first and second states;
a clock line connected to the input data ports for carrying the clock signal pulses from the clock signal generator to the input data ports for timing the operation of the data ports;
a control signal generator for generating control signal pulses during the first-state intervals of the pulsed clock signal;
and
an input data line serially-connecting the input data ports to the control signal generator and to said receiver for carrying the control signal pulses from the control signal generator to the data ports and a serial block of data pulses from the respective input data ports to the receiver;
wherein each input data port includes a data register for registering an input data signal related to that input data port and for serially transferring the input data signal pulses related to that input data port from the data register onto the input data line during the second-state intervals of the pulsed clock signal, means for demultiplexing data signal pulses and control signal pulses received over the input data line from other input data ports and the control signal generator, and means for multiplexing all of the input data signal pulses and control signal pulses onto the input data line in their respective clock signal state intervals for transmission to the receiver and other input data ports connected in series between that input data port and the receiver.

4 more elements

A telemetry system for transferring pulsed output signals in series to a daisy chain of output data ports from a transmitter, said system comprising

a daisy chain of output data ports;
a clock signal generator for generating a pulsed clock signal having periodically alternating first and second states;
a clock line connected to the output data ports for carrying the clock signal pulses from the clock signal generator to the output data ports for timing the operation of the data ports;
a control signal generator for generating control signal pulses during the first-rate intervals of the pulsed clock signal;
and
an output data line serially-connecting the output data ports to the control signal generator and to said transmitter for carrying the control signal pulses from the control signal generator to the data ports and a serial block of data pulses to the respective output data ports from the transmitter;
wherein each output data port includes a data register for registering output data signals and for serially transferring the output data signal pulses into the data register from the output data line during the second-state intervals of the pulsed clock signal;
means for demultiplexing data signal pulses and control signal pulses received over the output data line from other output data ports, said transmitter and the control signal generator;
and means for multiplexing all of the output data signal pulses and control signal pulses onto the output data line in their respective clock signal-state intervals for transmission to the other output data ports connected in series beyond that output data port with respect to the transmitter.

6 more elements

A telemetry system for transferring pulsed input data signals in series from a daisy chain of input data ports to a receiver, and for transferring pulsed output data signals in series to a daisy chain of output data ports from a transmitter, said system comprising

a daisy chain of input data ports;
a daisy chain of output data ports;
a clock signal generator for generating a pulsed clock signal having periodically alternating first and second states;
a clock line connected to the input data ports and the output data ports for carrying the clock signal pulses from the clock signal generator to the data ports for timing the operation of the data ports;
means for generating control signal pulses during the first-state intervals of the pulsed clock signal;
an input data line serially-connecting the input data ports to the control signal generator and to said receiver for carrying the control signal pulses from the control signal generator to the data ports and a serial block of data pulses from the respective input data ports to the receiver;
and
an output data line serially-connecting the output data ports to the control signal generator and to said transmitter for carrying the control signal pulses from the control signal generator to the data ports and a serial block of data pulses to the respective output data ports from the transmitter;
wherein each input data port includes a register for registering an input data signal related to that input data port and for serially transferring the input data signal pulses related to that input data port onto the input data line during the second-state intervals of the pulsed clock signal, means for demultiplexing data signal pulses and control signal pulses received over the input data line from other input data ports and the control signal generator, and means for multiplexing all of the input data signal pulses and control signla pulses onto the input data line in their respective clock signal-stae intervals for transmission to the receiver and other input data ports connected in series between that input data port and the receiver;
and
wherein each output data port includes a data register for registering output data signals and for serially transferring the output data signal pulses into the data register from the output data line during the second-state intervals of the pulsed clock signal;
means for demultiplexing data signal pulses and control signal pulses received over the output data line from other output data ports, said transmitter and the control signal generator;
and means for multiplexing all of the output data signal pulses and control signal pulses onto the output data lines in their respective clock signal-state intervals for transmission to the other output data ports connected in series beyond that output data port with respect to the transmitter.

10 more elements

A telemetry system for transferring pulsed input data signals in series from a daisy chain input data ports to a receiver, and for transferring pulsed output data signals in series to a daisy chain of output data ports from a transmitter, said system comprising

a daisy chain of input data ports;
a daisy chain of output data ports;
an input data line serially-connecting the input data ports to said receiver for carrying a serial block of data pulses from the respective input data ports to the receiver;
an output data line serially-connecting the output data ports to said transmitter for carrying a serial block of data pulses to the respective output data ports from the transmitter;
and
means for determining the serial location of a said data port where a failure has occurred.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Addressable-port, daisy chain telemetry system with self-test capability

Life of this patent

Addressable-port, daisy chain telemetry system with self-test capability

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16