Intelligent programmable sensing

An intelligent programmable sensing apparatus using elements mounted on at least two silicon bases, comprising:

• a silicon sensor transducer integral to a first one of said silicon bases for sensing physical variables and generating a plurality of raw analog signals representing said sensed physical variables;
• and
• a configurable analog signal conditioner also mounted on said first silicon base for receiving said raw analog signals from said transducer, said configurable analog signal conditioner conditioning said raw analog signals and transmitting conditioned analog signals, said configurable analog signal condition including:
• a first configurable memory for storing at least one signal conditioning instruction for directing operations of said configurable analog signal conditioner, said first configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different sets of signal conditioning instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal conditioning instructions;
• and
• a configurable analog-to-digital converter mounted on at least one other silicon base for receiving said conditioned analog signals and converting said conditioned analog signals to a plurality of digitized signals, said analog-to-digital converter including:
• a second configurable memory integral to said configurable analog-to-digital converter for storing at least one signal converting instruction to direct operations of said configurable analog-to-digital converter, said second configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different signal converting instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal converting instructions.

An intelligent programmable system for diagnostics analyses, said system comprising:

• a sensor accelerometer for sensing physical variables and generating a plurality of raw signals representing said sensed physical variables;
• a configurable signal conditioner for producing conditioned analog output signals in response to receiving said raw signals from said accelerometer;
• and
• a first configurable memory for storing at least one signal conditioning instruction for controlling said configurable signal conditioner, said first configurable memory being reprogrammable to contain different sets of signal conditioning instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of signal conditioning instructions;
• wherein said sensor, said signal conditioner and said memory are mounted in a unitary structure.

A system for integrating intelligent programmable sensors, comprising:

• a systems communications bus;
• at least one transducer for sensing physical variables and generating a plurality of raw signals representing said sensed physical variables;
• reprogrammable circuitry in communication with said at least one transducer for processing said raw signals and generating digital data representing said sensed physical variables, said reprogrammable circuitry residing on a single silicon base with each of said at least one transducer and said reprogrammable circuitry being reprogrammable to contain different sets of instructions immediately at any time and being adapted for connection to an external programming device supplying the different sets of instructions;
• and
• a supervisor monitor/control computer in communication among said at least one transducer via said systems communications bus.

A method of physical variable sensing using an intelligent programmable sensor on at least one silicon base comprising the steps of:

• sensing physical variables with a transducer and generating a plurality of raw signals representing said sensed physical variables;
• receiving said raw signals from said transducer in a configurable signal conditioner;
• conditioning said raw signals in said configurable signal conditioner;
• transmitting a plurality of conditioned signals from said configurable signal conditioner;
• and
• storing at least one signals conditioning instruction for directing operatings of said configurable signal conditioner in a first configurable memory, said storing including reprogramming said first configurable memory to contain different sets of signal conditioning instructions immediately at any time and said storing including receiving the different sets of signal conditioning instructions from an external programming device.

A method of physical variable sensing that integrates intelligent programmable sensors with monitoring and control of said intelligent programmable sensors, comprising the steps of:

• sensing physical variables using at least one intelligent programmable silicon sensor;
• interconnecting said at least one intelligent programmable silicon sensor with a supervisor monitor/control computer;
• and
• monitoring and controlling said at least one intelligent programmable silicon sensor with said supervisor monitor/control computer, said controlling including executing instructions and said controlling including reprogramming said instructions immediately at any time.