Sensor connection system

Abstract

A sensor connection apparatus for connecting a plurality of sensors to a process controller having a bus for transferring information, wherein each sensor produces an output corresponding to a sensed condition, includes a respective sensor cable that can be connected at one end to each sensor; a concentrator having each of the sensor cables connected thereto; the concentrator being connected to the bus; the concentrator comprising a circuit for producing for each sensor and associated sensor cable connected thereto a first signal in response to the sensor output and a second signal that corresponds to a sensor cable condition; the circuit further operating to couple the first and second signals for each sensor connected to the concentrator onto the bus for access by the process controller. In one embodiment, the concentrator transmits data to the process controller using a standardized communications protocol, such as CAN, using a microcontroller and transceiver.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.