US 5,587,863 AGranted

Digital interface unit

AssigneeAsea Brown Boveri AG

InventorsJan O. Bergstrom, Lars Liljegren, Ove Skarhed, Anders renas

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for adaptation of digital input signals (DI) or output signals (DO) and which, per se, exhibits the functions selection between utilization of the device as binary input or output unit, selection of cable supervision, selection of current level warning, selection of current limiting level, selection of temperature level warning, selection of temperature protection and selection of voltage range. By access to the functions current limiting level and overtemperature protection, unlimited faulty connection under current and voltage conditions within the field of application may be allowed. All of the enumerated functions are accomodated within one and the same electronic unit, which is achieved by a far-reaching integration of the components used in few integrated circuits. The selection of function mode is obtained by a simple programming.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An integral digital signal interface for interfacing between an electronic control unit (ECU) and external electrical process equipment (EEPE), said interface having input terminals for receiving control signals from said ECU and output terminals for transmitting signals for controlling said EEPE, said digital signal interface comprising:

control means for receiving mode select signals from said ECU for selectively programming the interface to operate in digital output/input modes and for receiving threshold input values from said ECU to perform a plurality of functions for controlling the interface and for providing operating functions with respect to controlling said EEPE;
said control means including:
at least one multiplexor for receiving at least one of said mode select signals and at least one of said threshold input values from said ECU;
a first current limit regulator responsive to an output of said at least one multiplexor, power MOSFET circuits (PMCs) responsive to an output of said first current limit regulator for selectively switching said interface into respective digital input (DI) and digital output (DO) modes, and the interface is correspondingly set to receive input data/control signals from the ECU or to function to generate respective output signals for controlling the EEPE.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.