System and a method for measuring a continuous signal

A method of operating a system for measuring a continuous signal, the system comprising:

• at least two transducer means for measuring the continuous signal and for each outputting a digital signal relating to the measured signal, the transducer means being adapted to receive controlling signals and to operate in accordance therewith,
• receiving means for receiving and processing signals from each transducer means and comprising means for generating controlling signals for controlling the operation of the transducer means,
• transmitting means for transmitting the signals from each transducer means to the receiving means, and
• means for transmitting the controlling signals from the receiving means to the transducer means, and wherein
• the receiving means generate the controlling signals controlling the operation of the transducer means,
• the controlling signals output from the receiving means are transmitted by the transmitting means which are one of the group consisting of:
• consisting of no more than two electrical conductors, consisting of no more than one optical conductor, and comprising transmitters and receivers for wireless communication,
• the method comprising one of the group consisting of:
• the transducer means encode information in the signals generated thereby, the information received by the receiving means comprising information relating to the time of measurement of the relating measured signal, the receiving means using this information in timing or synchronizing of signals,
• a clocking signal is transmitted from a central unit to all transducer means so that all transducer means sample the signal to be measured at the same time and in accordance with this clocking signal, and
• each of the at least two transducer means comprises a clocking signal generator generating a signal at least substantially independent on the clocking signals of the clocking signal generators of the other transducer means, each transducer means is adapted to measure the continuous signal in a manner controlled by the clocking signal generated by the individual transducers' clocking signal generator, and the receiving means comprise a common clocking signal generator and is adapted to perform a re-sampling of the received signals to the common clocking signal generated by the common clocking signal generator,
• so that the receiving means are adapted to, from two signals received from two transducer means measuring a signal emitted from a signal emitting means, determine within a calculatable upper uncertainty, which is less than 100 μs, any time difference between the measurement of the signal by the two transducer means.

A system comprising:

• at least two signal generating means transmitting continuous digital signals,
• means for receiving and processing the digital signals from the signal generating means,
• transporting means for transporting the digital signals from each signal generating means to the receiving means,
• power supply means for supplying power to the signal generating means,
• means for transporting power from the power supply means to the signal generating means, wherein
• the receiving means comprise the power supply means, and
• the transporting means are comprise the means for transporting power from the power supply to the signal generating means and are constituted by at the most two electrical conductors, wherein
• the transducer means are adapted to encode information in the signals generated thereby, the information received by the receiving means comprising information relating to the time of measurement of the relating measured signal, the receiving means being adapted to use this information in timing or synchronizing of signals,
• a central unit is adapted to transmit a clocking signal to all transducer means and where all transducer means are adapted to sample the signal to be measured at the same time and in accordance with this clocking signal, or
• each of the at least two transducer means comprises a clocking signal generator generating a signal at least substantially independent on the clocking signals of the clocking signal generators of the other transducer means, each transducer means is adapted to measure the continuous signal in a manner controlled by the clocking signal generated by the individual transducers' clocking signal generator, and the receiving means comprise a common clocking signal generator and is adapted to perform a re-sampling of the received signals to the common clocking signal generated by the common clocking signal generator,
• so that the means for receiving and processing the digit al signals being adapted to, from two digital signals received from two signal generating means, determine within a calculatable upper uncertainty being less than 100 μs, any time difference between the transmission of the two digital signals.