Method and apparatus for a plug and play polling loop system
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsFrancis C. Marino, Jon C. Bruns
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A polling loop system provides all products to be prewired to the polling loop by technically unskilled labor followed by a plug and play enrollment process. The system combines the advantages of DIP switch zone addressing with smart serial number (S/N) addressing, which simplifies installation and replacement requirements. The system is fully backward compatible and is intended for a next generation of commercial polling loop systems.
Claims22
A method for a plug and play polling loop system comprised of a plurality of product devices such as sensors in different zones of the polling loop system which are controlled by a system control, comprising:
- prewiring all of the product devices to the polling loop, wherein during installion a zone address for each product device, which is derived from a polling loop site plan, is set by a person installing the device by setting an n-bit DIP switch;
- enrolling all of the prewired product devices connected to the polling loop, during which the system control uses serial number (S/N) group global polling protocols for global polls of the S/Ns of a number of product devices at one time;
- for each of the unique S/Ns thus obtained, the system control follows with a S/N unit poll to receive from the product its associated zone address, such that the control automatically enters all of the unique S/Ns and their associated zone addresses into its data base.
A plug and play polling loop system comprising:
- a plurality of product devices such as sensors connected to different zones of the polling loop which are controlled by a system control, wherein each product device is prewired to the polling loop and includes an n-bit DIP switch which is set to a zone address for each product device, which is derived from a polling loop site plan;
- the system control includes serial number (S/N) group global polling protocols which are used for global polls of the S/Ns of a number of product devices at one time, to enroll all of the prewired product devices connected to the polling loop;
- the system control further includes a S/N unit poll which is used to receive from a product, by its unique S/N previously obtained, its associated zone address, such that the control automatically enters all of the unique S/Ns and their associated zone addresses into its data base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.