US 7,376,760 B1Granted

Methods and apparatus to support acquisition of data

AssigneeUnited Electronic Industries

InventorsOlexiy Ivchenko, Denys L. Kraplin

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Abstract

A controller in a computer communicates with multiple data acquisition nodes over a network connection. The controller plugs into a personal computer device that processes received data and generates commands over a network cable extending from the controller to a first data acquisition node. The first data acquisition node couples, via a network cable, to a second data acquisition node. The second data acquisition node optionally couples to yet other data acquisition nodes, and so on in a daisy-chain fashion. Each data acquisition node includes one or more interfaces to corresponding input/output devices associated with the data acquisition node. Based on the interconnection of the controller and the data acquisition nodes, the controller accesses data collected by the data acquisition nodes from corresponding input devices and additionally controls output devices coupled to the data acquisition nodes.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A data acquisition node comprising:

a first circuit board supporting communications over a network;
a second circuit board coupled to at least one of:
i) an input device, and
ii) an output device;
a connector interface coupling multiple conductors of the first circuit board to the second circuit board;
the first circuit board including a corresponding first programmable interface coupled to the multiple conductors, the second circuit board including a corresponding second programmable interface coupled to the multiple conductors, configuration settings of the first programmable interface and the second programmable interface enabling conveyance of signals between the first circuit board and second circuit board;
wherein the first circuit board includes a first communication port supporting upstream communications and a second communication port to support downstream communications;
and
wherein the upstream communications include communications to a central controller and the downstream communications include communications to other data acquisition nodes in a data acquisition and control system;
and
wherein the first circuit board and corresponding first programmable interface, based on communications over the network from a remotely located controller, drives a signal to the second circuit board via at least one of the multiple conductors to synchronize the controller with functionality of the second circuit board.

8 more elements

A data acquisition node comprising:

a first circuit supporting communications over a network;
a second circuit coupled to at least one of;
i) an input device, and
ii) an output device;
a connector interface coupling multiple conductors of the first circuit to the second circuit;
the first circuit including a corresponding first programmable interface coupled to the multiple conductors, the second circuit including a corresponding second programmable interface coupled to the multiple conductors, configuration settings of the first programmable interface and the second programmable interface enabling conveyance of signals between the first circuit and second circuit;
wherein the first circuit includes a first communication port supporting upstream communications and a second communication port to supporting downstream communications;
and
wherein the upstream communications include communications to a central controller and the downstream communications include communications to other data acquisition nodes in a data acquisition and control system;
and
wherein the data acquisition node is part of a daisy chain of multiple data acquisition nodes;
and
wherein the first communication port of the data acquisition node connects to an upstream data acquisition node in the daisy-chain and the second communication port connects to a downstream data acquisition node in the daisy-chain.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.