Method and apparatus for calculating voltage drop
AssigneeSimplexGrinnell LP
InventorsJeff Brooks, Haluk Akbudak, Mark Barrieau, Kenneth Savage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for performing voltage drop calculations in an alarm circuit comprises creating a circuit to be controlled. A first device is selected from a list of devices to add to the circuit. An estimated power supply of the first device is calculated using modified nodal analysis of the circuit and it is determined whether the estimated power supply of the first device is sufficient power for the first device to operate.
Claims21
A method for performing voltage drop calculations in an alarm circuit, comprising:
- creating a circuit to be controlled;
- displaying, on a graphical user interface, a graphical circuit layout based on the circuit created;
- selecting, through the graphical user interface, a first device from a list of devices to add to the circuit;
- calculating an estimated power supplied to the first device using modified nodal analysis of the circuit;
- and
- determining whether the estimated power supplied to the first device is sufficient power for the first device to operate.
A method for performing voltage drop calculations in an alarm circuit, comprising:
- creating a circuit to be controlled;
- selecting a first device from a list of devices to add to the circuit;
- calculating an estimated power supplied to the first device using modified nodal analysis of the circuit;
- and
- determining whether the estimated power supplied to the first device is sufficient power for the first device to operate, further comprising selecting a second device from the list of devices to add to the circuit, the calculating step further comprising calculating a second estimated power supplied to the second device and recalculating the estimated power supplied to the first device.
A method for performing voltage drop calculations in an alarm circuit, comprising:
- creating a circuit to be controlled;
- selecting a first device from a list of devices to add to the circuit;
- calculating an estimated power supplied to the first device using modified nodal analysis of the circuit;
- and
- determining whether the estimated power supplied to the first device is sufficient power for the first device to operate, the calculating step further comprising calculating a voltage level of the first device, the determining step further comprising comparing the voltage level to a low voltage limit defining a minimum operating voltage of the first device to determine whether the voltage level is within allowable limits.
A graphical interface tool for calculating voltage drop in a circuit, comprising:
- a display displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) allowing a user to create a circuit layout representing a circuit to be controlled;
- the GUI permitting. the user to select a controller to add to the circuit layout the controller being used to control the circuit, the controller receiving power from a power source, the controller having a worst-case voltage based on the power source;
- the GUI permitting the user to select a first device from a list of devices displayed on the display to add to the circuit layout;
- and
- a processor calculating a first voltage of the first device based on the worst-case voltage of the controller.
A computer readable medium or media comprising computer readable program instructions, which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to calculate, a power supply of each device within a circuits comprising:
- instructions for implementing a graphical user interface (GUI) allowing a user to create a circuit layout representing a circuit to be controlled;
- instructions for controlling the GUI to permit the user to select a first device from a list of devices to add to the:
- circuit layout;
- instructions for calculating an estimated power supplied to the first device using modified nodal analysis of the circuit;
- and
- instructions for determining whether the estimated power supplied to the first device is sufficient power for the first device to operate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.