Smart sensors for solar panels

A solar power generating system comprising:

• multiple photovoltaic panels, each panel connected to its own voltage sensor that is configured to transmit voltage information to a controller via a bus;
• wherein each voltage sensor comprises:
• a voltage-to-frequency converter configured to generate a pulse data signal based on an output voltage of an associated photovoltaic panel;
• and
• a multiplexer connected to the bus and configured to receive the pulse data signal, the multiplexer comprising:
• a sense-in terminal configured to receive a sense-out signal associated with another solar panel, a sense-out terminal, a ground terminal, a power terminal, and a control terminal;
• wherein the multiplexer is configured to connect the sense-out terminal to the pulse data signal in response to a first signal received at the control terminal, to the sense-in terminal in response to a second signal received at the control terminal, to the ground terminal in response to a third signal received at the control terminal, and to the power terminal in response to a fourth signal received at the control terminal, wherein
• the bus comprises ground, power, and control wires;
• the ground wire is connected to the ground terminal of the multiplexer in each voltage sensor;
• the power wire is connected to the power terminal of the multiplexer in each voltage sensor;
• the control wire is connected to the control terminal of the multiplexer in each voltage sensor;
• the sense-out terminal of the multiplexer in each voltage sensor, except a last voltage sensor in a string, is connected to the sense-in terminal of the multiplexer in a succeeding voltage sensor in the string;
• and
• the sense-out terminal of the multiplexer in the last voltage sensor in the string is connected to a bus master.