CN216901421U - I/O module and distributed control system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an I/O module and a distributed control system. The I/O module includes a DC power supply unit for supplying power to the I/O module, the DC power supply unit including: a positive terminal adapted to be connected to a positive electrode of an external power supply; a negative terminal adapted to be connected to a negative electrode of an external power supply; a fuse (F); a capacitor (C) arranged downstream of the fuse (F); wherein the DC power supply unit further comprises a current protection device configured to: at the instant when the positive and negative terminals are connected to an external power source to form a power supply loop for supplying power to the I/O module, the instantaneous current flowing through the fuse (F) in the power supply loop is reduced. By providing a current protection means, the risk of damage to the fuse can be effectively reduced.

Description

I/O module and distributed control system

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to an I/O module, and more particularly to power protection of electrical I/O modules.

Background

In the field of industrial controllers, distributed systems are connected to host modules through input-output modules (i.e., I/O modules). The I/O module may include, for example, a gold finger to communicate with the host module and draw electrical power. The power supply unit of the I/O module further includes a fuse. The fuse is provided with specifications that match the electronics in the I/O module. However, in practical applications, it has been found that fuses are susceptible to damage, resulting in the entire I/O module being improperly used. It is desirable to be able to improve upon the conventional I/O module power supply system.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an I/O module and distributed control system that address one or more of the above issues, as well as other potential issues.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an I/O module is provided. The I/O module comprises a DC power supply unit for supplying power to the I/O module, the DC power supply unit comprising: a positive terminal adapted to be connected to a positive electrode of an external power supply; a negative terminal adapted to be connected to a negative electrode of the external power supply; a fuse; a capacitor disposed downstream of the fuse; wherein the DC power supply unit further comprises a current protection device configured to: the instantaneous current flowing through the fuse in the power supply loop is reduced at the instant when the positive terminal and the negative terminal are connected to the external power source to form the power supply loop that supplies the I/O module.

According to the I/O module of the embodiment of the disclosure, by providing the current protection device, the risk that the fuse is damaged due to capacitor discharge at the moment of circuit conduction can be effectively prevented.

In some embodiments, the current protection device includes a resistor in series with the fuse. Thus, the instantaneous current flowing through the fuse in the power supply circuit can be reduced by the resistor.

In some embodiments, the resistor is disposed upstream of the fuse. Thus, protection of the circuit can be facilitated.

In some embodiments, the current protection device includes a first branch adapted to draw power from the positive terminal and a second branch, wherein the first branch includes the resistor, the second branch bypasses the resistor and is connected to a location downstream of the resistor and upstream of the fuse, the first branch is configured to conduct earlier than the second branch when the I/O module is in place. Therefore, the instantaneous current flowing through the fuse in the power supply loop can be reduced through the conduction time difference of the first branch and the second branch.

In some embodiments, the current protection device comprises a time delay device configured to: the first branch is conductive and the second branch is non-conductive at a moment when the positive terminal and the negative terminal are connected to the external power source to form the power supply loop, and the second branch is conductive and short-circuits the first branch at a time after the moment. Thus, the first branch may be shorted by the second branch, while the resistor is prevented from consuming electric power when the I/O module is operating normally.

In some embodiments, the I/O module is implemented in the form of a printed circuit board.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board includes an insulating substrate, wherein the positive terminal includes a first positive terminal and a second positive terminal respectively formed on a corresponding one of front and rear surfaces of the insulating substrate, and the current protection device includes the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal, wherein the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal are formed as the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal of different lengths to create different on-time differences at a first branch where the first positive terminal is located and a second branch where the second positive terminal is located via the different lengths when the insulating substrate is inserted into the interface slot.

In some embodiments, the first positive terminal has a length longer than the second positive terminal so as to be turned on with the external power supply earlier than the second positive terminal when the insulating substrate is inserted into the interface slot, wherein the first branch includes a resistance, and the second branch is connected to a position downstream of the resistance and upstream of the fuse to short the first branch when the second branch is turned on.

In some embodiments, the negative terminal includes a first negative terminal and a second negative terminal formed on the front surface and the rear surface of the insulating substrate, respectively, the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are formed to have the same length, and the length of the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal is the same as the length of the first positive terminal.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a distributed control system is provided. The distributed control system includes: a host module including an interface slot; and an I/O module according to the first aspect, adapted to be inserted into the interface slot to draw power through the interface slot.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation.

FIG. 1 shows an overall schematic diagram of a distributed control system in which an I/O module is not plugged into a host module, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an overall schematic diagram of a distributed control system in which an I/O module is plugged into a host module, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a circuit schematic of an I/O module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a circuit schematic of an I/O module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows an implementation schematic of an I/O module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Like or corresponding reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

The term "include" and variations thereof as used herein is meant to be inclusive in an open-ended manner, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "or" means "and/or". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," and the like, refer to placement or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, merely for convenience in describing the principles of the disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced elements must be in a particular orientation, constructed or operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be taken as limiting the disclosure.

Fig. 1 and 2 show an overall schematic diagram of a distributed control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the distributed control system 100 may include a host module 20 and one or more I/O modules 10. The host module 20 may communicate with the I/O module 10 and power the I/O module 10. The I/O module 10 may include communication and data processing circuitry that may communicate with devices downstream and collect and process data. Thus, downstream devices may be interconnected with host module 20 via I/O modules.

It should be noted that, in the illustrated embodiment, for convenience of description, only the contents related to the inventive concept of the present disclosure are shown, and other components are omitted. Further, although the embodiments of the present application describe the circuit protection device of the I/O module according to the embodiments of the present disclosure with a distributed control system as an example; it is worth noting that the circuit protection device of the I/O module according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used for other computing devices which need to supply power for the I/O module.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the I/O module 10 may include a positive terminal 12 and a negative terminal 14. The host module 20 may include one or more interface slots 25. The interface slot 25 is provided with a positive terminal 22 and a negative terminal 24 for powering the I/O module 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the positive terminal 22 and the negative terminal 24 are shown in double dashed lines. It is worth noting that the positive terminal 22 and the negative terminal 24 may be implemented in various forms as long as reliable engagement of the positive terminal 22 and the negative terminal 24 with the positive terminal 12 and the negative terminal 14 of the I/O module 10 is achieved.

When the I/O module 10 is inserted into position in the interface slot 25, the positive and negative terminals 12, 14 of the I/O module 10 are electrically connected to the respective positive and negative terminals 22, 24 in the interface slot 25, respectively. As such, I/O module 10 may draw power from host module 20. Fig. 1 shows a state where the I/O module 10 is not inserted into the interface slot 25; fig. 2 shows a state where the I/O module 10 is inserted into the interface slot 25. In the state shown in fig. 2, the positive terminal 12 of the I/O module 10 is in contact with the positive terminal 22 of the host module 20 and the negative terminal 14 of the I/O module 10 is in contact with the negative terminal 24 of the host module 20, whereby the I/O module can be powered through the host module 20.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of circuitry 30 of an I/O module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 3, the circuit 30 comprises a DC power supply unit for powering the I/O module. In the illustrated embodiment, the DC power supply unit includes a positive terminal 32, a negative terminal 34, a fuse F, a capacitor C, and a processing unit 36.

The positive terminal 32 and the negative terminal 34 are adapted to be connected to respective positive and negative poles of an external power source to power the functional units in the circuit 30. The fuse F is disposed near the positive terminal. The functional units in the I/O module 30 may be protected from damage by the fuse F. The capacitor C may be disposed downstream of the fuse F and filters the current and stabilizes the voltage. The processing unit 36 may include various functional units that match the functionality of the I/O module. In some embodiments, the processing unit 36 may include a voltage converter adapted to provide a variety of voltages. It is worthy to note that processing unit 36 may include other types of functional units.

Since the circuit 30 includes the capacitor C, the fuse F will be blown by charging and discharging the capacitor C at the instant the power supply circuit is turned on. For this, the I/O module may comprise a current protection device. The current protection device is configured to: the instantaneous current flowing through the fuse F in the power supply circuit is reduced at the instant when the positive and negative terminals are connected to an external power source to form the power supply circuit for the I/O module power supply. It is worth noting that only one capacitor C is shown in the illustrated embodiment; the number of the capacitors C may be plural.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the circuit 30 may include a resistor R in series with the fuse F, the resistor R being implemented as a current protection device. At the moment when the positive and negative terminals are connected to an external power source to form a power supply circuit, the resistor R as a power consumption element will reduce the instantaneous current flowing through the fuse F in the power supply circuit, thereby providing a fuse protection for the fuse F. It is worth noting that only one capacitor C is shown in the illustrated embodiment; the number of the capacitors C may be plural. In some embodiments, the resistor R is arranged upstream of the fuse F.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of circuitry 30' of an I/O module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The circuit 30' is similar to the circuit 30 of the embodiment described in fig. 3, and in the embodiment of fig. 4, like elements are numbered with like reference numerals for ease of understanding. Considering that circuit 30 'is similar to circuit 30 of the embodiment described in fig. 3, the difference between circuit 30' and circuit 30 is emphasized.

As shown in fig. 4, the current protection device may include two branches, i.e., a first branch and a second branch, disposed at the positive terminal. The first branch comprises a resistor R, and the second branch bypasses the resistor R and is connected to a position downstream of the resistor R and upstream of the fuse F. It is to be noted that upstream and downstream are relative to the direction of current flow, i.e. relative to the direction of current flow from the positive pole to the negative pole.

The first leg is configured to conduct earlier than the second leg when the I/O module draws power from the interface slot when the I/O module is mounted in place in the interface slot. This brings about the following technical effects. Since the first branch is configured to be conducted earlier than the second branch, when the first branch is conducted, the energy stored in the capacitor C will be dissipated through the resistor R, thereby protecting the fuse F and preventing the fuse F from being fused; when the second branch is conducted, the second branch can enable the first branch to be short-circuited, so that the current protection device can dissipate energy through the resistor R only when the first branch is conducted, and the resistor R can not increase energy consumption of the I/O module when the capacitor C is not discharged.

In some embodiments, the current protection device comprises a time delay device configured to: at the instant when the positive and negative terminals are connected to an external power source to form a power supply loop for the I/O module power supply, the first branch is conductive and the second branch is non-conductive, and at a time after the instant, the second branch is conductive and short-circuits the first branch. The time delay means may include a variety of implementations, and in some embodiments, the time delay means may be implemented with different contact lengths.

FIG. 5 shows an implementation schematic of an I/O module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the I/O module is implemented in the form of a printed circuit board 50. Fig. 5 shows a side view, i.e., a view in the thickness direction of the printed circuit board, in which the printed circuit board 50 is mounted in the interface slot 25, and the left and right sides of the printed circuit board of fig. 5 correspond to the front and rear surfaces of the printed circuit board, respectively.

As shown in fig. 5, the I/O module 50 may include an insulating substrate 52 and first and second positive terminals 52a and 52b disposed on front and rear surfaces of the insulating substrate 52. In some embodiments, the first and second positive terminals 52a and 52b may be implemented in the form of fingers. The interface slot 25 may have a first positive terminal 22a and a second positive terminal 22b disposed therein. The first positive terminal 22a of the external power source is adapted to be electrically connected with the first positive terminal 52 a; the second positive terminal 22b of the external power source is adapted to be electrically connected to the second positive terminal 52 b. In some embodiments, there may be a first positive terminal 22a and a second positive terminal 22b implemented in the form of elastic pieces to ensure reliable contact. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the first positive terminal 52b is provided on the left side surface of the printed circuit board 50; and a second positive terminal 52b provided on the right side surface of the printed circuit board 50. It is worth noting that this is merely exemplary. The second positive terminal 52b may be disposed on a left side surface of the printed circuit board 50, and the first positive terminal 52b may be disposed on a right side surface of the printed circuit board 50.

As shown in fig. 5, the first positive terminal 52a in the embodiment of fig. 5 corresponds to the positive terminal 32a in the first branch of the embodiment of fig. 4, and the second positive terminal 52b in the embodiment of fig. 5 corresponds to the positive terminal 52b in the second branch of the embodiment of fig. 4. The first positive terminal 52a and the second positive terminal 52b are formed to different lengths. Thus, when the printed circuit board is inserted into the interface slot 25 to draw power, different on-time differences are created via different lengths in the first branch in which the first positive terminal is located and the second branch in which the second positive terminal is located.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 5, the first positive terminal 52a is longer in length than the second positive terminal 52 b. Therefore, when the printed circuit board is inserted into the interface slot 25, the first positive terminal 52a is turned on with the external power supply earlier than the second positive terminal 52b, and in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the first positive terminal 52a is turned on with the first positive terminal 22a of the external power supply; the second positive terminal 52b is short and therefore is not electrically connected to the second positive terminal 22b of the external power supply. In this case, since the resistor R is further included in the branch of the first positive terminal 52a, the discharge from the capacitor C consumes energy via the resistor R at the moment when the circuit is turned on, and thus, the fuse F can be prevented from being damaged due to an excessive current flowing through the fuse F.

As the printed circuit board is further inserted into the interface slot 25, the second positive terminal 52b begins to be connected to the external power source. Fig. 5 shows a state in which the printed circuit board 50 is completely inserted into the interface slot 25, and in the state shown in fig. 5, the second positive terminal 52b is electrically connected to the second positive terminal 22b of the external power supply. In this case, the branch formed by the second positive terminal 52b will short the first branch including the resistance R when conducting; at this time, the capacitor C has been discharged through the resistor R. The first branch may be shorted by the second branch to prevent the resistor R from dissipating power, thereby improving the power efficiency of the I/O module.

In some embodiments, the negative terminal of the printed circuit board 50 may include a first negative terminal and a second negative terminal respectively formed on the front and back surfaces of the printed circuit board 50. The first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are formed to have the same length, and the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal have the same length as the first positive terminal.

Further, while operations are depicted in a particular order, this should be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Under certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Likewise, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Having described embodiments of the present disclosure, the foregoing description is intended to be exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or improvements made to the technology in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (10)

1. An I/O module comprising a DC power supply unit for powering the I/O module, the DC power supply unit comprising:

a positive terminal adapted to be connected to a positive electrode of an external power supply;

a negative terminal adapted to be connected to a negative electrode of the external power supply;

a fuse (F);

a capacitance (C) arranged downstream of the fuse (F);

wherein the DC power supply unit further comprises a current protection device configured to: -reducing the instantaneous current flowing through the fuse (F) in the supply circuit at the instant when said positive and negative terminals are connected to said external power source to form a supply circuit for powering said I/O module.

2. I/O module according to claim 1, characterized in that the current protection means comprise a resistor (R) in series with the fuse (F).

3. I/O module according to claim 2, characterized in that the resistor (R) is arranged upstream of the fuse (F).

4. The I/O module according to claim 3, wherein the current protection device comprises a first branch and a second branch adapted to draw power from the positive terminal, wherein the first branch comprises the resistor (R) and the second branch bypasses the resistor (R) and is connected to a position downstream of the resistor (R) and upstream of the fuse (F), the first branch being configured to conduct earlier than the second branch when the I/O module is mounted in place.

5. The I/O module of claim 4, wherein the current protection device comprises a delay device configured to: the first branch is conductive and the second branch is non-conductive at a moment when the positive terminal and the negative terminal are connected to the external power source to form the power supply loop, and the second branch is conductive and short-circuits the first branch at a time after the moment.

6. The I/O module of claim 1, wherein the I/O module is implemented in the form of a printed circuit board.

7. The I/O module according to claim 6, wherein said printed circuit board comprises an insulating substrate, wherein said positive electrode terminals comprise a first positive electrode terminal and a second positive electrode terminal respectively formed on a corresponding one of front and back surfaces of said insulating substrate,

the current protection device includes the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal, wherein the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal are formed as the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal of different lengths to create different on-time differences at a first branch where the first positive terminal is located and a second branch where the second positive terminal is located via the different lengths when the insulating substrate is inserted into the interface slot.

8. The I/O module of claim 7, wherein the first positive terminal is longer in length than the second positive terminal such that the first positive terminal is turned on with the external power source earlier than the second positive terminal when the insulating substrate is inserted into the interface slot,

wherein the first branch comprises a resistance (R) and the second branch is connected to a position downstream of the resistance (R) and upstream of the fuse (F) to short-circuit the first branch when the second branch is conducting.

9. The I/O module according to claim 8, wherein the negative terminal includes a first negative terminal and a second negative terminal formed on a front surface and a back surface of the insulating substrate, respectively, the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal being formed to have the same length, the length of the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal being the same as the length of the first positive terminal.

10. A distributed control system, comprising:

a host module comprising an interface slot (25); and

the I/O module according to any of claims 1-9, adapted to be plugged into the interface slot (25) to draw power through the interface slot.

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