JP2006153722A - Measuring device and measuring system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a measuring device and a measuring system capable of judging, at first sight without checking all setting values, as to whether current setting values of the measuring device are updated by its user or changed by something other. <P>SOLUTION: The measuring device in which the setting values are updated by accessing the measuring device, comprises; a setting number count means which counts a setting number varying in response to updating of the setting values and holds it; and a setting processing means which increments or decrements the setting number at every timing when the updating of the setting values is carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a measuring system including a measuring device that updates a set value by access and an external device that accesses the measuring device via a network.

  Prior art documents related to a measuring device that is accessed from an external device and updates a set value include the following.

JP-A-7-128094

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional measurement system. A measuring instrument 1 has its own key switch input means 11 and a media interface such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk 2.

  The measuring instrument 1 is connected to a general-purpose communication bus 3 represented by Ethernet (registered trademark), and through this general-purpose communication bus, set values S1, S1 passed by communication commands from external devices 41, 42,. The set value is updated from outside by S2,... Sn. In response to the update from the external device, the measuring instrument 1 returns the updated set value to the external device.

  The user can read out the set value set in the measuring instrument through the communication bus by an output command from the external device. The user can set a set value in the measuring instrument by operating a key switch in the measuring instrument. The user can read the media file in which the setting value is stored in the measuring instrument and set the setting value in the measuring instrument. In the case of a measuring instrument having a screen capable of displaying a set value, the user can display the set value on the screen of the measuring instrument main body.

The conventional measurement system configuration has the following problems.
(1) When multiple users can change the setting value from the communication bus, key switch, media, etc., for each measuring instrument, each user can set the current measuring instrument setting value I do not know at first glance whether it is a value.

  For example, when the external devices 41, 42,... 4n transmit communication commands to the measuring instrument main body in the order of S1, S2,... Sn, the setting values of the measuring instrument are set values S1 → setting values S2 →. The value is Sn. Accordingly, the final set value of the measuring instrument is the set value Sn. Therefore, each external device can only check whether the set value of the measuring instrument is the same as the value set by itself by sending an output command and reading the current set value of the measuring instrument.

(2) If the external device retains the same image as the setting value of the measuring instrument body, connect the external device to the measuring instrument and set it. Connect the device and update the settings. When the original external device is connected again, the original external device sends an output command to check whether the setting value of the measuring instrument is the same as the setting value of the measuring instrument it owns, There is no choice but to read and confirm.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to determine whether or not the current setting value of the measuring instrument is a value updated by the user itself or whether it has been changed from others, without examining all the setting values. It is to realize a measuring instrument and a measuring system that can be known at a glance.

In order to achieve such an object, the configuration of the present invention is as follows.
(1) In a measuring instrument that updates a set value by access,
Setting number counting means for counting and holding setting numbers that change in response to the update of the setting values;
Setting processing means for incrementing or decrementing the setting number each time the setting value update is executed;
A measuring instrument comprising:

(2) The measuring device according to (1), wherein the set value is updated by an access from an external device connected via a network.

(3) The measuring device according to (1) or (2), wherein the set value is updated by access from an external medium.

(4) The measuring device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the set value is updated by access from a key switch.

(5) The measuring device according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the setting processing unit returns the setting number to the external device in response to a reference command from the external device.

(6) The measuring device according to any one of (2) to (5), wherein the setting processing unit resets a count value of the setting number counting unit by a command from the external device.

(7) In a measurement system comprising an external device connected via a network and a measuring instrument that updates a setting value by access from the external device,
The measuring instrument counts and holds a setting number that changes in response to the update of the setting value, and a setting processing means that increments or decrements the setting number each time the setting value is updated. When,
With
The external device includes a comparison unit that determines a match between the setting number returned from the measuring instrument at the time of the previous update and the setting number returned at the current reference.
A measurement system characterized by that.

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects.
(1) Before the user updates the setting value of the measuring instrument from an external device, the current setting number of the measuring instrument is read and the value is compared with the setting number when the previous setting operation was executed. If is changed, it can be seen that the setting of the measuring instrument has been changed, and if the value is the same, it can be seen that the setting is the same as the previous time.

  By referring to the setting number, the user can know whether or not the setting value has been changed without referring to all the setting values. That is, by referring to the setting number, the user can easily know whether or not the setting state of the measuring instrument is the state set by the user. Does not work.

(2) Since the change in the setting number indicates whether or not the setting of the measuring instrument has been changed, the user only needs to check the setting of the measuring instrument when the setting number has changed. For example, when trying to set the measuring instrument by communication from an external device, first read the setting number and only read and check all the setting values of the measuring instrument only when the value has changed. Therefore, the traffic can be reduced even when the communication line speed is low.

(3) When setting from the external device via the communication bus, if there is a request for setting operation from another external device while making multiple settings from the external device, the number of set communication commands and setting number are displayed. By comparison, if the value changes, it can be understood that there was a setting from another external device during the setting of the measuring instrument.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a measurement system to which the present invention is applied. The same elements as those of the conventional apparatus described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, the characteristic part of the present invention will be described.

  Reference numeral 100 denotes a measuring instrument to which the present invention is applied. The key switch input means 101, the media interface 102, and the communication interface 103 are components common to the conventional measuring instrument 1 shown in FIG.

  A setting processing unit 104 updates a setting value of the setting value holding unit 105 in response to a key input from the key switch input unit 101 and a setting input from the external medium 2 via the external medium interface 102.

  Further, upon receiving a setting input by a communication command from an external device via the communication interface 103, the setting value of the setting value holding means 105 is updated, and the setting value updated by the output command is returned to the external device. Reference numeral 106 denotes a display unit for displaying the held setting value.

  Reference numeral 107 denotes setting number counting means. The setting processing unit 104 returns the updated setting value to the external device when the update of the setting value is normally completed by the setting from the external device, and increments the count value of the setting number counting unit 107 by +1. Returns the counted value to the external device.

  The setting number is placed on a memory that is retained even when the power is turned off (such as SRAM that is backed up by a battery). Any number of memories may be used for holding the setting number. However, if the setting number is incremented by +1 and the value exceeds the maximum value that can be represented by the memory, the setting number is initialized to zero.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure of signal processing by the setting processing means 104. When the periodic processing starts, the setting value update is checked in step S1. In the case of updating, the update process is executed in step S2, and the normal end of the update process is checked in step S3. If the process ends normally, the set number count value is incremented by +1 in step S4 and the process ends.

  Since the setting processing unit 104 performs setting for each setting unit in the setting by the key switch input, when one setting unit ends normally, the count value of the setting number counting unit 107 is incremented by +1. In the setting from the media, since the setting is performed for each setting unit, the setting number is increased by the number of setting units that have been normally completed in the read setting value file.

When the setting processing unit 104 acquires a reference command from the external device, the setting processing unit 104 returns the current count value of the setting number counting unit 107 to the external device. Furthermore, the setting processing means 104
In response to a key switch input or a command from an external device, the count value of the setting number counting means 107 is reset to zero. By adding a function for resetting the setting number, a change in the setting number is represented by “0” or “other numerical value”, so that the change in the setting becomes easy to understand.

  Reference numeral 400 denotes an external device to which the present invention is applied, and the configuration of one of a plurality of external devices will be described as a representative. Reference numeral 401 denotes a communication interface, which communicates with the measuring instrument 100 via the general-purpose communication bus 3.

  A command processing unit 402 receives an installation value update request from the setting unit 403, passes the setting value to the measuring device 100 by a communication command, and receives a reply of the setting value updated by an output command to the display unit 404. Displays the current set value.

  The command processing unit 402 receives the reply of the setting value updated by the output command and also receives the reply of the count value of the setting number counting unit 107 and causes the previous count value holding unit 405 to latch and hold it.

  The command processing means 402 passes the reference command to the measuring instrument 1 before executing a new setting value update after a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous setting value update, so that the setting processing means 104 becomes a setting number counting means. The current count value 107 is acquired and returned to the external device 400.

  The command processing unit 402 causes the current count value holding unit 406 to latch and hold the returned count value. The holding value of the previous count value holding means 405 and the holding value of the current count value holding means 406 are compared and displayed by the display means 404.

  As a result of the comparison, if the previous and current held values match, it can be seen that the setting update for the measuring instrument 100 by another external device has not been executed from the execution of the setting update before a predetermined period until the present. If they do not match, it is understood that the setting update for the measuring instrument 100 by another external device has already been executed from the execution of the setting update before a predetermined period to the present.

  In the middle of executing multiple setting updates from an external device, if there is a setting update request from another external device, compare the number of set communication commands with the returned setting number count value, If the value increases, it can be understood that there was a setting from another external device during the setting of the measuring instrument.

In the measurement system of the present invention, the following procedure is executed.
(1) The external device connected to the measuring instrument reads the setting number before transmitting the setting value.
(2) A plurality of set values are transmitted from the external device, and the set values are updated to the measuring instrument.
(3) The external device reads the setting number count value of the measuring instrument and compares it with the setting number count value read in advance.

As a result of the comparison, the following can be understood. (1) If the increment of the set number count value is the same as the number of set commands transmitted by the user, the state of the measuring instrument is as set by the user.
(2) If the increment of the setting number count value is not the same as the number of setting commands transmitted by the user, the state of the measuring instrument is not the same as that set by the user. The reason is whether the setting has become an error, or whether the setting is updated by interrupting while another user is making the setting.

  In the embodiment described above, the general-purpose communication bus is shown as the communication bus, but a line using a serial communication bus or a dedicated communication bus may be used. The external device connected to the communication bus is not limited to a general-purpose PC, and any device can be used as long as it can execute a setting operation (setting by a setting command) and can read a setting number.

  In the embodiment, the setting number counting means 107 provided in the measuring instrument is incremented by +1 by updating the setting number. However, it is also possible to preset the initial value in advance and decrement by -1 by updating the setting number. Is possible.

It is a functional block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the measurement system to which this invention is applied. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of signal processing by a setting processing unit 104. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structural example of the conventional measurement system.

Explanation of symbols

2 Media 3 General-purpose communication bus 100 Measuring instrument 101 Key switch input means 102 External media interface 103 Communication interface 104 Setting processing means 105 Setting value holding means 106 Display means 107 Setting number counting means 400 External device 401 Communication interface 402 Command processing means 403 Setting Means 404 Display means 405 Previous count value holding means 406 Current count value holding means

Claims (7)

In a measuring instrument that updates set values by access,
Setting number counting means for counting and holding setting numbers that change according to the update of the setting values;
Setting processing means for incrementing or decrementing the setting number every time the setting value update is executed;
A measuring instrument comprising:   The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the setting value is updated by an access from an external device connected via a network.   The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the setting value is updated by access from an external medium.   4. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the set value is updated by access from a key switch.   5. The measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the setting processing unit returns the setting number to the external device in response to a reference command from the external device.   6. The measuring instrument according to claim 2, wherein the setting processing unit resets a count value of the setting number counting unit by a command from the external device. In a measurement system consisting of an external device connected via a network and a measuring device that updates a set value by accessing from the external device,
The measuring instrument counts and holds a setting number that changes in response to the update of the setting value, and a setting processing means that increments or decrements the setting number each time the setting value is updated. When,
With
The external device includes a comparison unit that determines a match between the setting number returned from the measuring instrument at the time of the previous update and the setting number returned at the current reference.
A measurement system characterized by that.

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