JP2023094211A - communication adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a communication adapter capable of changing the amount of current limit according to types of a plurality of external devices with different power supply amounts.SOLUTION: A communication adapter includes a connection section to which an external device can be connected, a current limiting section that limits current supplied via the connection section, and a communication section that receives power supply via the current limiting section. The current limiting section changes the amount of current limit depending on whether the connection section is connected to a first external device or a second external device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to communication adapters.

Conventionally, there is a communication adapter that is connected to an electrical device (external device) and receives power supply from the external device. The communication adapter includes a power supply terminal that receives power from the external device, a current limiting circuit that limits the current when overloaded, a charging unit that stores electric charge, and a booster circuit that boosts the electric charge stored in the charging unit. and a communication device. The charging unit is charged with a current supplied from a power supply terminal that receives power from the external device through the current limiting circuit, the voltage of the charging unit is boosted, and power is supplied to the communication device. (See Patent Document 1, for example).

JP-A-2005-223541

When there are a plurality of external devices with different power supply amounts, conventional communication adapters cannot change the amount of current limit according to the type of external device.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication adapter capable of changing the amount of current limit according to the types of a plurality of external devices with different power supply amounts.

As one aspect of the present disclosure,
a connection section to which an external device can be connected;
a current limiter that limits the current supplied through the connection;
a communication unit that receives power supply through the current limiting unit;
including
A communication adapter is provided in which the current limiter changes the amount of current limit between when the first external device is connected to the connection part and when the second external device is connected to the connection part.

According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a communication adapter capable of changing the amount of current limit according to the types of a plurality of external devices with different power supply amounts.

The above communication adapter is
further comprising a control unit that controls a current limit amount of the current limiter;
The control unit may control the current limiting amount of the current limiting unit based on a difference in communication method between the first external device and the second external device.

According to this configuration, the control section can control the current limit amount of the current limiting section based on the difference in communication method between the first external device and the second external device.

In the communication adapter above,
The control unit may control the current limiting amount of the current limiting unit based on a difference between a first communication protocol of the first external device and a second communication protocol of the second external device.

According to this configuration, the controller can control the current limit amount of the current limiter based on the difference between the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol.

In the communication adapter above,
The control unit transmits the command of the first communication protocol after transmitting the command of the second communication protocol, and the first external device or the second external device is connected to the connection unit based on the response signal. It may be determined whether

According to this configuration, the control unit determines whether or not the second external device is connected based on the presence or absence of a response signal from the second external device. It can be performed with priority over the determination of whether or not there is.

In the communication adapter above,
A communication speed of the second external device may be faster than a communication speed of the first external device.

According to this configuration, communication can be executed at a faster communication speed and in a shorter time.

The above communication adapter is
further comprising a power storage unit connected between the current limiting unit and the communication unit, receiving power supply through the current limiting unit and storing power;
The current limiting unit may limit current supplied from the connection unit to the power storage unit.

According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a communication adapter capable of changing the current limit amount for the current supplied to the power storage unit according to the types of a plurality of external devices with different power supply amounts.

In the communication adapter above,
The second external device may have a higher power supply than the first external device.

According to this configuration, according to the amount of power supplied to the second external device, which has a higher power supply than the first external device, and the first external device, which has a lower power supply than the second external device. It is possible to provide a communication adapter capable of changing the amount of current limit.

In the communication adapter above,
The current limiter may reduce the current limit amount when receiving power supply from the second external device than when receiving power supply from the first external device.

According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a communication adapter capable of receiving a larger amount of power supply from the second external device that supplies a large amount of power.

2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication adapter 100; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a current limiting circuit 120; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a process performed by a microcomputer 180 to select a power supply source; 4 is a flowchart showing processing for setting an upper limit value of a current limiting circuit 120 by a microcomputer 180; 4 is a flow chart showing a process in which the microcomputer 180 monitors the occurrence of interruption of power supply.

Embodiments to which the communication adapter of the present disclosure is applied will be described below.

<Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the communication adapter 100. As shown in FIG. In addition to the communication adapter 100, FIG. 1 shows an outdoor unit 10, a sensor 20, an indoor unit 30, a building 35, a network 40, and a cloud server 50.

<Outdoor unit 10>
The outdoor unit 10 is an example of an external device, and is an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. Here, a form in which the external device is the outdoor unit 10 as an example will be described, but it is not limited to the outdoor unit 10, and a device that performs indoor cooling and heating in a building or the like by a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, or , a showcase-like device with internal refrigeration or freezing.

The outdoor unit 10 has a terminal 11A for power supply and a terminal 11B for data output. Terminals 11A and 11B are connectors. The terminal 11A is connected to the terminal 101A of the communication adapter 100 via the power line 12A of the cable 12, and the outdoor unit 10 supplies power to the communication adapter 100. Terminal 101A is an example of a connecting portion.

There are a plurality of types of outdoor units 10, and two types of outdoor units 10A and 10B are present here as an example. The outdoor unit 10A is an example of a first external device, and the outdoor unit 10B is an example of a second external device. Hereinafter, the outdoor units 10A and 10B will simply be referred to as the outdoor unit 10 unless otherwise distinguished. The outdoor units 10A and 10B have different communication protocols when communicating with the communication adapter 100. The outdoor unit 10A performs data communication with the communication adapter 100 using the first communication protocol, and the outdoor unit 10B uses the second communication protocol to communicate with the communication adapter 100. and data communication. As an example, the outdoor unit 10B is a newer type of outdoor unit than the outdoor unit 10A, and supplies more current to the communication adapter 100 than the outdoor unit 10A. Either one of the outdoor units 10A and 10B can be connected to the terminals 11A and 11B of the communication adapter 100 . Therefore, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 is written as 10A or 10B in parentheses.

The cable 12 is one cable including a power line 12A for power supply and a communication line 12B for data communication. As an example, there are actually two power lines 12A and two communication lines 12B. The terminal 11B is connected to the terminal 101B of the communication adapter 100 via the communication line 12B of the cable 12, and is connected to the controller of the outdoor unit 10 and the controllers of the plurality of indoor units 30 via data cables. It is

The outdoor unit 10 outputs operating status data representing the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the plurality of indoor units 30 to the communication adapter 100 . Terminals 101A and 101B are two terminals included in one connector as an example. Instead of the single cable 12 including the power line 12A and the communication line 12B, the power line 12A and the communication line 12B may be separate cables.

The outdoor unit 10 is provided outside the building 35 and connected to a plurality of indoor units 30 provided inside the building 35 via refrigerant pipes and data cables. Although a configuration in which a plurality of indoor units 30 are connected to one outdoor unit 10 is shown here, the number of indoor units 30 connected to one outdoor unit 10 may be one. Each indoor unit 30 has, for example, a cooling/heating function and a ventilation function. The building 35 may be a structure having an indoor space such as a building or a warehouse, or may be a structure having an indoor space such as a greenhouse.

<Sensor 20>
Sensor 20 is an example of an information gathering device. Sensor 20 is provided inside building 35 as an example. The sensor 20 is, for example, a sensor that detects temperature, humidity, vibration, sound, etc. inside the building 35 . In the following description, as an example, the sensor 20 detects the indoor temperature of the building 35 .

Also, here, an embodiment in which an example of the information gathering device is the sensor 20 will be described, but an example of the information gathering device may be an imaging device that acquires an image, such as a camera. Moreover, although the form in which the sensor 20 is provided inside the building 35 is described here, the sensor 20 may be provided outside the building 35 .

The sensor 20 has a terminal 21A for power supply and a terminal 21B for data output. Terminals 21A and 21B are connectors. The terminal 21A is connected to the terminal 102A of the communication adapter 100 via the power line 22A of the cable 22, and the sensor 20 supplies power to the communication adapter 100. FIG.

The cable 22 is one cable including a power line 22A for power supply and a communication line 22B for data communication. As an example, there are actually two power lines 22A and two communication lines 22B. The terminal 21B is connected to the terminal 102B of the communication adapter 100 via the communication line 22B of the cable 22, and is also connected to the controller of the sensor 20 via the data cable.

The sensor 20 outputs information (temperature data) representing the indoor temperature of the building 35 to the communication adapter 100 . Terminals 102A and 102B are two terminals included in one connector as an example. Note that instead of the single cable 22 including the power line 22A and the communication line 22B, the cable for the power line 22A and the cable for the communication line 22B may be separate cables.

<Communication format between outdoor unit 10 and sensor 20>
The outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 perform data communication with the communication adapter 100 by serial communication in UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) format.

<Amount of power supplied to outdoor units 10A and 10B and sensor 20>
The amount of power that the sensor 20 can supply to the communication adapter 100 (power supply amount) is greater than the power amount that the outdoor unit 10A can supply to the communication adapter 100 (power supply amount). is equal to the amount of power (power supply amount) that the device 10B can supply to the communication adapter 100. The amount of current output from the sensor 20 and the outdoor unit 10B to the communication adapter 100 is, for example, 220 mA, and the amount of current output from the outdoor unit 10A to the communication adapter 100 is, for example, 60 mA.

Either one of the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 may be connected to the communication adapter 100 in addition to the case where both the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 are connected. In addition, even if both or one of the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 are connected to the communication adapter 100, power is supplied to the communication adapter 100 due to interruption of the power supply due to power failure or disconnection of the circuit breaker for wiring. It may not be possible.

Below, unless otherwise specified, both the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 are connected to the communication adapter 100 . Further, for example, when the building 35 has a power outage, power supply to the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 is cut off at the same time. On the other hand, in the interior of the building 35, if the wiring circuit breaker connected to the outdoor unit 10 is interrupted and the wiring circuit breaker connected to the sensor 20 is not interrupted, the outdoor unit 10 may be interrupted, and the power supply to the sensor 20 may not be interrupted. Conversely, when the circuit breaker for wiring connected to the sensor 20 is interrupted inside the building 35 and the circuit breaker for wiring connected to the outdoor unit 10 is not interrupted, In some cases, the power supply to the sensor 20 is cut off and the power supply to the outdoor unit 10 is not cut off.

<Cloud server 50>
The cloud server 50 is an example of an external management device, and is capable of data communication with the communication module 150 of the communication adapter 100 through the network 40 such as the Internet. The cloud server 50 is realized by one or more computer systems, and for example, the operating status data representing the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the plurality of indoor units 30, or the temperature data acquired by the sensor 20 is sent from the communication adapter 100. receive. In addition, the cloud server 50 receives an operation signal for remotely operating one of the indoor units 30 from a terminal such as a smartphone of a user of one of the indoor units 30, Send to As a result, the communication adapter 100 transmits the received operation signal to the outdoor unit 10, and the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 30 are driven according to the operation signal. Note that the cloud server 50 does not have to support remote operation of the indoor unit 30 from a terminal such as a smartphone.

<Configuration of Communication Adapter 100>
Communication adapter 100 includes housing 100A, terminal 101A, terminal 101B, terminal 102A, terminal 102B, A/D converter 103, cutoff SW (switch) 104, coupling circuit 105, voltage detector 106, communication I/F (interface) 107, and a load SW (switch) 108. Communication adapter 100 further includes a DC (Direct Current)/DC converter 110 , a current limiting circuit 120 , and an EDLC (Electrical Double Layer Capacitor) 130 . Communication adapter 100 further includes DC/DC converter 140 , communication module 150 , switch circuit 160 , LDO (Low Drop Out) 170 , microcomputer 180 , and power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 .

Of these, the cut-off SW 104 is an example of a cut-off switch. Communication I/F 107 is an example of a communication interface. Current limiting circuit 120 is an example of a current limiting section. EDLC 130 is an example of a power storage unit. DC/DC converter 140 is an example of a booster. Communication module 150 is an example of a communication unit. The microcomputer 180 is an example of a control section.

<Overview of Operation of Communication Adapter 100>
The communication adapter 100 receives power supply from the sensor 20 and does not receive power supply from the outdoor unit 10 when both the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 are connected. This is the same regardless of which of the outdoor unit 10A or 10B is connected to the communication adapter 100. FIG. Further, the communication adapter 100 receives power supply only from the sensor 20 when only the sensor 20 is connected. When receiving power from the sensor 20, the communication adapter 100 reduces the current limit amount of the current limit circuit 120 (increases the upper limit of current).

Further, the communication adapter 100 receives power supply from the outdoor unit 10 when only the outdoor unit 10 is connected. Since the outdoor units 10A and 10B have different power supply amounts, when power is supplied from the outdoor unit 10B, the current limit amount of the current limiting circuit 120 is set smaller than when power is supplied from the outdoor unit 10A (current upper limit value).

For example, when the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the communication adapter 100, the communication module 150 of the communication adapter 100 transmits the operating status data of the outdoor unit 10 and the plurality of indoor units 30 to the cloud server 50 at regular time intervals. do. Thereby, the cloud server 50 can grasp the operation status of the outdoor unit 10 and the plurality of indoor units 30 .

In addition, when the sensor 20 is connected to the communication adapter 100, the communication module 150 of the communication adapter 100, for example, receives temperature data representing the indoor temperature of the building 35 detected by the sensor 20 at regular time intervals. Send to cloud server 50 . Thereby, the cloud server 50 can grasp the indoor temperature of the building 35 . Here, a mode in which the communication module 150 transmits the operation status data and the temperature data to the cloud server 50 at regular time intervals will be described, but the data may be transmitted at arbitrary timing instead of at regular time intervals.

Further, when data transmission from the communication adapter 100 is interrupted, the cloud server 50 side recognizes whether the interruption of data transmission is due to interruption of power supply due to maintenance, power outage, etc., or due to communication failure or the like. Can not. Therefore, when the power supply from the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 is interrupted, the communication adapter 100 transmits interruption occurrence data indicating that the power supply has been interrupted to the cloud server 50 via the network 40. . The communication adapter 100 also transmits interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 when the power supply from the outdoor unit 10 is interrupted when only the outdoor unit 10 is connected. The communication adapter 100 also transmits interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 when the power supply from the sensor 20 is interrupted when only the sensor 20 is connected.

The power supply to the communication adapter 100 is cut off, for example, when the power supply to the entire building 35 is cut off during maintenance of the building 35, or when the power supply to the building 35 is cut off due to a power failure or the like. .

<Terminal 101A>
The terminal 101A is a terminal that receives power supply from the outdoor unit 10, and is connected to the terminal 11A of the outdoor unit 10 via the power line 12A of the cable 12 outside the communication adapter 100. FIG. Terminal 101A is, for example, a connector that can be connected to terminal 11A realized by a connector. In addition, although the form in which the terminal 101A is a connector will be described here, instead of the terminal 101A, for example, a terminal block to which the cable 12 can be directly connected may be used. In this case, a terminal block may be used instead of the terminal 101B.

The power supplied from the outdoor unit 10 is DC power, and for example, the voltage value and the current value are set to predetermined values. Note that the terminal 101A may be supplied with power from an external device other than the outdoor unit 10 . In this case, operating status data representing the operating status of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 30 may be input to the terminal 101B from an external device other than the outdoor unit 10 . Further, the communication adapter 100 may transmit interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 via the network 40 when interruption of power supply from an external device other than the outdoor unit 10 occurs.

The terminal 101A is connected to the input terminal 104A of the A/D converter 103 and the cutoff switch 104 inside the communication adapter 100 . Electric power supplied from the outdoor unit 10 to the terminal 101A is output to the A/D converter 103 and the cutoff switch 104 . Terminal 101A is a terminal through which power can be supplied to communication adapter 100 from the outside.

<Terminal 101B>
The terminal 101B is a data input terminal to which operation status data representing the operation status of the outdoor unit 10 and the plurality of indoor units 30 is input from the outdoor unit 10, and outside the communication adapter 100, via the communication line 12B of the cable 12. is connected to the terminal 11B of the outdoor unit 10. Terminal 101B is, for example, a connector that can be connected to terminal 11B realized by a connector. The terminal 101B is connected to the terminal 187 of the microcomputer 180 inside the communication adapter 100 and transmits operating status data to the microcomputer 180 .

<Terminal 102A>
The terminal 102A is a terminal that receives power supply from the sensor 20 and is connected to the terminal 21A of the sensor 20 via the power line 22A of the cable 22 outside the communication adapter 100 . Terminal 102A is, for example, a connector that can be connected to terminal 21A realized by a connector. In addition, although a form in which the terminal 102A is a connector will be described here, a terminal block to which the cable 22 can be directly connected, for example, may be used instead of the terminal 102A. In this case, a terminal block may be used instead of the terminal 102B.

The power supplied from the sensor 20 is DC power, and for example, the voltage value and the current value are set to predetermined values. Note that the terminal 102A may receive power supply from an external device other than the sensor 20 . In this case, temperature data or the like may be input from an external device other than the sensor 20 to the terminal 102B. Further, the communication adapter 100 may transmit interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 via the network 40 when interruption of power supply from an external device other than the sensor 20 occurs.

The terminal 102A is connected to the power terminal 105A1 of the coupling circuit 105 and the input terminal of the voltage detection section 106 inside the communication adapter 100 . The power supplied from the sensor 20 to the terminal 102A is output to the power supply terminal 105A1 of the coupling circuit 105 and the voltage detection section . Terminal 102A is a terminal through which power can be supplied to communication adapter 100 from the outside.

<Terminal 102B>
The terminal 102B is a data input terminal to which temperature data is input from the sensor 20, and is connected to the terminal 21B of the sensor 20 via the communication line 22B of the cable 22 outside the communication adapter 100. FIG. Terminal 102B is, for example, a connector that can be connected to terminal 21B realized by a connector. Terminal 102B is connected to the input terminal of communication I/F 107 inside communication adapter 100 and outputs temperature data to communication I/F 107 .

<Case 100A>
The housing 100A is, for example, a resin case containing the A/D converter 103, the cutoff SW 104, the coupling circuit 105, the voltage detector 106, the communication I/F 107, and the load SW . The housing 100A further incorporates a DC/DC converter 110, a current limiting circuit 120, an EDLC 130, a DC/DC converter 140, a communication module 150, a switch circuit 160, an LDO 170, a microcomputer 180, and a power supply voltage conversion circuit 190. The housing 100A is configured so that the communication module 150 can communicate with the cloud server 50 via the network 40, and holds terminals 101A, 101B, 102A, and 102B exposed to the outside.

As an example, the communication adapter 100 can be easily connected to the outdoor unit 10 by simply connecting the terminals 101A and 101B to the terminals 11A and 11B of the outdoor unit 10 via the cable 12 . In this case, the housing 100A may be fixed to the outdoor unit 10. Further, the communication adapter 100 can be easily connected to the sensor 20 by simply connecting the terminals 102A and 102B to the terminals 21A and 21B of the sensor 20 via the cable 22, for example.

<A/D converter 103>
The A/D converter 103 has an input terminal 103A connected to the terminal 101A and an output terminal 103B connected to the signal input terminal 185A of the microcomputer 180. FIG. The A/D converter 103 converts the voltage value of electric power input from the outdoor unit 10 through the terminal 101A into a digital value and outputs the digital value to the microcomputer 180 as a voltage signal.

<Shutdown switch 104>
The cut-off SW 104 has an input terminal 104A connected to the terminal 101A, an output terminal 104B connected to the anode of the diode 105B of the coupling circuit 105, and a control terminal 104C connected to the microcomputer 180. A conductive state and a cut-off state are switched by the control signal applied. When the cut-off SW 104 is turned off, the power input from the terminal 101A is no longer supplied to the EDLC 130 and the microcomputer 180 .

<Coupling circuit 105>
Coupling circuit 105 has diodes 105A and 105B and power supply terminal 105A1. The coupling circuit 105 is a circuit that outputs power supplied from either the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20 . The anodes of the diodes 105A, 105B are the two input terminals of the coupling circuit 105, and the cathodes of the diodes 105A, 105B are the output terminals of the coupling circuit 105.

The anode of diode 105A is connected to power supply terminal 105A1, and power supply terminal 105A1 is connected to terminal 102A. Therefore, the power supplied from the sensor 20 to the terminal 102A is input to the diode 105A. The cathode of diode 105A is connected to the cathode of diode 105B, and the cathode of diode 105B and input terminal 111 of DC/DC converter 110 and input terminal 191 of power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 are connected together.

The anode of the diode 105B is connected to the output terminal 104B of the cutoff SW 104, and the cathode is connected to the input terminal 111 of the DC/DC converter 110 together with the cathode of the diode 105A. Diodes 105A and 105B are provided to prevent backflow from occurring due to a difference in voltage value of power between both the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 when the communication adapter 100 is connected to the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 .

When the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the terminals 101A and 101B and the sensor 20 is connected to the terminals 102A and 102B, the shutoff SW 104 is turned off and power is input to the coupling circuit 105 from the sensor 20 . In this case, the coupling circuit 105 outputs power supplied from the sensor 20 to the DC/DC converter 110 and the power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 .

When the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the terminals 101A and 101B and the sensor 20 is not connected to the terminals 102A and 102B, the cut-off SW 104 is in a conductive state and power is input to the coupling circuit 105 from the outdoor unit 10. . In this case, the coupling circuit 105 outputs power supplied from the outdoor unit 10 to the DC/DC converter 110 and the power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 .

<Voltage detector 106>
Voltage detector 106 has input terminal 106A connected to terminal 102A and output terminal 106B connected to signal input terminal 185A of microcomputer 180 . The voltage detection unit 106 is implemented by a voltage comparator circuit as an example, and outputs a detection signal to the microcomputer 180 . A detection signal represents the detection result of the voltage detection unit 106 .

Voltage detection unit 106 outputs an H (High) level detection signal when the voltage of power input from sensor 20 to terminal 102A is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, and detects the voltage of power input from sensor 20 to terminal 102A. is less than a predetermined threshold, an L (Low) level detection signal is output. The detection signal is used when the microcomputer 180 determines whether or not the sensor 20 is connected to the communication adapter 100 . The microcomputer 180 may determine whether the sensor 20 is connected to the communication adapter 100 based on the communication state between the communication I/F 107 and the sensor 20 instead of the detection result of the voltage detection unit 106. .

<Communication I/F 107>
The communication I/F 107 has a terminal 107A connected to the terminal 102B, a terminal 107B connected to the terminal 187 of the microcomputer 180, and a control terminal 107C connected to the load SW108. On/off of the power is switched by the input switching signal. The communication I/F 107 can be realized by an RS485 driver as an example, and bi-directional communication with the microcomputer 180 is possible. The communication I/F 107 converts the data format of the temperature data input from the sensor 20 to the terminal 102B from a single-ended signal to a differential signal and outputs the differential signal to the microcomputer 180 when the power is on. Further, the communication I/F 107 converts the data format of a command or the like input from the microcomputer 180 from a differential signal to a single-end signal and outputs the signal to the sensor 20 .

<Road SW108>
Load SW 108 has an input terminal 108A connected to terminal 189 of microcomputer 180 and an output terminal 108B connected to control terminal 107C of communication I/F 107 . The load SW 108 outputs a switching signal for switching ON/OFF of power of the communication I/F 107 according to a control signal input from the microcomputer 180 . Load SW 108 turns on communication I/F 107 with a switching signal when sensor 20 is connected to terminals 102A and 102B. This is so that the communication I/F 107 can convert the data format of the temperature data from single-ended to differential signals and output them to the microcomputer 180 . Moreover, the load SW 108 turns off the power of the communication I/F 107 with a switching signal when the sensor 20 is not connected to the terminals 102A and 102B. This is to reduce power consumption because the communication I/F 107 consumes a certain amount of power even when the sensor 20 is not connected to the terminals 102A and 102B and no temperature data is input.

<DC/DC converter 110>
The DC/DC converter 110 has an input terminal 111 and an output terminal 112 . DC/DC converter 110 is provided between coupling circuit 105 , current limiting circuit 120 and switch circuit 160 . More specifically, input terminal 111 is connected to the cathodes of diodes 105A and 105B of coupling circuit 105, and output terminal 112 is connected to input terminal 121 of current limiting circuit 120 and input terminal 161 of switch circuit 160. ing. DC/DC converter 110 boosts the voltage value of power supplied from outdoor unit 10 or sensor 20 via coupling circuit 105 and outputs the boosted voltage to current limiting circuit 120 and switch circuit 160 .

<Current limiting circuit 120>
The current limiting circuit 120 has an input terminal 121 , an output terminal 122 and a control terminal 123 . Current limiting circuit 120 is provided between DC/DC converter 110 and EDLC 130 . More specifically, the input terminal 121 of the current limiting circuit 120 is connected to the output terminal 112 of the DC/DC converter 110, and the output terminal 122 of the current limiting circuit 120 is connected to the input/output terminal 131 of the EDLC 130 and the DC It is connected to the input terminal 141 of the /DC converter 140 . Also, the control terminal 123 is connected to the control terminal 184 of the microcomputer 180 .

The current limiting circuit 120 is a circuit that limits the upper limit of the current value of the DC power supplied from the DC/DC converter 110 to the EDLC 130 to either a first upper limit value or a second upper limit value and outputs the current value. The second upper limit value is larger than the first upper limit value, and the current limit amount representing the amount by which the current is limited by the current limit circuit 120 is smaller. A small current limit amount means that the amount of current output from the current limit circuit 120 is large.

The upper limit when the current limiting circuit 120 limits the current value is set to either the first upper limit or the second upper limit by a control signal input from the control terminal 184 of the microcomputer 180 to the control terminal 123. . The current limiting circuit 120 includes an IC (Integrated Circuit) that sets the upper limit of current. A specific configuration of the current limiting circuit 120 will be described with reference to FIG.

<Configuration of Current Limiting Circuit 120>
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the current limiting circuit 120. As shown in FIG. The current limiting circuit 120 has an IC 120A, an FET (Field Effect Transistor) 124, and resistors R1 and R2 in addition to the input terminal 121, the output terminal 122, and the control terminal 123 shown in FIG. The input terminal 121, the output terminal 122, and the control terminal 123 are connected to the DC/DC converter 110, the EDLC 130, and the microcomputer 180 (see FIG. 1).

The IC 120A has terminals 121A, 122A, and 123A connected to an input terminal 121, an output terminal 122, and a control terminal 123. FIG. Resistors R1 and R2 are connected to the terminal 123A. The resistor R1 is branched from the line that connects the terminal 123A and the resistor R2 and is connected to the ground (ground potential point).

The drain of the FET 124 is connected to the terminal opposite to the terminal connected to the terminal 123A of the resistor R2. The FET 124 has a source connected to the ground (ground potential point) and a gate connected to the control terminal 123 .

In such a current limiting circuit 120, when an H level control signal is input from the microcomputer 180 to the control terminal 123, the FET 124 is turned on, and resistors R1 and R2 are connected in parallel between the terminal 123A and the ground. will be connected to

When an L-level control signal is input from the microcomputer 180 to the control terminal 123, the FET 124 is turned off, and only the resistor R1 is connected between the terminal 123A and the ground (ground potential point). . In this state, resistor R2 is floating and not connected between terminal 123A and ground.

With resistors R1 and R2 connected in parallel between terminal 123A and ground, the resistance between terminal 123A and ground is greater than when only resistor R1 is connected between terminal 123A and ground. resistance is small.

Thus, by switching the control signal input to the control terminal 123 to H level or L level, the resistance value between the terminal 123A and the ground can be changed. The IC 120A sets a first upper limit value and a second upper limit value when causing the current input from the DC/DC converter 110 to the terminal 121A to flow through the terminal 122A according to the change in the resistance value between the terminal 123A and the ground. Set to either one of the 2 upper limits. As an example, when the control signal input to the control terminal 123 is H level, the upper limit of the current is set to 220 mA (second upper limit), and when the control signal input to the control terminal 123 is L level, sets the current upper limit to 60 mA (first upper limit). The microcomputer 180 sets the control signal to be output to the control terminal 123 of the current limiting circuit 120 to H level when receiving power from the outdoor unit 10B or the sensor 20, and sets the control signal output to the control terminal 123 of the current limiting circuit 120 to H level when receiving power from the outdoor unit 10A. The control signal output to the control terminal 123 of the limiter circuit 120 is set to L level.

<EDLC130>
EDLC 130 (see FIG. 1) has an input/output terminal 131 connected to a power transmission line between current limiting circuit 120 and DC/DC converter 140 . Input/output terminal 131 is connected to output terminal 122 of current limiting circuit 120 and input terminal 141 of DC/DC converter 140 . The input/output terminal 131 is also connected to the terminal 186 of the microcomputer 180 . EDLC 130 stores the DC power supplied from current limiting circuit 120 . The output voltage of EDLC 130 is proportional to the amount of charge stored by EDLC 130 . The output voltage of the EDLC 130 is also input for monitoring to a terminal 186 of the microcomputer 180 and monitored by the microcomputer 180 .

The EDLC 130 is provided to store power used by the communication module 150 to notify the cloud server 50 when the power supply to the communication adapter 100 is interrupted. However, since the EDLC 130 is provided on the output side of the current limiting circuit 120 and the amount of current supplied is limited, the communication module 150 and the microcomputer 180 can be used without limitation when the power supply is interrupted. It is not possible to store as much power as possible. Therefore, the communication adapter 100 imposes restrictions on the operations of the communication module 150 and the microcomputer 180 when the power supply is interrupted.

<DC/DC converter 140>
The DC/DC converter 140 (see FIG. 1) has an input terminal 141 , an output terminal 142 and a terminal 143 . DC/DC converter 140 is connected to current limiting circuit 120 , EDLC 130 , communication module 150 and switch circuit 160 . More specifically, the input terminal 141 is connected to the output terminal 122 of the current limiting circuit 120 and the input/output terminal 131 of the EDLC 130, and the output terminal 142 is connected to the power input terminal 151 of the communication module 150 and the switch circuit 160. is connected to the input terminal 162 of the .

DC/DC converter 140 is provided to boost the output voltage of EDLC 130 to a voltage required for operation of communication module 150 . The DC/DC converter 140 is controlled by a control signal input from the terminal 188 of the microcomputer 180 to the terminal 143 . That is, DC/DC converter 140 is controlled by microcomputer 180 .

<Communication module 150>
Communication module 150 (see FIG. 1) is provided on the output side of DC/DC converter 140 . Communication module 150 has power input terminal 151 and communication terminal 152 . The power input terminal 151 is connected to the output terminal 142 of the DC/DC converter 140 and receives DC power necessary for the communication module 150 to operate. The communication terminal 152 is an I/F (Interface) for communication, is connected to the communication terminal 181 of the microcomputer 180 , and inputs and outputs data to and from the microcomputer 180 . The operating status data and temperature data are input from the communication terminal 181 of the microcomputer 180 to the communication terminal 152 .

The communication module 150 communicates with the cloud server 50 via the network 40 by LTE (Long Term Evolution), for example. The communication module 150 transmits the operating status data of the outdoor unit 10 and the plurality of indoor units 30 and the temperature data acquired by the sensor 20 to the network 40 at regular time intervals during normal times when the power supply is not interrupted. to the cloud server 50 via the Further, when the power supply is cut off, the communication module 150 transmits cut-off occurrence data indicating that the power supply is cut off to the cloud server 50 via the network 40 . The interruption occurrence data is input from the communication terminal 181 of the microcomputer 180 to the communication terminal 152 .

<Switch circuit 160>
Switch circuit 160 (see FIG. 1) is provided between DC/DC converter 110 and LDO 170 and between DC/DC converter 140 and LDO 170 . The switch circuit 160 is a three-terminal switch having an input terminal 161 , an input terminal 162 , an output terminal 163 and a control terminal 164 . The switch circuit 160 is configured by, for example, two LDOs with a backflow prevention function. Input terminal 161 is connected to output terminal 112 of DC/DC converter 110 , and input terminal 162 is connected to output terminal 142 of DC/DC converter 140 . The output terminal 163 is connected to the input terminal 171 of the LDO 170 , and the control terminal 164 is connected to the control terminal 182 of the microcomputer 180 .

The switch circuit 160 switches the connection destination of the output terminal 163 to either the input terminal 161 or the input terminal 162 based on the control signal input from the microcomputer 180 to the control terminal 164 . Therefore, switch circuit 160 outputs either the output voltage of DC/DC converter 110 or the output voltage of DC/DC converter 140 to LDO 170 . Switch circuit 160 may have a timing when both LDOs are turned on. There may be.

<LDO170>
LDO 170 (see FIG. 1) is provided between switch circuit 160 and microcomputer 180 . LDO 170 has an input terminal 171 and an output terminal 172 . The input terminal 171 is connected to the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160 and the output terminal 172 is connected to the power terminal 183 of the microcomputer 180 . LDO 170 lowers the voltage value of the DC power supplied from either DC/DC converter 110 or DC/DC converter 140 to the power supply voltage for microcomputer 180 and outputs it.

<Microcomputer 180>
The microcomputer 180 (see FIG. 1) is a control unit that controls the communication adapter 100 as a whole. The microcomputer 180 is realized by a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), an input/output interface, an internal bus, and the like.

The microcomputer 180 has a communication terminal 181 , a control terminal 182 , a power terminal 183 , a control terminal 184 , a signal input terminal 185 , a signal input terminal 185 A, a terminal 186 , a terminal 187 , a terminal 188 and a terminal 189 . Communication terminal 181 is connected to communication terminal 152 of communication module 150 . Control terminal 182 is connected to control terminal 164 of switch circuit 160 . The power terminal 183 is connected to the output terminal 172 of the LDO 170 . Control terminal 184 is connected to control terminal 123 of current limiting circuit 120 . The signal input terminal 185 is connected to the output terminal 192 of the power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 .

The signal input terminal 185A actually has two terminals, which are connected to the output terminal 103B of the A/D converter 103 and the output terminal 106B of the voltage detection section 106. FIG. Terminal 186 is connected to input/output terminal 131 of EDLC 130 . The terminal 187 actually has two terminals, and is connected to the terminal 101B and the terminal 107B of the communication I/F 107. Operation status data and temperature data are input from the terminals 101B and 107B at regular time intervals. be.

A terminal 187 is a data input/output terminal, and actually has two terminals connected to the terminal 101B and the terminal 107B of the communication I/F 107 . Terminal 188 is connected to terminal 143 of DC/DC converter 140 and outputs a control signal to DC/DC converter 140 . The terminal 189 actually has two terminals and is connected to the control terminal 104C of the cut-off SW 104 and the input terminal 108A of the load SW 108, and outputs a control signal for controlling the cut-off SW 104 and the load SW 108. Details of the operation of the microcomputer 180 will be described later.

<Power supply voltage conversion circuit 190>
The power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 (see FIG. 1) has an input terminal 191 and an output terminal 192 . The input terminal 191 is connected to the cathodes of the diodes 105 A and 105 B of the coupling circuit 105 (the output terminal of the coupling circuit 105 ), and the output terminal 192 is connected to the signal input terminal 185 of the microcomputer 180 . The power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 is configured by, for example, a reset IC (Integrated Circuit), monitors the voltage value of the DC power at the output terminal of the coupling circuit 105, and outputs a voltage monitoring signal having a signal level corresponding to the voltage value to the microcomputer 180. Output. Power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 outputs an H-level voltage monitoring signal when the voltage value of the DC power at the output terminal of coupling circuit 105 is greater than a predetermined value, and when the voltage value of DC power is equal to or less than a predetermined value. , to output an L-level voltage monitoring signal.

Next, the operation of the microcomputer 180 will be explained.

<Selection of Power Supply Source by Microcomputer 180>
As an example, the microcomputer 180 determines whether the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20 is connected to the communication adapter 100 in order to select the power supply source as follows.

The voltage value represented by the voltage signal output by the A/D converter 103 changes depending on whether the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the terminal 101A. This is because when the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the terminal 101A, the outdoor unit 10 supplies power through the terminal 101A. Here, the fact that electric power is being supplied from the outdoor unit 10 to the terminal 101A is treated as being synonymous with the fact that the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the terminals 101A and 101B.

The microcomputer 180 determines that the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the terminals 101A and 101B if the voltage value of the voltage signal input from the A/D converter 103 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and the voltage value of the voltage signal is If it is less than the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the outdoor unit 10 is not connected to the terminals 101A and 101B. This is the same regardless of whether the outdoor unit 10 is the outdoor unit 10A or 10B.

The signal level of the detection signal output by the voltage detection unit 106 changes depending on whether the sensor 20 is connected to the terminal 102A. This is because if the sensor 20 is connected to the terminal 102A, the sensor 20 supplies power through the terminal 102A. Here, the fact that power is being supplied from the sensor 20 to the terminal 102A is treated as being synonymous with the fact that the sensor 20 is connected to the terminals 102A and 102B.

The microcomputer 180 determines that the sensor 20 is connected to the terminals 102A and 102B if the detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 is at H level, and determines that the terminals 102A and 102B are connected if the detection signal is at L level. is not connected to the sensor 20.

When the microcomputer 180 determines that the sensor 20 is connected to the communication adapter 100 , it outputs a control signal to turn off the shutoff SW 104 and receives power from the sensor 20 . This is the same when both the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 are connected to the communication adapter 100, and a control signal is output to turn the shutdown SW 104 into the shutdown state (OFF), and power is supplied from the sensor 20. receive. In this case, since the sensor 20 is selected as the power supply source, power is supplied from the sensor 20 and power is not supplied from the outdoor unit 10 . This is the same regardless of whether the outdoor unit 10 is the outdoor unit 10A or 10B. This is because, as an example, priority is given to current supply from the sensor 20 .

In addition, when the microcomputer 180 determines that only the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the communication adapter 100, it outputs a control signal for turning the cutoff SW 104 into a conductive state (on), and supplies power from the outdoor unit 10. receive.

<Setting Upper Limit of Current Limiting Circuit 120 by Microcomputer 180>
If the detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 is at the H level, the microcomputer 180 reduces the current limit amount of the current limit circuit 120 (increases the upper limit of current) in order to receive power from the sensor 20. . Further, if the detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 is L level, the microcomputer 180 sets the upper limit value of the current limiting circuit 120 according to the difference in the communication method between the communication adapter 100 and the outdoor units 10A and 10B. do. The outdoor unit 10A performs data communication with the microcomputer 180 using the first communication protocol, and the outdoor unit 10B performs data communication with the microcomputer 180 using the second communication protocol. The difference in communication method is the difference between the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol. The communication speed of the outdoor unit 10B is faster than the communication speed of the outdoor unit 10A. The microcomputer 180 converts data into the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol.

As an example, the microcomputer 180 first transmits a second communication protocol command to the terminal 101B in order to determine which of the outdoor units 10A and 10B is connected to the communication adapter 100. FIG. Then, the command of the first communication protocol is transmitted to the terminal 101B. The microcomputer 180 determines which of the outdoor units 10A and 10B is connected to the terminals 101A and 101B of the communication adapter 100 based on the response signal from the outdoor unit 10A or 10B.

In this case, the microcomputer 180 waits for a predetermined time for a response signal from the outdoor unit 10B after transmitting the second communication protocol command to the terminal 101B, and if there is no response signal from the outdoor unit 10B, the terminal 101B may be sent commands of the first protocol. Further, after transmitting the command of the second communication protocol to the terminal 101B, the microcomputer 180 may transmit the command of the first protocol to the terminal 101B without waiting for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is the time required for the response signal transmitted by the sensor 20 in response to the command to reach the microcomputer 180 plus a predetermined margin time, and is sufficiently short.

When receiving the response signal from the outdoor unit 10B, the microcomputer 180 determines that the outdoor unit 10B is connected to the communication adapter 100, and outputs an H-level control signal to the current limiting circuit 120. The upper limit of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 is set to the higher second upper limit (220 mA) by the H level control signal. When the outdoor unit 10B is connected to the communication adapter 100, the communication adapter 100 receives power from the outdoor unit 10B. set higher.

When receiving a response signal from the outdoor unit 10A without receiving a response signal from the outdoor unit 10B, the microcomputer 180 determines that the outdoor unit 10A is connected to the communication adapter 100, and outputs an L level control signal. Output to the current limiting circuit 120 . The upper limit of the current of current limiting circuit 120 is set to the lower first upper limit (60 mA) by the L level control signal.

Here, the connection of the outdoor units 10A and 10B to the communication adapter 100 is determined based on the difference between the first protocol and the second communication protocol. can be determined. For example, connection to the communication adapter 100 may be determined based on the model information of the outdoor units 10A and 10B.

Further, here, as an example, when the detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 is at the L level, the microcomputer 180 switches the current limiting circuit according to the difference in the communication method between the communication adapter 100 and the outdoor units 10A and 10B. A mode for setting the upper limit value of 120 has been described. However, when the microcomputer 180 sets the upper limit value of the current limiting circuit 120 according to the difference in communication method, it is not an essential precondition that the detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 is L level. For example, when the communication adapter 100 gives priority to current supply from the outdoor unit 10 (10A or 10B) over the sensor 20, the microcomputer 180 detects that even if the detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 is at H level, , the upper limit value of the current limiting circuit 120 may be set according to the difference in communication method. Further, for example, the communication adapter 100 can be connected only to the outdoor unit 10 (10A or 10B), and the sensor 20 is connected without including the terminals 102A and 102B, the voltage detection unit 106, the communication I/F 107, the load switch 108, and the like. In the case of a configuration in which it is not possible, the microcomputer 180 may set the upper limit value of the current limiting circuit 120 according to only the difference in the communication method.

<Detection of interruption of power supply>
The microcomputer 180 determines whether power is being supplied to the communication adapter 100 based on the voltage monitoring signal input from the output terminal 192 of the power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 . The voltage monitoring signal changes in signal level according to the voltage value of the DC power output from the coupling circuit 105 . The voltage monitoring signal is at H level when the voltage value of the DC power output from coupling circuit 105 is greater than a predetermined value, and is at L level when the voltage value of DC power output from coupling circuit 105 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. level. The microcomputer 180 detects that the power supply has been interrupted when the voltage monitoring signal becomes L level.

The coupling circuit 105 is a circuit that outputs power supplied from either the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20 . Although it is not known from the voltage value of the DC power output from the coupling circuit 105 which of the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 is supplying power, the communication adapter 100 receives power from either the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20. I know you are being supplied. Therefore, when the voltage monitoring signal is at H level, it means that power is being supplied to the communication adapter 100 from either the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20 .

As an example, the microcomputer 180 does not always monitor the voltage monitoring signal, but when the voltage monitoring signal input to the signal input terminal 185 as an interrupt port becomes L level, the power supply is cut off with the highest priority. , a control signal for switching the switch circuit 160 is output.

Also, instead of the voltage monitoring signal input from the output terminal 192 of the power supply voltage conversion circuit 190, the microcomputer 180 receives the voltage signal output from the A/D converter 103 and the detection signal output from the voltage detection unit 106. , it may be detected that the power supply has been interrupted. In this case, the microcomputer 180 may detect that the power supply has been interrupted when the voltage value of the voltage signal is less than the predetermined threshold and the detection signal is at L level.

<Normal Mode and Power Saving Mode of Microcomputer 180>
The microcomputer 180 normally operates in normal mode when power supply is not interrupted, and causes the communication module 150 to transmit operating status data and temperature data to the cloud server 50 via the network 40 at regular time intervals. . The microcomputer 180 detects whether power supply interruption has occurred based on the signal level of the voltage monitoring signal. The microcomputer 180 receives operating status data and temperature data at regular time intervals, stores the received operating status data and temperature data for a specified period of time, compresses the stored operating status data and temperature data, and transmits them to the communication module 150 .

The normal mode is an operation mode in which the microcomputer 180 can cause the communication module 150 to transmit operating status data and temperature data to the cloud server 50 at regular time intervals without restricting the operation of the microcomputer 180 . Note that the microcomputer 180 may transmit the operating status data and the temperature data to the cloud server 50 at the same time or separately. The time intervals for transmitting the operating status data and temperature data may be different.

When the microcomputer 180 detects that the power supply has been cut off, the microcomputer 180 switches to the power saving mode and causes the communication module 150 to transmit cutoff occurrence data indicating that the power supply has been cut off to the cloud server 50 . In this manner, the microcomputer 180 notifies the cloud server 50 of interruption occurrence data when the power supply is interrupted. When the microcomputer 180 causes the communication module 150 to transmit data, it transmits commands and data to the communication module 150 via the communication terminal 181 .

The power saving mode is a mode in which the operation of the microcomputer 180 is restricted to reduce power consumption, and is an operation mode in which the microcomputer 180 can cause the communication module 150 to transmit interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 . Restrictions on the operation of the microcomputer 180 in the power saving mode include, for example, lowering the clock frequency, stopping functions other than communication-related functions, and the like.

When the power supply is interrupted, the microcomputer 180 switches to the power saving mode and gives priority to transmitting the interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 in a state of reducing its own power consumption. Further, after transmitting the interruption occurrence data, the microcomputer 180 transitions to a deep sleep mode that consumes less power than the power saving mode. The deep sleep mode is a state in which all clocks of the microcomputer 180 are stopped and the microcomputer 180 is not started unless an external start command is received. Note that the microcomputer 180 does not need to transition to the deep sleep mode, for example, when it is okay not to transition to the deep sleep mode. Also, if the microcomputer 180 does not need to be switched to the power saving mode when the power supply is cut off, it is not necessary to switch the microcomputer 180 to the power saving mode when the power supply is cut off.

In this way, the microcomputer 180 and the communication module 150 transit to a state in which they stop operating after notifying the cloud server 50 of the interruption of the power supply. After transitioning to the state of stopping the operation, the microcomputer 180 and the communication module 150 enter a state of not consuming the power of the EDLC 130 .

<Selection of first power supply line and second power supply line>
The microcomputer 180 normally outputs a control signal from the control terminal 182 to the control terminal 164 so that the input terminal 161 and the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160 are connected. In this case, the power supplied from the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20 passes through the coupling circuit 105, the DC/DC converter 110, the input terminal 161 and the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160, and the LDO 170 to the microcomputer 180. It is supplied to the power terminal 183 . A power supply line from the coupling circuit 105 to the power supply terminal 183 via the DC/DC converter 110, the input terminal 161 and the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160, and the LDO 170 is an example of a first power supply line. The first power supply line is a power supply line that supplies power to the microcomputer 180 without going through the EDLC 130 .

Further, when the microcomputer 180 detects that the power supply has been interrupted, before switching to the power saving mode, the microcomputer 180 sends a control signal from the control terminal 182 to the control terminal 164 so that the input terminal 162 and the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160 are connected. to output In this case, the power stored in the EDLC 130 is supplied to the power terminal 183 of the microcomputer 180 via the DC/DC converter 140, the input terminal 162 and the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160, and the LDO 170. A power supply line from the EDLC 130 to the power supply terminal 183 via the DC/DC converter 140, the input terminal 162 and the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160, and the LDO 170 is an example of a second power supply line. The second power supply line is a power supply line that supplies power from the EDLC 130 to the microcomputer 180 when the power supply is interrupted.

The switch circuit 160 is switched so that the microcomputer 180 normally receives power from the first power supply line that does not pass through the EDLC 130, and selects the second power supply line that receives power from the EDLC 130 when the power supply is interrupted. is due to the following reasons.

Normally, the microcomputer 180 operates in the normal mode, and the communication module 150 transmits operating status data and temperature data to the cloud server 50 at regular time intervals.

On the other hand, when the power supply is interrupted, the microcomputer 180 operates in power saving mode, and the communication module 150 transmits interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 .

Therefore, the power consumption of the microcomputer 180 and the communication module 150 when the power supply is interrupted is much smaller than the power consumption of the microcomputer 180 and the communication module 150 during normal times.

Further, the electric power supplied from the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20 through the coupling circuit 105 is supplied to the EDLC 130 while the current value is limited by the current limiting circuit 120 . The power stored in the EDLC 130 is supplied to the communication module 150 both in normal times and when the power supply is interrupted.

When power is supplied to the microcomputer 180 through the second power supply line, power is supplied from the EDLC 130 to both the microcomputer 180 and the communication module 150 . Therefore, for example, when power is supplied from the EDLC 130 to the microcomputer 180 when starting the microcomputer 180 from the power saving mode to the normal mode, sufficient power is supplied to the microcomputer 180 and the communication module 150 that operate normally. supply may become unavailable. Moreover, if the amount of power supply is insufficient, there may arise a problem that the start-up of the microcomputer 180 is delayed.

For this reason, the communication adapter 100 normally supplies power to the microcomputer 180 through the first power supply line that does not pass through the EDLC 130, thereby ensuring early start-up of the microcomputer 180 and normal normal operation. do.

On the other hand, when the power supply is interrupted, the external power supply to the communication adapter 100 is interrupted and power cannot be supplied to the microcomputer 180 through the first power supply line. to supply power to the microcomputer 180 . When the power supply is interrupted, the microcomputer 180 is put into a power saving mode, and the data transmitted from the communication module 150 to the cloud server 50 is limited to interruption occurrence data. When the power supply is cut off, the communication module 150 does not transmit the operating status data and temperature data to the cloud server 50 .

In this way, when the power supply is interrupted, the power consumption of the microcomputer 180 and the communication module 150 is reduced, and the power stored in the EDLC 130 can be used to notify the cloud server 50 that the power supply has been interrupted. . For this reason, power is normally supplied to the microcomputer 180 through the first power supply line that does not pass through the EDLC 130, and the second power supply line is used to supply power from the EDLC 130 to the microcomputer 180 when the power supply is interrupted. The switch circuit 160 is switched to select.

<Process Performed by Microcomputer 180 to Select Power Supply Source>
FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the process performed by the microcomputer 180 to select the power supply source. The processing shown in FIG. 3 is processing performed when the microcomputer 180 is operating in the normal mode.

When the microcomputer 180 starts the process, it outputs a control signal for setting the cut-off SW 104 to a conductive state (step S1). This is for supplying power to the microcomputer 180 .

When the microcomputer 180 starts processing, it acquires a detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 (step S1A).

The microcomputer 180 determines whether the detection signal is at H level (step S2).

When the microcomputer 180 determines that the detection signal is at the H level (S2: YES), it outputs a control signal for setting the shutdown SW 104 to the shutdown state, and loads the control signal for turning on the power of the communication I/F 107. Output to SW 108 (step S3).

The microcomputer 180 outputs an H level control signal to the current limiting circuit 120 (step S3A). Thereby, the upper limit of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 is set to 220 mA (second upper limit). When the flow proceeds to step S3A, the microcomputer 180 determines that the detection signal is at H level in step S2 (S2: YES), and the sensor 20 is connected to the terminals 102A and 102B. . Here, as an example, since the current supply from the sensor 20 is prioritized, the upper limit of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 is set to 220 mA (second upper limit) if the detection signal is at H level.

The microcomputer 180 receives power supply from the sensor 20 (step S4).

After finishing the process of step S4, the microcomputer 180 ends the flow (END). The microcomputer 180 repeatedly executes the flow from the start.

When the microcomputer 180 determines in step S2 that the detection signal is not at the H level (S2: NO), it acquires the voltage signal input from the A/D converter 103 (step S5).

The microcomputer 180 determines whether the voltage value of the voltage signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step S6).

When the microcomputer 180 determines that the voltage value of the voltage signal is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value (S6: YES), it outputs a control signal for setting the cutoff SW 104 to a conductive state, and switches the power of the communication I/F 107 off. A control signal that causes the load switch to be output to the load switch 108 (step S7). As a result, the communication adapter 100 is ready to receive power from the outdoor unit 10 . Moreover, since the sensor 20 is not connected to the terminals 102A and 102B, power consumption can be reduced by turning off the communication I/F 107 .

The microcomputer 180 receives power supply from the outdoor unit 10 (step S8).

After finishing the process of step S8, the microcomputer 180 ends the flow (END). The microcomputer 180 repeatedly executes the flow from the start.

When the microcomputer 180 determines in step S6 that the voltage value of the voltage signal is not equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value (S6: NO), it ends the flow (end). The microcomputer 180 repeatedly executes the flow from the start.

As described above, when the communication adapter 100 is connected to the sensor 20 , the microcomputer 180 receives power from the sensor 20 by setting the shutdown SW 104 to the shutdown state. Further, when the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the communication adapter 100 and the sensor 20 is not connected, the microcomputer 180 sets the cutoff SW 104 to a conductive state to receive power from the outdoor unit 10 .

In addition, for example, when the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 are connected to the communication adapter 100 and the communication adapter 100 is receiving power supply from the sensor 20, the wiring breaker of the sensor 20 is cut off, etc. When the power supply is stopped, NO is determined in step S<b>2 , and the outdoor unit 10 switches to receive the power supply. When switching to receive power from the outdoor unit 10 after the power supply from the sensor 20 is stopped, the power of the EDLC 130 may be used when the power supply from the sensor 20 is stopped. The power supply from the EDLC 130 should be stopped when the power supply from the outdoor unit 10 is started.

Further, for example, if only the outdoor unit 10 is connected to the communication adapter 100 and the sensor 20 is connected to the communication adapter 100 while receiving power from the outdoor unit 10, YES is determined in step S2. The flow proceeds to step S3. As a result, the communication adapter 100 is switched to receive power from the sensor 20 , the communication I/F 107 is turned on, and temperature data from the sensor 20 is input to the microcomputer 180 .

<Process for Setting Upper Limit of Current Limiting Circuit 120>
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing processing for setting the upper limit value of the current limiting circuit 120 by the microcomputer 180 . The processing shown in FIG. 4 is processing performed when the microcomputer 180 is operating in the normal mode. In this embodiment, as an example, when the microcomputer 180 sets the upper limit value of the current limiting circuit 120 according to the difference in the communication method, it is assumed that the detection signal input from the voltage detection unit 106 is at the L level. be. However, as described above, this precondition is not essential and is omitted from the flow chart of FIG.

When starting the process, the microcomputer 180 transmits a command of the second communication protocol to the outdoor unit 10B (step S11).

The microcomputer 180 waits for a predetermined time to receive a response signal from the outdoor unit 10B (step S12).

After a predetermined time has elapsed, the microcomputer 180 determines whether or not a response signal has been received from the outdoor unit 10B (step S13).

When the microcomputer 180 determines that it has received the response signal from the outdoor unit 10B (S13: YES), it outputs an H-level control signal to the current limiting circuit 120 (step S14). Thereby, the upper limit of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 is set to 220 mA (second upper limit).

After completing the process of step S14, the microcomputer 180 ends the flow (END). The microcomputer 180 repeatedly executes the flow from the start.

Further, when the microcomputer 180 determines in step S13 that no response signal is received from the outdoor unit 10B (S13: NO), it transmits a command of the first communication protocol to the outdoor unit 10A (step S15).

The microcomputer 180 waits for a predetermined time for waiting for the response signal of the first protocol to receive the response signal from the outdoor unit 10A (step S16). The predetermined time for waiting in step S16 is longer than the predetermined time for waiting in step S12. This is because the processing speed of the outdoor unit 10A is slower than that of the outdoor unit 10B.

After a predetermined time has elapsed, the microcomputer 180 determines whether or not a response signal has been received from the outdoor unit 10A (step S17).

When the microcomputer 180 determines that the response signal has been received from the outdoor unit 10A (S17: YES), it outputs an L level control signal to the current limiting circuit 120 (step S18). Thereby, the upper limit of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 is set to 60 mA (first upper limit).

After finishing the process of step S18, the microcomputer 180 ends the flow (END). The microcomputer 180 repeatedly executes the flow from the start.

Further, when the microcomputer 180 determines in step S17 that no response signal has been received from the outdoor unit 10A (S17: NO), the flow ends (END). The microcomputer 180 repeatedly executes the flow from the start.

As described above, the microcomputer 180 first transmits the command of the second communication protocol to the outdoor unit 10B, and when receiving a response signal from the outdoor unit 10B, sets the upper limit value of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 to the higher one. Set to the second upper limit (220 mA). Next, when the response signal is not received from the outdoor unit 10B, the command of the first communication protocol is transmitted to the outdoor unit 10A, and when the response signal is received from the outdoor unit 10A, the current of the current limiting circuit 120 is reduced. The upper limit is set to the lower first upper limit (60 mA).

Therefore, when the outdoor unit 10B is connected to the communication adapter 100, the upper limit value of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 is preferentially set to the second upper limit value (220 mA).

In addition, here, the form which waits for the response of the outdoor unit 10B with respect to the command of a 2nd communication protocol, and then transmits the command of a 1st communication protocol to 10 A of outdoor units was demonstrated. However, the command of the first communication protocol may be transmitted to the outdoor unit 10 without waiting for the response of the outdoor unit 10B after transmitting the command of the second communication protocol. In this case, if a response signal is received from the outdoor unit 10B, the upper limit value of the current of the current limiting circuit 120 may be set to the second upper limit value (220 mA). The upper limit of the current of circuit 120 may be set to the first upper limit (60 mA).

<Processing by Microcomputer 180 for Determining Occurrence of Interruption of Power Supply>
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the process of monitoring the occurrence of interruption of power supply by the microcomputer 180 . The microcomputer 180 executes the following processes.

When starting the process, the microcomputer 180 acquires the voltage monitoring signal input from the power supply voltage conversion circuit 190 (step S21). This is to monitor the voltage value of the output terminal of the coupling circuit 105 and determine whether or not the power supply has been interrupted.

Microcomputer 180 determines whether the voltage value is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step S22). The voltage monitoring signal is H level when the voltage value of the DC power at the output terminal of coupling circuit 105 is greater than a predetermined value, and is L level when it is less than the predetermined value. It is sufficient to determine whether or not the voltage monitoring signal is at L level.

When the microcomputer 180 determines that the voltage value is not equal to or lower than the predetermined value (S22: NO), the flow returns to step S21. This is because the processes of steps S21 and S22 are executed again to monitor whether power supply interruption has occurred. If the power supply is not interrupted, the microcomputer 180 repeats the processes of steps S21 and S22.

When the microcomputer 180 determines in step S22 that the voltage value is equal to or less than the predetermined value (S22: YES), the microcomputer 180 outputs from the control terminal 182 so that the input terminal 162 and the output terminal 163 of the switch circuit 160 are connected ( step S23). As a result, the power supply line to the microcomputer 180 is switched from the first power supply line that does not pass through the EDLC 130 to the second power supply line that passes through the EDLC 130 .

The flow proceeds to step S22 when the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 are connected to the communication adapter 100 and the power supply to the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 is interrupted due to a power failure in the building 35 or the like. Another example is when either one of the outdoor unit 10 and the sensor 20 is connected to the communication adapter 100 and the power supply to the outdoor unit 10 or the sensor 20 is interrupted due to a power outage in the building 35 or the like.

The microcomputer 180 switches to power saving mode (step S24). This is to reduce its own power consumption so that the communication module 150 can reliably transmit interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 .

The microcomputer 180 causes the communication module 150 to transmit the interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 (step S25). The microcomputer 180 causes the communication module 150 to repeatedly transmit the interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 for a predetermined number of times. This is to ensure that the interruption occurrence data is delivered to the cloud server 50 .

The microcomputer 180 stops the transmission process of the communication module 150, turns off the communication module 150, and switches to the deep sleep mode (step S26). This is because the transmission of the interruption occurrence data to the cloud server 50 has been completed, so the system waits in the deep sleep mode. A series of processing ends (end).

As described above with reference to FIG. 5, when the power supply is cut off, the cloud server 50 can be notified of the cutoff occurrence data representing the occurrence of the cutoff of the power supply. Upon receiving the interruption occurrence data, the cloud server 50 can recognize that the power supply has been interrupted rather than the communication failure, and can efficiently prepare for recovery processing.

In addition, since the microcomputer 180 switches to the power saving mode when the power supply from the coupling circuit 105 is interrupted, the power consumption of the microcomputer 180 can be reduced when the power supply is interrupted, and the communication module 150 The power of the EDLC 130 can be used for repeated transmission processing.

In addition, the microcomputer 180 notifies the cloud server 50 via the communication module 150 that the power supply from the outdoor unit 10 has been interrupted, and enters the power saving mode. It is possible to achieve both notification and reduction of power consumption of the microcomputer 180 .

In addition, since it includes a first power supply line that supplies power from the coupling circuit 105 to the microcomputer 180 without passing through the EDLC 130 and a second power supply line that supplies power from the EDLC 130 to the microcomputer 180, power is supplied from the coupling circuit 105. When the power supply is cut off, power can be supplied to the microcomputer 180 through the second power supply line.

<effect>
As described above, the communication adapter 100 includes a terminal 101A to which the outdoor units 10A and 10B can be connected, a current limiting circuit 120 that limits the current supplied through the terminal 101A, and power supply via the current limiting circuit 120. The current limiting circuit 120 changes the current limiting amount depending on whether the outdoor unit 10A is connected to the terminal 101A or the outdoor unit 10B is connected to the terminal 101A.

Therefore, it is possible to provide the communication adapter 100 that can change the amount of current limit according to the types of the outdoor units 10A and 10B that supply different amounts of power.

Further, the communication adapter 100 further includes a microcomputer 180 that controls the current limit amount of the current limit circuit 120. The microcomputer 180 controls the current limit amount of the current limit circuit 120 based on the difference in the communication method between the outdoor units 10A and 10B. to control.

Therefore, the microcomputer 180 can control the current limiting amount of the current limiting circuit 120 based on the difference in communication method between the outdoor units 10A and 10B.

Further, the microcomputer 180 controls the current limit amount of the current limiting circuit 120 based on the difference between the first communication protocol of the outdoor unit 10A and the second communication protocol of the outdoor unit 10B.

Therefore, the microcomputer 180 can control the current limiting amount of the current limiting circuit 120 based on the difference between the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol.

Further, the microcomputer 180 may transmit the command of the first communication protocol after transmitting the command of the second communication protocol, and determine whether the outdoor unit 10A or the outdoor unit 10B is connected based on the response signal.

Therefore, the microcomputer 180 determines whether the outdoor unit 10B is connected based on the presence or absence of the response signal from the outdoor unit 10B, prior to determining whether the outdoor unit 10A is connected. can be done. Since the outdoor unit 10B has a larger amount of power supply than the outdoor unit 10A, by first determining whether the outdoor unit 10B having a large amount of power supply is connected, the outdoor unit 10B is connected to the communication adapter 100. Priority can be given to determining whether or not

Further, since the communication speed of the outdoor unit 10B is faster than the communication speed of the outdoor unit 10A, when the outdoor unit 10B is connected to the communication adapter 100, communication can be performed at a faster communication speed in a shorter time. It is viable.

Communication adapter 100 further includes EDLC 130 that is connected between current limiting circuit 120 and communication module 150 and receives power supply via current limiting circuit 120 to store electricity. Limits the current supplied to EDLC 130 .

Therefore, it is possible to provide the communication adapter 100 that can change the amount of current limit for the current supplied to the EDLC 130 according to the types of the outdoor units 10A and 10B with different power supply amounts.

Also, the outdoor unit 10B has a larger power supply than the outdoor unit 10A. For this reason, the communication adapter 100 that can change the current limit amount according to the power supply amount of the outdoor unit 10B that supplies more power than the outdoor unit 10A and the outdoor unit 10A that supplies less power than the outdoor unit 10B is provided. can provide. In addition, the limit amount of current supplied to the EDLC 130 can be changed according to the power supply amount.

Also, the current limiting circuit 120 reduces the current limit amount when receiving power supply from the outdoor unit 10B than when receiving power supply from the outdoor unit 10A.

Therefore, it is possible to provide the communication adapter 100 that can receive a larger amount of power supply from the outdoor unit 10B that supplies a large amount of power. In addition, a large amount of current can be supplied to the EDLC 130 from the outdoor unit 10B that supplies a large amount of power. Moreover, since the amount of power supplied to the communication adapter 100 is increased, the communication module 150 can stably perform communication, and the reliability of communication can be improved. Note that the current limit amount may be set according to the types of the outdoor units 10A and 10B. This is because the amount of power supplied to the communication adapter 100 may differ depending on the types of the outdoor units 10A and 10B.

Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be appreciated that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

10 outdoor unit (an example of an external device)
10A outdoor unit (an example of the first external device)
10B outdoor unit (an example of the second external device)
20 sensor 100 communication adapter 101A terminal (example of connection part)
103 A/D converter 104 Cutoff SW (an example of cutoff switch)
105 coupling circuit 106 voltage detector 107 communication I/F (an example of a communication interface)
108 Road SW
110 DC/DC converter 120 current limiting circuit 130 EDLC
140 DC/DC converter 150 communication module 160 switch circuit 170 LDO
180 microcomputer 190 power supply voltage conversion circuit

Claims (8)

a connection section to which an external device can be connected;
a current limiter that limits the current supplied through the connection;
a communication unit that receives power supply through the current limiting unit;
including
The communication adapter, wherein the current limiter changes the amount of current limit between when the first external device is connected to the connection part and when the second external device is connected to the connection part. further comprising a control unit that controls a current limit amount of the current limiter;
2. The communication adapter according to claim 1, wherein said control unit controls the current limiting amount of said current limiting unit based on a difference in communication method between said first external device and said second external device. 3. The control unit according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the current limiting amount of the current limiting unit based on a difference between a first communication protocol of the first external device and a second communication protocol of the second external device. communication adapter. The control unit transmits the command of the first communication protocol after transmitting the command of the second communication protocol, and the first external device or the second external device is connected to the connection unit based on the response signal. 4. The communications adapter of claim 3, wherein the communications adapter determines whether the 5. The communication adapter according to claim 1, wherein the communication speed of said second external device is faster than the communication speed of said first external device. further comprising a power storage unit connected between the current limiting unit and the communication unit, receiving power supply through the current limiting unit and storing power;
The communication adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said current limiting section limits current supplied from said connection section to said power storage section. 7. The communication adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said second external device has a higher power supply than said first external device. 8. The communication adapter according to claim 7, wherein said current limiter reduces said current limit amount when receiving power supply from said second external device than when receiving power supply from said first external device. .

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