JPH04137200A - Sensor output signal read device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the number of cables for transmission to plural processing parts by integrating a sensor output signal generation part, a signal change detecting circuit, and a sensor identification signal adjusting circuit and forming a sensor output signal distribution part, and incorporating it in the same device. CONSTITUTION:A change detection signal SEN30a is outputted to the sensor identification signal adjusting circuit 40 and plural processing parts 61 - 63. The circuit 40 converts sensor output signals SEN101 - SEN106 from parallel signals into a serial signal and a signal SEN30a is applied as a start mark to compose a sensor identification signal SEN40a, which is outputted to the processing parts 61 - 63. The processing parts 61 - 63, on the other hand, input the signal SEN30a firstly and when this input is confirmed, signal processing circuits 81 - 83 in the processing parts 61 - 63 output processing request signals SEN81a - SEN83a to MPUs 71 - 73 to recognize which of sensors 11 - 16 has a change. Then the signal SEN40a is reconverted by the circuits 81 - 83 from the serial signal to parallel signals to generate sensor status signal corresponding to the signals SEN101 - SEN106.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a sensor output reading device that includes a processing section that detects and processes changes in the state of a plurality of sensors.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a sensor output reading device having a plurality of sensors for detecting an arbitrary state, when detecting a change in an arbitrary state, information from the plurality of sensors converted into electrical signals is processed in parallel. It was transmitted as a signal and distributed to multiple processing units for detection processing.

However, when multiple sensor output signals are transmitted as parallel signals to multiple processing units for detection processing, the number of signals to the processing units and the status monitoring within each processing unit are proportional to the number of sensors. As the number of signals increases, the number of wires between each device also increases, so when there are a large number of processing units, the number of man-hours increases, wires break due to external shocks, short circuits between wires, etc. occurs more easily. Such a situation means that the danger of the workplace or the equipment itself is increased.

For example, it is a machine tool that has multiple switches and multiple processing functions corresponding to the switches. When information is transmitted as parallel signals, a single wire connects a single switch to a device having a corresponding processing function.

Therefore, if the number of switches and devices with such functions increases,
The number of wires connecting these has increased proportionately.

Further, in the case where the wiring is exposed to the outside, the above-mentioned problem becomes particularly noticeable.

An example of the prior art described above is shown in FIG.

In this block diagram, a plurality of sensors 411 to 41
The open/close state of 6 is converted into sensor output signals 5EN401 to 5EN406 by the sensor output signal generation section 420, and these signals are distributed as parallel signals to the plurality of processing sections 461, 462, and 463 by wiring.

On the other hand, each processing unit 461, 462, 46-3 outputs a read request signal having a constant period to the corresponding MPU 471, 472, 473 or the corresponding signal processing unit 481, 482, 483, and The signal status in the signal processing unit is compared with the sensor, and changes in the open/closed status of the sensor are detected.

Note that FIG. 5 shows an example of a timing chart when a change occurs in the open/closed state of the sensor 411.

[Issue 8 to be solved by the invention] As described above, in the conventional method, the number of signals distributed to each processing unit and the number of status monitoring signals from the MPU increase in proportion to the number of sensors used. When the number of processing units is large,
The accompanying increase in the number of wiring lines becomes a problem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent the number of signals distributed to processing units and the number of status monitoring signals of sensor outputs from MPUs in each processing unit from increasing in proportion to the number of sensor outputs, and to prevent this from increasing in proportion to the number of sensor outputs. The object of the present invention is to provide a highly safe sensor output reading device that reduces the number of work steps by reducing the amount of wiring between circuits, and further prevents cable breakage and short-circuits between cables.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention first converts parallel signals from a plurality of sensors into serial signals, transmits them to a processing unit, and then reconverts them into parallel signals for detection. When a change occurs in any of the multiple sensors, a separate circuit is installed to detect only that change and output it as a change detection signal, and this change detection signal is added as a start mark and regenerated into parallel signals. A means of synthesizing convertible serial signals is used.

[Function] According to the present invention configured as described above, parallel signals from a plurality of sensors are once converted into serial signals, and a change detection signal output from a separately provided change signal detection circuit is added as a start mark. In order to synthesize serial signals that can be reconverted into parallel signals by using a parallel signal and then output them to multiple processing units, the wiring to the processing units can be reduced without compromising the accuracy of information compared to the case where the information is transmitted as parallel signals. It is possible to reduce the number.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a sensor output reading device in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a timing diagram showing the principle of operation thereof, showing the state when the sensor 11 changes. This is what is shown.

Information from the sensors 11 to 16 is transmitted to the sensor output signal generation section 20, where it is converted into corresponding sensor output signals 5ENIOI to 5EN106 and transmitted to the signal change detection circuit 30 and the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40.

In addition, these sensor output signal generation unit 20, wiring that transmits the sensor output signals 5ENIOI to 5EN106,
Signal change detection circuit 30 and sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 4
0 forms a sensor output signal distribution section 35 and is usually integrated and incorporated into the device.

Next, the change detection signal SEN30a output from the signal change detection circuit 30 in the sensor output signal distribution section 35 is transmitted to the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40 and the processing sections 61 to 63.

Furthermore, the sensor identification signal 5EN40a output from the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40 is transmitted to the processing units 61 to 63.

On the other hand, the processing units 61 to 63 include MPUs 71 to 73 and signal processing circuits 81 to 83 that convert and process signals.

Changes in the sensors 11 to 16 are detected by the sensor output signal generation unit 20 as sensor output signals 5ENIO1 to 5EN10.
6 and output to the signal change detection circuit 30 and sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40. Next, the signal change detection circuit 30 detects one of the sensor output signals 5ENIOI to 5EN106 corresponding to changes occurring in any of the sensors 11 to 16 as shown in FIG. Detected by change detection signal 5EN30
It is output as a. And this change detection signal 5EN3
0a are output to the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40 and the plurality of processing units 61 to 63, respectively.

Note that FIG. 3 shows an example of the signal change detection circuit 30.

Further, in the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40, the sensor output signals 5ENIOI to 5EN106 are converted from parallel signals to serial signals, and the change detection signal 5EN30a from the signal change detection circuit 30 is added thereto as a start mark. The sensor identification signal 5EN40a is combined and output to the processing units 61-63. On the other hand, in the processing units 61 to 63, the change detection signal 5EN30a is first input, and when this input is confirmed, the signal processing circuits 81 to 83 in the processing units 61 to 63 send processing request signals 5EN81a to SEN83a to the MPUs 71 to 73. is output, confirming that a change has occurred in any of the sensors 11 to 16. Next, from the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40 to the processing section 6
Sensor identification signal 5EN40a output to 1 to 63
are reconverted from serial signals to parallel signals in signal processing circuits 81 to 83, and sensor output signals 5ENIOI to 5EN
Sensor status signal compatible with 106 5EN91~
Generated by 5EN96.

Specifically, the change detection signal 5EN30a or the processing units 61 to 6
The sensor status ready signal 5EN100 is programmed to be generated in each of the processing units 61 to 63 after a certain period of time inputted to the sensor status signal 5EN100 has elapsed. This serves as a stop mark in the sensor identification signal 5EN40a. Sensor status ready signal 5EN10 as a stop mark on sensor identification signal 5EN40a
When 0 is added, the sensor status signal 5EN91~
5EN96 is generated.

By processing the sensor status signals 5EN91 to 5EN96, the outputs of the sensors 11 to 16 can be read.

Information from the signal processing circuits 81-83 is transmitted to each MPU 71-73 and used for controlling other devices.

That is, this is the sensor output signal 5EN which is a parallel signal.
IOI~5EN106 is converted into a sensor identification signal 5EN40a which is a serial signal and then transmitted, and then reconverted into sensor status signals 5EN91~5EN96 which are parallel signals, and by processing these, the sensors 11~
It detects 16 states.

[Effects of the Invention] In the present invention, the number of wires is increased compared to the conventional example by the amount distributed from the sensor output signal generation section 20 to the signal change detection circuit 30 and the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40. Since the number of wires between the detection circuit 30 and the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40 and the plurality of processing units 61 to 63 can be significantly reduced, the number of wires can be reduced as a whole.

However, as described above, normally the sensor output signal generation section 20, the signal change detection circuit 30, and the sensor identification signal adjustment circuit 40 are integrated to form the sensor output signal distribution section 35, and are incorporated in the same device, so that multiple The number of external cables that send signals to the processing units 61 to 63 can be significantly reduced, which eliminates the problem of increased man-hours and external shocks, which were particularly problematic when there were a large number of processing units compared to conventional methods. It is possible to prevent an increase in the danger of the workplace or the equipment itself due to disconnection of wires or short circuits between wires.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a sensor output reading device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the operation timing in an embodiment of the present invention, and shows the state when there is a change in the sensor 11. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the signal change detection circuit 30 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a sensor output signal reading device in the prior art. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation timing in the conventional device, and is a diagram showing the situation when there is a change in the sensor 411. 11-16...Sensor 20...Sensor output signal generation section 5ENIO1-
5EN106...Sensor output signal 30...Signal change detection circuit 5EN30a...Change detection signal 40...
Sensor identification signal adjustment circuit SEN40g...Sensor identification signals 61-63...Processing units 71-73...MPU 81-83...Signal processing unit 5EN100...Sensor status ready signal 5EN91-5EN96... sensor status signal

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of sensors, a signal change detection circuit that detects only that there is a change in the signals from the plurality of sensors and outputs a change detection signal, and the plurality of signals input as parallel signals. a sensor identification signal adjustment circuit that converts information from the sensor into a serial signal, adds the change detection signal to the converted signal as a start mark, synthesizes a sensor identification signal that is a new serial signal, and outputs the result; It consists of a processing section that reconverts the sensor identification signal from this sensor identification adjustment circuit into a parallel signal and analyzes it, making it possible to accurately detect and process information from the sensor and at the same time reduce the number of wires between circuits. A sensor output signal reading device characterized by: