KR101715453B1 - Converting device and method of input signal for iso11783 - Google Patents

Abstract

The input signal conversion apparatus of the present invention includes: a path selector for selecting a conversion path of an externally input signal; A signal amplifier for amplifying a voltage of an externally input signal; A digital receiver for receiving a digital value of an externally input signal; An analog converter for converting the received digital value into an analog signal according to a predetermined standard; And a converted signal adjusting unit for finely adjusting the voltage of the converted signal.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to an input signal converting apparatus and method for compatibility with an international standard agricultural machinery control standard.

The present invention relates to an input signal converting apparatus for converting an external input signal input from a sensor or the like installed in a predetermined apparatus into a signal of a type required by the predetermined apparatus.

In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for effectively utilizing the standard proposed in the International Standard ISO 11793 published in December, 2009.

ISO 11793, also referred to as ISOBUS, defines specifications and specifications applicable to agricultural machinery (tractors, etc.) and associated work machines based on network communication technology.

In Korea, the countermeasures against the ISO 11783 standard are being discussed, so the level of industrialization is insignificant. This is expected to take a considerable amount of time to apply the ISO 117983 standard to various accessory machines. As a result, it is unlikely that external devices operating in conjunction with the agricultural machinery related apparatuses will support the ISO 117983 standard even if the agricultural machinery related apparatus to which the ISO 117983 standard is applied is implemented.

Therefore, it is imperative that devices that support the currently developing ISO 117983 standard (such as agricultural machinery) are able to process signals from other devices (such as various sensors) that do not support the ISO 117983 standard. That is, it is necessary to secure versatility for peripheral devices.

Korean Patent No. 10-1163441

The present invention provides an input signal converting apparatus and / or a converting method for converting various types of external input signals applied to an apparatus having a predetermined input signal standard into the standard.

Alternatively, the present invention intends to provide an input signal converting apparatus and / or a converting method for giving a device (e.g., an agricultural machine) supporting the ISO 117983 standard universality to a peripheral device.

An apparatus for converting an input signal according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a path selector for selecting a conversion path of an externally input signal; A signal amplifier for amplifying a voltage of an externally input signal; A digital receiver for receiving a digital value of an externally input signal; An analog converter for converting the received digital value into an analog signal according to a predetermined standard; And a converted signal adjusting unit for finely adjusting the voltage of the converted signal.

Here, the amplification ratio of the signal amplifier or the adjustment ratio of the conversion signal adjustment unit may be determined according to the selection of the path selector.

The input signal converter includes an input connector having terminals of a predetermined size for receiving sensing signals output from an external sensor; And an output connector having terminals according to ISO 11783 for outputting the converted signals.

The apparatus may further include bypass means activated by selection of the path selector to connect the input connector and the output connector.

Here, the digital receiver may include an SPI module for performing standard SPI communication; And

And an I2C module performing standard I2C communication, wherein the analog converter can convert the digital value obtained from the SPI module or the I2C module to an analog voltage signal.

Here, the analog converter can generate an analog voltage signal obtained by proportionally converting a digital value received from the digital receiver into a range of 0V to 5V.

Here, it may further include a shunt resistance for changing the current signal into a voltage signal.

Here, the conversion signal adjustment unit may have an adjustment value differently fixed according to each conversion path.

Here, the path selector may include a button or a switch for setting a conversion path of an externally input signal according to a user's selection.

Here, the shunt resistor may further include a shunt resistor for converting an externally input current signal into a voltage signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input signal converting method comprising: selecting a conversion path of an input signal; Amplifying an externally input analog voltage signal if the selected conversion path is a first path; Amplifying a signal obtained by converting an analog current signal input from the outside into an analog voltage signal if the selected conversion path is the second path; Converting the externally input digital signal into an analog voltage signal if the selected conversion path is the third path; And fine tuning and outputting the signal converted to any one of the first to third paths.

Here, in the step of selecting the conversion path, one of the first path to the third path may be selected by confirming the position of the contact point of the switches indicating the path setting.

In the step of selecting the conversion path, the step of determining the type of the digital signal input from the outside, and the step of converting the externally inputted digital signal into the analog voltage signal, , And perform digital data communication.

The step of finely adjusting and outputting the converted signal may adjust the voltage at a fixed ratio according to the selected path of the first path and the third path.

According to the input signal converting apparatus and / or the converting method of the present invention having the above-described configuration, various types of external input signals applied to an apparatus having a predetermined input signal standard can be converted into the standard.

Alternatively, the present invention has the advantage of securing versatility for peripheral devices of devices supporting the ISO 117983 standard.

Alternatively, the present invention has the advantage that the selection of a limited number of sensors that can be used for agricultural working tractors and auxiliary work machines is widened, and the performance improvement of standard control devices and ECUs conforming to the ISO 11783 standard can be pursued.

Alternatively, the present invention has an advantage in that it is possible to effectively integrate various existing machine control systems developed in the ISO11783 standard ECU by providing compatibility when developing various tractor attaching machines conforming to the international standard.

Alternatively, the present invention has the advantage of improving the technology development conditions (cost, time, manpower) of the late second-tier companies in order to meet the international trend of standardization of the tractor and the auxiliary work machine.

1 is a block diagram showing an input signal processing structure when a general-purpose sensor signal is applied to an apparatus supporting the ISO 11783 standard.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a sensor input signal processing structure in a case where the idea of the present invention is applied to an apparatus supporting the ISO 11783 standard. FIG.
3 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of an input signal converting apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram showing a signal conversion path for each signal of each external sensor in the input signal conversion apparatus of FIG.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an input signal conversion method according to another aspect of the present invention.

The standard of the sensor recommended as a standard in ISO11783 specifies the type of the signal as shown in Table 1 (ISO11783 Part 7).

The general usable items in Table 1 are analog voltage signals in the 0-5V range. Most digital measurement sensors perform analog output in the range of 0-5V according to the measurement principle because the general electronic digital circuit supports 0 (Low) V and 5 (High) V, Sensor developers have built in the appropriate conversion circuit for compatibility.

In recent years, however, as the precision of the sensor has increased and the performance has improved, the transmission path of the sensing signal has become longer, so that the digital sensing signal transmission is used rather than the analog sensing signal transmission. Examples are sensors that transmit corresponding physical quantities in the form of digital signals through SPI and I2C communication, which are representative digital communication standards.

On the other hand, in the case of strain gauges often used for power analysis of tractors, the output voltage is very small and a separate amplifier (signal amplifier) should be used. To this end, a separate ECU for signal amplification is recommended in the ISO 11783 standard . Finally, there is no specific method for connecting sensors (typically gas sensors) that were not considered when the ISO 11783 standard was prepared.

In the above-described situation, when a general-purpose sensor is attached to a tractor supporting the ISO 11783 standard, separate transducers 23, 24, 25, and 26 are provided for each type of sensor 13, 14, 15, ), Which is undesirable in terms of cost / production efficiency.

The input signal converting apparatus according to the present invention particularly proposes a method of converting various sensing signals of the above-described various sensors of the equipment according to the ISO11783 standard so as to be compatible with the ISO11783 standard.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a sensor input signal processing structure in the case where the idea of the present invention is applied to an apparatus supporting the ISO 11783 standard.

The sensor input signal processing structure of FIG. 2 includes an input unit 40 for receiving signals input from the external sensors 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; A signal processing unit 50 for processing the input signal; And a control unit 60 for controlling the apparatus according to the processed signal. The illustrated sensor input signal processing structure can constitute a control module based on sensor signals in devices (e.g., tractors) that support the ISO 11783 standard.

The input signal converting apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to the input unit 40 of the illustrated sensor input signal processing structure. For example, in the case of an additional expandable hardware type that has terminals of CAN standard at one end and terminals conforming to the ISO 11783 standard at the other end and performs a function of converting a signal input from the terminals of the CAN standard into an ISO 11783 standard signal The input signal converting apparatus 200 according to the present invention can be implemented.

3 shows a structure of an input signal converting apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a signal conversion path for each of the signals 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 of the external sensors in the input signal conversion apparatus of FIG.

The input signal converting apparatus shown in FIG. 3 includes a path selector 210 for selecting a conversion path of an externally input signal; A signal amplifier 230 for amplifying a voltage of an externally input signal; A digital receiving unit (240, 250, 260) for receiving a digital value of an externally input signal; An analog converter 270 for converting the received digital value into an analog signal according to a predetermined output standard; And a conversion signal adjusting unit 280 for finely adjusting the voltage of the converted signal.

The input signal converting apparatus 200 can convert sensing signals according to a predetermined standard for equipment conforming to the ISO 11783 standard according to the ISO 11783 standard. More specifically, the input signal converting apparatus 200 converts an analog voltage signal . ≪ / RTI >

The equipment conforming to the above-mentioned ISO 11783 standard is equipped with an ISO 11783 communication standard connector conforming to the ISO 11783 communication standard which defines the specifications and specifications applicable to the agricultural machine and its associated work machine such as the tractor based on the network communication technology .

On the other hand, in order to reduce the hardware dependency of general-purpose sensors used in the industry and to increase the inter-equipment connectivity, a CAN (Controller Area Network) interface can be provided which is operated by connecting a communication line composed of four wires to an open terminal .

The input signal conversion apparatus 200 may include an input connector 201 having terminals of a predetermined standard (for example, CAN standard described above) for receiving sensing signals output from the sensor, ); And an output connector 209 having terminals according to ISO 11783 standard for outputting the converted signals.

The digital receiving units 240, 250 and 260 may receive the sensing signals 15 and 16 from sensors (or sensor blocks) that output the sensed values as a digital value of a predetermined standard. Since the digital sensing signals 15 and 16 output from the sensor have a relatively small voltage magnitude, the digital receiving units 240, 250 and 260 may have a small reception voltage range accordingly.

The digital receiving units 240, 250 and 260 can receive signals of digital communication of two or more standards. For example, SPI standard communication and I2C standard communication can be performed. In this case, the digital receiving units 240, 250 and 260 include a receiving controller 240 in the form of an MCU, which is a kind of digital communication server for performing digital communication of two or more standards; An SPI module 250 serving as an SPI server that performs standard SPI communication in a S / W form embedded in the MCU; And an I < 2 > C module 260 serving as an I2C server that performs standard I < 2 > C communication in a S / W form built in the MCU.

The reception controller 240 can analyze signals inputted to some terminals of the input connector to check whether a digital value is loaded. For example, the digital signal has a voltage level of two or a multiple of 2, so that the receiving controller 240 can confirm whether a signal pattern having a voltage level of two or more multiples of 2 is displayed, Depending on the number of voltage level steps, the received signal can be analyzed to obtain a digital value.

The analog converter 270 may include a conversion circuit that converts a digital signal output from the digital receiving units 240, 250, and 260 into an analog signal. The SPI module 250 and the analog converter 270 perform digital communication with a sensor that generates a digital signal compliant with the SPI standard, and can perform proportional conversion to an analog voltage signal in a range of 0-5V.

The I2C module 260 and the analog converter 270 perform digital communication with a sensor that generates a digital signal compliant with the I2C standard, and can perform a proportional conversion to an analog voltage signal in a range of 0-5V.

Alternatively, the analog converter 270 may read a digital value from a sensing signal input through a PWM method, and convert the digital value into an analog signal. In this case, the analog converter 270 may include a noise eliminator, an amplifier, a level converter, and the like in order to remove the noise of the voltage PWM signal, amplify and level-convert the voltage PWM signal to output a voltage PWM signal of a predetermined magnitude can do.

The signal amplifier 230 is provided to proportionally convert a sensing signal output in an analog form according to the ISO11783 standard. However, the signal amplifier 230 may be used to proportionally convert a signal input to the digital receiving unit have.

For example, the signal amplifier 230 may be implemented as an OpAmp for signal amplification that raises the voltage in microV units within a maximum range of 5V.

Also, the input signal conversion apparatus 200 may receive the sensing signal 14, which is a current signal indicating the degree of sensing in the form of magnitude of current. In this case, the input signal converting apparatus 200 may further include a shunt resistance 220 for converting the current signal into a voltage signal. The shunt resistor 220 may be a variable resistor (for example, a variable resistor ranging from 100 ohms to 1000 ohms) in order to control the rate at which a current signal is converted into a voltage signal. Then, the current signal 14 as a sensing signal output from the sensor can pass through the signal amplifier 230 when the magnitude of the voltage after voltage conversion by the shunt resistor 220 is minute.

The converted signal adjusting unit 280 may be implemented as a variable resistor for converting a signal output from the analog converter 270 or the signal amplifier 230 in proportion to the ISO 11783 standard. In this case, the value of the range of the analog signal (0-5V) generated in the analog converter 270 can be converted into the more appropriate ISO 11783 standard.

The path selector 210 is for setting a path for converting a signal of an external sensor according to a user's selection. For example, the path selector 210 selects one of four signal conversion paths (2) (E.g., a dip switch, a multiple 1-select toggle switch) for setting one of the ③, ④, ⑤) according to the user's selection.

For example, the movement path of the signal from the input connector 201 to the output connector 209 in Fig. 3 is indicated by the four dotted lines (2, 3, 4, 5) ≪ / RTI > The setting of the path may be made in hardware or software by the contact point of the button or the switch.

According to the implementation, not only the conversion path of the illustrated input signal is determined according to the selection of the path selector 210, but also the adjustment ratio (amplification ratio) of the signal amplifier 230 and / Can be determined.

On the other hand, when the analog sensing signal 12 conforming to the ISO 11783 communication standard is input, the signal is bypassed to the path (1) in FIG. 4 and does not go through a separate intermediate structure. The input signal converter 200 may further include bypass means 290 activated by the selection of the path selector 210 to connect the input connector 201 and the output connector 209 can do.

As described above, the input signal converting apparatus 200 shown in the figure is a load cell that generates a fine signal of mV or less, a sensor that generates a current signal instead of a voltage, a sensor that generates a digital signal that complies with the SPI standard, And a sensor for generating a compliant digital signal, and the like.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an input signal converting method according to an aspect of the present invention. The input signal conversion method includes: a step (S120) of selecting a conversion path of an input signal; If the selected path is the first path, amplifying an analog voltage signal input from the outside (S142); If the selected path is the second path, amplifying a signal obtained by converting an analog current signal input from the outside into an analog voltage signal (S144); If the selected path is the third path, converting the digital signal input from the outside into an analog voltage signal (S150); And fine tuning and outputting the signal converted by any one of the first to third paths (S180).

The step of selecting the conversion path (S120) may be performed by the path selector 210 of FIG. 3, and more specifically, by checking the position of the contact point of the switches indicating the path setting, 5 You can select one of the routes (①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤).

Alternatively, in the step S120 of selecting the conversion path by the reception controller 240 of FIG. 3, the type of the digital signal input from the outside may be determined, and the digital signal input from the outside may be converted into an analog voltage signal The converting step (S150) may perform digital data communication according to the determined type of the digital signal.

In the step of converting the signal to the first path (S142), the input signal is converted to the path (2) in FIG. 4 and the path to the following converted signal adjusting unit 280.

(S144, S142) of converting the signal to the second path, the input signal is converted to the path of the third path of FIG. 4 and the path of the signal amplifying unit 230 and the converted signal adjusting unit 280. FIG. 5, steps S142 and S144 are performed.

In the step of converting the signal to the third path (S150), the input signal is converted into the path to the ④ or ⑤ path in FIG. 4 and the path to the following converted signal adjusting unit 280. In this case, depending on the result of the reception controller 240 of FIG. 3 judging the type of the digital signal input from the outside, one of the paths (4) and (5) can be selected.

The step of finely adjusting and outputting the converted signal (S180) is performed by the conversion signal adjusting unit 280 of FIG. 3, and the voltage is adjusted at a fixed ratio according to the selected path of the first path and the third path .

It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various embodiments are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

210: path selector
220: Shunt resistance
230: Signal Amplifier
240: Receive controller
250: SPI module
260: I2C module
270: analog converter
280: conversion signal adjustment section

Claims (14)

In an input signal converting apparatus for converting an input signal inputted from external sensors so as to be compatible with the equipment of the ISO11783 standard,
An input connector having terminals of a predetermined size for receiving signals output from external sensors;
A path selector for selecting a conversion path of a signal input from external sensors through the input connector;
A signal amplifier located in one of the conversion paths connected to the path selector and amplifying a voltage of a signal input to the conversion path;
A shunt resistance which is located in one of the conversion paths connected to the path selector and converts a current signal input to the conversion path into a voltage signal,
A digital receiver for receiving a digital value of a signal input to one of the conversion paths connected to the path selector, the digital signal being input to the conversion path;
An analog converter for converting the digital value received from the digital receiver into an analog signal according to a predetermined standard;
A conversion signal adjustment unit for fine-tuning and outputting the voltage amplified by the signal amplifier and the voltage of the analog signal converted by the analog converter;
Bypass means for bypassing when the signal of the external sensor input to the input connector is an analog sensing signal conforming to the ISO11783 communication standard;
And an output connector having terminals according to ISO11783 standard for outputting signals from the conversion signal adjusting unit and the bypass unit,
The digital controller includes a reception controller for performing digital communication of two or more standards. The reception controller analyzes a signal input to some of the terminals of the input connector to check whether a digital value is loaded, Thus, a digital value is obtained,
The voltage output from the shunt resistor is passed through the signal amplifier when the magnitude of the voltage converted in the shunt resistor is smaller than a predetermined value,
Wherein the path selector comprises a button or switch for setting a conversion path of an externally input signal according to a user's selection.
The method according to claim 1,
And an amplification ratio of the signal amplifier or an adjustment ratio of the conversion signal adjustment unit is determined according to the selection of the path selector.
delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the digital receiver comprises:
An SPI module for performing standard SPI communication; And
Further comprising an I2C module for performing standard I2C communication,
Wherein the analog converter converts the digital value acquired from the SPI module or the I2C module to an analog voltage signal.
The method according to claim 1,
The analog converter includes:
And an analog voltage signal obtained by proportionally converting a digital value received from the digital receiver into a range of 0V to 5V.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the conversion signal adjustment unit has an adjustment value fixed differently according to each conversion path.
delete delete delete delete delete delete

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