RU2476925C1 - Multichannel parameter measuring device of electric signals with virtual instruments - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: measurement equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to a multichannel parameter measuring device of electric signals with virtual instruments, which consists of several measurement circuits, to the inputs of which measured signals are supplied, and the outputs of which are connected through a data exchange bus to a digital processor that implements the required virtual instruments through software and measurement procedure, the operation control of which is performed with the control unit, and output of results is implemented to the result display unit. It includes additional measurement inputs, the number of which together with existing inputs is divisible by the number of existing measurement circuits, as wells as a switchboard of input signals and a software switching control module; all measurement inputs are divided into groups as per the number of measurement circuits; switchboard has several sections, the inputs of each of which are connected to measurement inputs of one group, and the output is connected to the input of one of the measurement circuits; besides, any of the measurement inputs is connected only to one section of the switchboard; software switching control module controls the operation of the switchboard and the result display unit through the data exchange bus.

EFFECT: enlarging functional capabilities of the measuring devices owing to providing the possibility of simultaneous measurement by means of each of circuits of several signals.

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Description

1. The technical field to which the invention relates.

The claimed invention relates to the field of measuring technology, designed to control or verify the parameters of electrical signals and the characteristics of electronic devices and implemented on the basis of computer information technologies.

2. The level of technology

From the current level of technology there are known analogues of the subject invention, designed to measure the parameters of electrical signals by technical means implemented virtually. With the help of specialized hardware and software components included in them, they ensure the formation of the required measuring devices in the form of computer programs and complex measurements of the electrical parameters of electronic products.

The known construction of the measuring path of the virtual device (VP) is shown in Fig.1.

The measured signal in figure 1 passes through the input circuit 1 and the frequency Converter 2, which are designed to interface the parameters of the signal and the measuring path in resistance, as well as frequency and power. Then, using the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 3, the signal is transformed into a digital format and inputted through the exchange bus 5 into the processor 6, which calculates the required parameter and outputs the result to the display means. The processor 6 operates in multitasking mode and provides real-time processing of data coming from several measuring paths, i.e. simultaneous operation and use of multiple VIs.

There is a known principle of constructing multifunctional devices built from several measuring paths and ensuring their simultaneous use and the ability to quickly change the type of realized VIs, the closest analogue of which is a multifunctional device called "Automated Measuring Complex", known by the description of measuring instruments in the class RU.E. 34.018.B No. 20885 and registered in the State Register under No. 29389-05. The structural diagram of the specified analog device is shown in Fig.2.

The analog device contains N measurement paths 1-2, having individual inputs 3-4, to which the corresponding measured signals are received, and ending with a common data exchange bus 5, through which digital samples of all measured signals are read by the common processor 6. The processor is controlled by operator commands entered by him through the control unit 7. According to these commands, the processor 6 selects from the program storage unit VP 10 that type of VP that should be implemented in relation to each of the available measurement paths 1-2, and implements the general algorithm by operating the equipment of the device, the software execution of which is stored in block 9. The measurement results using the selected types of devices are displayed using the display unit 8.

All programs stored in blocks 9 and 10 are included in them at the stage of manufacturing an analog device.

Thus, each of the measurement paths 1-2 has several VP options stored in block 10, and can be used to alternately perform several measurement functions with it (for example, a voltage meter, modulation parameters, and a frequency meter).

The disadvantage of the technical solution is the inability to connect paths to several sources of the measured signals and their simultaneous use as two or more autonomous different VIs, including different types.

3. Disclosure of invention

The technical essence of the invention lies in the fact that additional elements are introduced into the known devices using the technology of virtual measurements, allowing cyclically switching the input of each of the existing measurement paths to several inputs and simultaneously simultaneously changing the type of measuring instrument implemented synchronously, and thereby using each of the paths measurements for the formation of several VIs simultaneously. At the same time, the execution time of each switching cycle and the number of switchable positions is selected so as to make the measurement process for each of the generated inputs quasi-continuous. Additional elements that are introduced into the analog device are: additional inputs, an input signal switcher, and an additional software module through which the switching process is controlled.

The technical result obtained through the above changes is the ability to simultaneously measure several signals using each of the measurement paths, which allows to expand the functionality of these devices or to reduce the number of measuring paths that should be part of them, and thereby improve the technical and economic characteristics of analog devices.

4. The implementation of the invention

The invention is illustrated in Figure 3.

Each of the measurement paths available in the device has its own group of autonomous input connectors 1-2, to which the measured signals are connected and which are connected to switch 3. Switch 3 consists of several sections, the number of which is equal to the number of groups of connectors 1-2. Each section of the switch 3 switches the signals supplied to it to the measurement path 4-5 attached to it, and the simultaneous connection of two or more signals to the same output of the switch 3 is excluded. The number of groups of input connectors 1 -2 is equal to the number of measurement paths 4-5.

Switching of the switch 3 via the data exchange bus 6 is controlled by the processor 8. The switching of the input signals is carried out in accordance with the switching control program 11. The switching program is constructed so that the signals of the input groups 1-2 are cyclic alternately connected to the input of the corresponding measurement path 4-5, and then input these signals in digital format on bus 6 to processor 8.

The switching control program 11 is constructed in such a way that, with each switching it, commands are entered into the program for implementing the VP 12 and the program for controlling the equipment 10, and thereby the VIs corresponding to the signals selected by the switch 3 are formed, and the measurement results are recorded in this unit 9.

The speed of modern processors and allows the use of multi-core structures in them to perform all the procedures associated with switching, changing the type of VP and measuring the parameters of the signals in almost real time and without loss of information, despite the intermittent nature of the signals to the processor.

Claims (1)

A multichannel device for measuring the parameters of electrical signals by virtual devices, consisting of several measurement paths, to the inputs of which the measured signals are received, and the outputs of which are connected via a data bus to a digital processor that implements the required virtual instruments and measurement procedure, the operation of which is controlled by the control unit, and the output of the results is carried out on the block display results, characterized in that, in order to ensure the connection of paths to how many sources of measured signals and how to use them simultaneously as two or more autonomous different VIs, including different types, additional measurement inputs are introduced into it, the number of which together with the existing inputs is a multiple of the number of available measurement paths, as well as the input signal switch and software module switching control, all measurement inputs are divided into groups according to the number of measurement paths, the switch has several sections, the inputs of each of which are connected to the measurement inputs of one g groups, and the output is connected to the input of one of the measurement paths, and any of the measurement inputs is connected to only one section of the switch; the software module for switching control via the data exchange bus controls the operation of the switch and the display unit so that each of the measurement inputs is connected through the corresponding measurement path to the processor, simultaneously with this, select the type of virtual device required for it, perform the measurement procedure and fix the current result.

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