WO2003010612A2 - Dispositif d'interface multifonctions utilisable entre autres dans des procedes de laboratoire - Google Patents

Dispositif d'interface multifonctions utilisable entre autres dans des procedes de laboratoire Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2003010612A2
WO2003010612A2 PCT/IN2002/000150 IN0200150W WO03010612A2 WO 2003010612 A2 WO2003010612 A2 WO 2003010612A2 IN 0200150 W IN0200150 W IN 0200150W WO 03010612 A2 WO03010612 A2 WO 03010612A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
analog
digital
interface device
multifunction interface
experimental
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PCT/IN2002/000150
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English (en)
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WO2003010612A3 (fr
Inventor
Prathiba Jolly
R. Vijayaraghavan
Prashant Mehendru
Mallika Verma
Original Assignee
University Of Delhi
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Application filed by University Of Delhi filed Critical University Of Delhi
Priority to AU2002319900A priority Critical patent/AU2002319900A1/en
Publication of WO2003010612A2 publication Critical patent/WO2003010612A2/fr
Publication of WO2003010612A3 publication Critical patent/WO2003010612A3/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B19/00—Programme-control systems
    • G05B19/02—Programme-control systems electric
    • G05B19/04—Programme control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers
    • G05B19/042—Programme control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers using digital processors
    • G05B19/0423—Input/output

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a multifunction interface device for laboratory procedures. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multifunction interface device for data acquisition and control of real world devices in a laboratory environment
  • Computers and computer related technology are increasingly being used for varied applications in the field of business, manufacturing and even in academic, clinical and research institutions.
  • Computerization has become necessary for businesses to remain competitive.
  • Computer systems are increasingly being used to automate processes, manage large amounts of data, and provide fast, flexible communications.
  • Computerized business functions include billing, order- taking, scheduling, inventory control, record keeping, and the like.
  • Computerization for businesses can be accomplished by using standard business application systems that run standard business applications software packages.
  • SAP R/2 System available from SAP America, Inc., is a business applications software package designed to run on an IBM or compatible mainframe in a customer interface control system (CICS) or information management system (IMS) environment
  • CICS customer interface control system
  • IMS information management system
  • SAP may use CICS to interface with terminals, printers, databases, or external communications facilities such as IBM's Virtual Machine
  • SAP Telecommunications Access Method
  • SAP is a modularized table driven business applications software package that executes transactions to perform specified business functions such as order processing, inventory control, and invoice validation; financial accounting, planning, and related managerial control; production planning and control; and project accounting, planning, and control.
  • the modules that perform these functions are all fully integrated with one another.
  • Most manufacturing operations are also computer controlled. For example, it is now common in the art for computer or computer systems to provide real-time process control for component manufacturing and process manufacturing such as in chemical manufacturing industry through use of real-time process control systems. It has increasingly become common for laboratory procedures in academic and research institutions to also be computer controlled in accordance with preset parameters.
  • Standard fluid transfer and manipulative techniques include pipetting, diluting, dispensing, aspirating and plate washing.
  • Conventional assays are normally performed by rapid manipulation of manual pipettes or conducting assays that are automated piecemeal.
  • Common assays such as ELBA (enzyme linked immunoassay), viral, protein, and other biochemical studies and experimentation require liquid handling such as sample preparation, serial dilution, reagent addition and sample transfer to yield results.
  • Bioassays and chemical experimentation which require making use of such liquid handling techniques, when performed manually, are subject to potential inaccuracies. For example, it is difficult for a laboratory technician to ensure accurate dispensation of the exact amount of liquid in each of 96 wells on a plurality of microtiter plates.
  • the starting point for any laboratory experiment is an experimental configuration of equipment, apparatus, devices, materials, and supplies.
  • the operation of the experimental configuration is typically characterized by the relationships that exist among a plurality of experimental parameters.
  • the nature of the relationships may be expressed by an equation or tables of values.
  • the objective of a typical experiment is to measure one of the experimental parameters and then to determine the value of one or more other experimental parameters using the characterizing equation or tables of values, the measured value, and the known values of the remaining experimental parameters.
  • US Patent 5813865 discloses an apparatus for teaching science and engineering as an interactive multimedia computer system which is used to simulate the performance of scientific experiments on the computer screen.
  • An experiment is a method for determining the value of one experimental parameter by measuring the value of another using an experimental configuration of devices and apparatus. The interactions of the devices and apparatus in the experimental configuration are governed by a relationship among the experimental parameters that define the configuration.
  • the user of the teaching apparatus assembles a pictorial representation of the experimental configuration on the computer screen and interacts with the pictured experimental configuration to simulate the performance of an experiment
  • the pictured experimental configuration is governed by the same relationship among experimental parameters as the real configuration and thus, the results of the simulated experiment match the results of the experiment performed in the laboratory.
  • This apparatus of this reference comprises a means for displaying imagery; a means for causing a plurality of objects to be pictured on a display means, the objects being apparatus, equipment, devices, materials, and supplies used in science and engineering; a means by which user can assemble a plurality of objects pictured on the display means into an operating pictorial representation of an operating experimental configuration, the experimental configuration being characterized by a relationship among a plurality of experimental parameters; means by which the user can simulate the performance of an experiment using the pictorial representation of the experimental configuration, an experiment being a method of measuring one of the plurality of experimental parameters by means of the experimental configuration, the operation of the pictorial representation of the experimental configuration being governed by the same relationship among experimental parameters that characterizes operation of experimental configuration.
  • US Patent 6261103 discloses an interactive computer system for teaching laboratory-based sciences.
  • the system includes a data acquisition module, an internet-based coursework database, and internet-based interactive software tools.
  • an instructor can select academic course materials and related laboratory experiments from the coursework database.
  • the instructor can create an Internet web page, which provides students with an interactive visual interface with the selected course materials and laboratories, along with various analysis tools.
  • the data acquisition module is located at the site of an experimentation laboratory, and interfaces with laboratory equipment to capture data from selected experiments. Experimental data is transmitted in real-time to an internet-based storage location.
  • the present invention provides the means for a user to assemble an experimental configuration using suggested hardware building blocks and carry out physically an experimental investigation in real-time under microcomputer control with the results of measurement being displayed numerically as well as pictorially through graphic and other iconic representations in real time.
  • the computer system also indicates in real-time the physical status of the observed system or underpinning phenomena as reflected by the measurement process at any instance evoking select representational formats.
  • the multifunction interface device of the invention is a simple but extremely powerful computer controlled interface for data-acquisition and control of real world devices. Used in conjunction with appropriate software, the interface of the invention is capable of converting the microcomputer into a versatile laboratory instrument It can perform the function, inter alia, of a measuring instrument for output from a wide range of sensors and operate variously as a digital voltmeter, storage oscilloscope and x-y recorder. Further, it can act as signal generator, frequency analyzer, network analyzer, test instrument logic probe, digital timer, event counter, switch control unit, device driver and controller. The functions listed herein are illustrative and by no means exhaustive.
  • the present invention relates to a multifunction interface device comprising a plurality of signal generation means responsive to sensor means provided on an experiment set up in order to generate signals indicating a specific result required or obtained therefrom in machine readable form, said plurality of signal generation means coupled to one or more signal transmission means, said transmission means transmitting said signals to a microcomputer through a captive port on said microcomputer.
  • the signal generation means comprises an analog or digital signal generation means.
  • the signal transmission means comprises of an analog to digital converter, a digital to analog converter, a plurality of digital input/ output channels or any of the above.
  • the analog to digital converter converts said analog signals into digital signals readable by a microcomputer
  • the interface is provided with digital input signal means connected to said analog to digital converter to transmit said digital signals to said microcomputer through a responsive parallel port provided on said microcomputer, digital output signal means provided to receive instructions from said computer and forward it to the experiment set up, said digital output signal means forwarding said instructions by means of a digital to analog converter.
  • each of said analog to digital converter and digital to analog converters is provided with a captive signal conditioning circuit
  • the signal conditioning circuit is selected from a buffer circuit off balance bridge, gain amplifier, difference amplifier, instrumentation amplifier, voltage level shifter, current to voltage converter, multiplexer, filter, rectifier, differentiator, integrator and multiplier, and the like.
  • the sensor means comprise of a conventional photosensor, ultrasonic transmitter/ receiver, photogates, light emitting diodes, motion detector, photovoltaic celLand the like.
  • the digital input means comprises of a digital input/output bus comprising of at least one input/output channel.
  • the interface is provided with a gate circuit operatively associated with any or all of said analog to digital converter, digital to analog converter, input output lines in order to transmit a user-determined set of instructions to the physical system.
  • the multifunction interface device comprises of a digital to analog converter; an analog to digital converter; and a corresponding set of digital input and output lines, a plurality of analog input channels connectable and responsive to a plurality of sensory devices in order to measure and read input sensor data; at least one analog output channel responsive to the said plurality of analog input channels, and two or more digital input/ output channels, said analog output channel being operatively associated with a analog to digital converter to convert the analog output data into a digital data stream, said digital stream being fed into a microcomputer by means of a digital input/output bus, said analog to digital converter being provided with a multiplexer and a microprocessor compatible logic circuit
  • the multifunction interface device parses a given algebraic function and generating a corresponding analog signal.
  • the multifunction interface device is capable of parsing a function expressed as a table of numeric values and generating a corresponding analog signal
  • the multifunction interface device is capable of multiplexing and measuring up to eight different analog signals each at two channels of the on-board analog-to-digital converter, providing measurements from an array of sixteen sensors.
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for changing the values of the experimental parameters each time an experiment is performed.
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for measuring again the value of the same experimental parameter measured by the user during the experiment
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for determining the value of an experimental parameter using the characterizing relationship among the experimental parameters measured and given values for all of the other experimental parameters.
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for causing the value of an experimental parameter to be displayed on the display means.
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for showing graphical plots of measured and calculated experimental parameters versus other experimental parameters and functions of other experimental parameters, the nature of graphical plots being specified by user.
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for showing on the display means a representation of the phenomenon selected from a plurality of phenomena that occur during the performance of the experiment using the experimental configuration using judiciously chosen numeric, iconic or other pictorial representations.
  • the phenomenon is selected from the following phenomena: (1) changes in the objects making up the experimental configuration including changes in size, shape, state, position, orientation, temperature, pressure, composition, and appearance; (2) changes in the relationships of the objects making up the experimental configuration; (3) the flow of energy within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (4) the propagation of waves within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (5) the flow of matter within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (6) the flow of atoms, molecules, ions, and electrons within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (7) the flow of other elementary particles not enumerated above within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (8) the occurrence of electric and magnetic fields; and (9) the occurrence of temperature, density, and pressure gradients.
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for guiding user in physical construction of the experimental configuration using a combination of textual and pictorial representations.
  • the multifunction interface device in select applications, is provided with means for guiding the user in what signals are dynamically generated or processed by the computer by displaying the status of the signals on the captive port
  • the multifunction interface device in select applications, is provided with means for guiding the user in what software commands are dynamically used to program the computer to execute the said control tasks and drive devices connected to the captive port
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means for recording, storing, transforming and generating data representing acoustic signals, including voice messages.
  • the multifunction interface device is provided with means by which the user can change the operating speed of the pictorial representation of the experimental data relative to the operating speed of the actual performance by ti e experimental configuration.
  • the device of the invention can be used by selecting an experiment to be performed; assembling the textual or pictorial representation of the experimental configuration; carrying out measurements in real time; then requesting that the pictorial representation of the experimental results be displayed either faster or slower than the real-time experiment
  • the device of the invention can be used for teaching science and engineering to a student by providing a means for displaying imagery; causing a plurality of objects to be pictured on display means, objects being apparatus, equipment devices, materials, and supplies used in science and engineering; enabling a student to assemble a plurality of objects pictured on the display means into an operating pictorial representation of an operating experimental configuration, the experimental configuration being characterized by a relationship among a plurality of experimental parameters; enabling the student to simulate the performance of an experiment using the pictorial representation of the experimental configuration, an experiment being a method of measuring one of the plurality of experimental parameters by means of the experimental configuration, the operation of the pictorial representation of the experimental configuration being governed by the same relationship among the experimental parameters that characterizes the operation of the experimental configuration.
  • the device of the invention can be used by changing the values of the experimental parameters each time an experiment is performed.
  • the device of the invention can be used by measuring again the value of the same experimental parameter measured by the student during the experiment
  • the device of the invention can be used by determining the value of an experimental parameter using the characterizing relationship among the experimental parameters and measured and given values for all of the other experimental parameters.
  • the device of the invention can be used by causing value of an experimental parameter to be displayed on the display means.
  • the device of the invention can be used by showing plots of measured and calculated experimental parameters versus other experimental parameters and functions of other experimental parameters, the nature of the plots being specified by the user.
  • device of the invention can be used to show on display means a phenomenon selected from a plurality of phenomena that occur during performance of experiment using experimental configuration.
  • the device of the invention can be used for the following phenomenon: (1) changes in the objects making up the experimental configuration including changes in size, shape, state, position, orientation, temperature, pressure, composition, and appearance; (2) changes in the relationships of the objects making up the experimental configuration; (3) the flow of energy within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (4) the propagation of waves within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (5) the flow of matter within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (6) the flow of atoms, molecules, ions, and electrons within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (7) the flow of other elementary particles not enumerated above within, into, and out of the objects in the experimental configuration; (8) the occurrence of electric and magnetic fields; and (9) the occurrence of temperature, density, and pressure gradients.
  • the device of invention is used by guiding user in construction of pictorial representation of experimental configuration.
  • the device of the invention can be used by testing a student on knowledge of subject matter relating to the experiment
  • the testing step utilizes values of the experimental parameters, the method further comprising the step of selecting different values of the experimental parameters each time the student is tested.
  • the device of the invention can be used by producing sounds appropriate to the existence and interaction of objects in an experimental configuration when pictures of objects in pictorial representation of the experimental configuration exist and interact on the display means.
  • the device of the invention can be used by enabling the student to cause data necessary for the assembly of the pictorial representation of the experimental configuration and the performance of an experiment to be displayed on the display means.
  • the device of the invention is used by enabling a student to change operating speed of pictorial representation of experimental results relative to operating speed of experimental configuration.
  • the interface of invention is intended for use with any IBM compatible microcomputer and is capable of interfacing with the older as well as the newer architecture machines.
  • the interface can be used as a data-acquisition tool with microcomputers that based on the microprocessor chipsets used, are generally known as 286, 386, 486, Celeron, Pentium D, Pentium IH and Pentium TV microcomputers.
  • the multifunction interface device and the associated software is functional across a variety of computer operating systems inducing DOS, Windows ® , and the tike.
  • a feature of the invention is that software and hardware used are not limited to spedfic operating systems. Brief description of tile accompanying drawings
  • Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the interface of the invention.
  • Figure 2 is a representation of the complete circuit of the multifunction interface device of the invention.
  • Figure 3 (a - d) shows connection diagrams of integrated circuits used in the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a multifunction interface of invention with a microcomputer and its use as versatile microcomputer based laboratory instrument
  • Figure 5 is a schematic representation showing the use of the Multifunction Interface of the invention for measurement of time-displacement characteristics of a moving object in real time according to one use embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 6 is a schematic representation showing the use of the multifunction interface of the invention for the simultaneous measurement of force acting on an oscillating cart and its displacement in real-time
  • Figure 7 is a schematic representation showing the measurement of velocity and acceleration using the multifunction interface of the invention. Detailed description of tile invention
  • the multi unction interface device of the invention is connected to the microcomputer through a parallel port present on the microcomputer.
  • This parallel port is a conventional component of every microcomputer and is normally used for communication of data with an external printer.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the invention.
  • the multifunction interface device shown therein comprises of at least one digital to analog converter 1, at least one analog to digital converter 2, a plurality of digital input/ analog lines 3, digital input lines 4, digital output lines 5, a plurality of analog input lines 6, and at least one analog output line 7.
  • the analog to digital converter 2, digital to analog converter 1, and the digital input/ output lines 3 individually communicate with a computer (not shown) through a parallel port provided thereon.
  • the operation of the analog to digital converter, digital to analog converter and the digital I/O lines can be in tandem or independent Dependant on the nature and the requirements of the experimental set up the interface also functions as a transmitter of instructions from the computer to the experiment set up. Instructions are relayed from the computer through the multifunction interface to the experiment set up and the results in the form of data relayed back again through the interface.
  • the digital I/O bus 3, or digital to analog converter 1 can be used.
  • the results are collected and collated on the microcomputer by means of dedicated software loaded thereon and displayed on conventional display means. Parameters of experiment set up can be varied according to requirements of user. The periodic transmission of results is collated.
  • FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the multifunction interface of the invention.
  • all three data transmission means comprising the digital to analog converter, analog to digital converter and the digital I/O bus are capable of operation simultaneously or independently.
  • the digital to analog converter 1 communicates with the computer (not shown) through a tristate Schmitt trigger 4 and a parallel port plug connector 5.
  • a voltage regulator 6 is provided to maintain a reference voltage over this portion of the circuit
  • the digital to analog converter communicates with tile experiment set up through an external connector 7 which is in turn connected to the sensor/ transmitter/signal condiotioning circuit for the experiment set up.
  • the operation of the experiment set up can be regulated/ controlled through the digital to analog converter 1 without reference to the other components of the multifunction interface.
  • the multifunction interface receives appropriate digital signals through the plug connector 5. These signals are converted to analog form and transmitted to the experiment set up through the external connector 7 from digital to analog converter. The results obtained are received by the external connector and retransmitted back to the computer through the analog to digital converter 2.
  • the analog to digital converter 2 functions as a data acquisition component and is a monolithic CMOS device with an 8-bit analog-to-digital converter, 8-channel multiplexer and microprocessor compatible control logic.
  • the analog to digital converter 2 uses successive approximation as the conversion technique.
  • the converter 2 is provided with a high impedance chopper stabilized comparator, a 256R voltage divider with analog switch tree and a successive approximation register (not shown).
  • the 8-channel multiplexer can directly access any of the 8- single-ended analog signals using a logic address.
  • the device eliminates the need for external zero and full-scale adjustments. Easy interfacing to microprocessors is provided by the latched and decoded multiplexer address inputs and latched TTL tristate outputs.
  • Converter 2 offers high speed, high accuracy, minimal temperature dependence, excellent long-term accuracy and repeatability, and consumes minimal power. These features make this device ideally suited for a vast range of applications in data-acquisition, process and machine control.
  • the digital to analog converter 1 used in this embodiment is a monolithic 8-bit high-speed current-output digital-to-analog converter with a settling time of 100 ns.
  • the reference-to-full-scale current matching is better than ⁇ LSB thereby eliminating the need for a full-scale trim.
  • the non-linearity over temperature is better than ⁇ 0.1% thereby minimizing system error accumulations.
  • the noise immune inputs of the digital to analog converter 1 accept TTL levels with logic pin VLC grounded.
  • the digital to analog converter circuit operates from a reference voltage of VREF — +5V and a power supply of ⁇ 15 V and in positive low impedance output mode with the current output lour (pin 4) connected to tile inverting input of the operational amplifier while the complementary current output I ou ⁇ (pin 2) is grounded.
  • K ⁇ . Hence 5V/3.3K ⁇ so that
  • the digital inputs are connected to bits D0-D7 of Data Port A of the parallel port of the microcomputer via the tristate trigger 4.
  • the analog to digital converter 2 has an 8-bit resolution and a conversion time of 100 ⁇ s at a clock frequency of 640 kHz. It operates with a 5 V ⁇ C voltage reference; requires no zero or full scale adjust has an analog input range of 0-5V and outputs that meet TTL voltage level specifications. It has a total unadjusted error of ⁇ 1/2 LSB and ⁇ 1 LSB. It requires a single power supply of 5 VQC and has low power consumption at 15 mW.
  • the device contains an 8-channel single-ended analog signal multiplexer. A particular input channel is selected by using the address lines to select any channel. The address is latched into the decoder on the low-to-high transition of the address latch enable signaL The logic address for each analog input channel is given in the Table 3 below.
  • the eight analog inputs are connected to the ADC via the input lines IN0-IN7.
  • the signals for accomplishing the analog-to-digital conversion are generated by the microcomputer under software control and are available at the parallel port These are made available to the converter 2 through the tristate buffer 4'. Table 4 summarizes the connections between the crudal ADC signals and the bits controlling these from the parallel port Table 4: Parallel Port Signals Assigned to Control tile ADC operation
  • Control port outputs CO, C ⁇ and C2 select the channel at which the analog voltage is to be converted.
  • the Start Conversion and the ALE are tied together and connected to bit C3 of the control port A transition to a high logic level at this pin latches the address of the channel to be converted and a high to low transition starts the conversion.
  • EOC and bit S7 of the status port become high. Because of pautity of input data tines on the parallel port the data is read as the high and the low nibbles by the bits S3, S4, S5 and S6 of the status por The nibble is selected by the bit C2 of the control port When C2 is low, the low nibble of the ADC outputs is read. When C2 is high, the high nibble is read.
  • the parallel port provides very few digital input/ output lines.
  • the analog to digital converter circuit optimally utilizes the remaining I/O lines.
  • the control port bit CZ is used both for address selection and selecting the nibble to transfer to the parallel port.
  • Figure 3 (a - d) shows the connection diagrams of the integrated circuits used in the invention.
  • Figure 3a is a schematic top view of the digital to analog converter 1 showing each of the input line and the respective output lines, for supply of power, data transmission including instructions from the microcomputer (not shown) to the physical system and the results from therefrom back. The operation of the converter has been explained with reference to figure 2.
  • Figure 3b is a schematic top view of the analog to digital converter 2 showing each of the input tines and the respective output lines, for supply of power, data transmission including instructions from the microcomputer (not shown) to the physical system and the results from therefrom back.
  • Figure 3c is a schematic top view of the tristate Schmitt Trigger non-inverting ocatal buffer showing each of the input line and the respective output lines, for supply of power, data transmission including instructions from the analog to digital converter 2 to the physical system and the microcomputer.
  • the operation of the buffer has been explained with reference to figure 2.
  • Figure 3d is a schematic top view of the Schmitt Trigger inverting Hex buffer showing each of the input line and the respective output lines, for supply of power, data transmission instructions from the analog to digital converter 2 to the physical system and the microcomputer. The operation of the buffer has been explained with reference to figure 2.
  • FIG 4 is a schematic representation of the multifunction interface of the invention with a microcomputer and its use as a versatile microcomputer based laboratory instrument
  • the microcomputer 10 is loaded with dedicated software capable of performing a range of functions such as measurement of analog voltage, control of real world devices, logical sequencing of digital signals, waveform generation, frequency generation and measurement and the like.
  • the microcomputer 10 is connected to the multifunction interface 11 by means of a external plug connector through a parallel port thereon for communication of data with the experimental set up physical system 12..
  • the construction of the multifunction interface 11 is as described above with reference to both Figures 1 and 2.
  • Additional signal conditioning circuits 13 and 14 are provided connected to the analog to digital converter 2 and the digital to analog converter 1 respectively.
  • the two converters 1 and 2 are connected in turn to tile physical system 12 through transducers/sensors 15 and 16.
  • the physical system can be any experimental set up such as a mechanical system, electrical system, electronic system, active/passive device, acoustic system, thermal system, chemical system, magnetic system, optical system, spectroscopic system, radioactive system, biological system, human system, geo- or earth system, or atmospheric system, depending on the nature of the experiment to be carried out While only one transducer/sensor 15, 16 each are shown, a multiplidty of transducers/ sensors may be utilised depending on the number of parameters to be monitored/ controlled by the microcomputer 10 through the multifunction interface 11.
  • Signal conditioning circuits 13 and 14 comprise of conventional circuits such as buffers, gain amplifiers, current to voltage converters, voltage level shifters, instrumentation amplifiers, difference amplifiers, and the like.
  • the multifunction interface 11 may also be directly connected to the physical system 12 through a digital I/O bus provided in the interface 11. As explained above, the two converters 1 and 2 and the digital I/O bus are capable of acting individually or in tandem depending on the nature of the experimental set up.
  • the microcomputer 10 is loaded with dedicated software capable of performing or executing a series of instructions at the choice of the user.
  • the physical system 12 is responsive to the instructions received from tile computer 10 through the multifunction interface 11.
  • the instructions can be varied to feed in different variables as a function of time or conditional to certain results being obtained in the experimental set
  • Data communication is two-way through the interface 11. Instructions are relayed to physical system 12 on one hand and results obtained are relayed back to microcomputer 10 on the other hand.
  • the construction of the interface 11 wherein the three data transmission means (the two converters 1 and 2 and tile digital I/O bus 3) are connected individually with both the computer 10 and the physical system 12 and with each other enables a plurality of parameters being measured at one time from different real world instruments present in physical system 12.
  • Figure 5 is a schematic representation showing the use of the multifunction interface of the invention for measurement of time-displacement characteristics of a moving object in real time according to one use embodiment of the invention.
  • Example 1 the experimental set up is done for measurement of position of a dynamic cart in realtime and display of displacement-time (x-t), velocity-time (v-t) and acceleration-time (a-t) graphs.
  • the motion detector sensor could consist of an ultrasonic receiver- transmitter assembly located at the same position.
  • tile microcomputer interface sends a digital output signal that activates the transmitter to send burst of ultrasonic pulses.
  • the receiver signals the arrival of the echo by generating a digital signal that is input to the computer.
  • the time it takes for a echo to return from a distance x is determined by a generic pulse counting procedure that calculates the time elapsed between the two signals. Then the position at a particular time is simply calculated as where v is the speed of the transmitted wave. This procedure is repeated to monitor the motion.
  • the spalcement-time graph of a cart that is initially at the position xo with respect to the position of the motion detector at time zero and then moves steadily away from it slowly to a position x A , stands still for an interval dT and then returns to its initial position with a different constant speed.
  • Figure 6 is a schematic representation showing the use of the multifunction interface of the invention for the simultaneous measurement of force acting on an oscillating cart and its displacement in real-time.
  • the detailed explanation of this figure is provided in Example 2.
  • the multifuction interface permits simultaneous measurement of the force acting on the cart as its motion is being recorded.
  • the force transducer used here is the commonly available strain gauge which is glued to the surface of a beam to which are attached the two springs. This beam is mounted on the cart As the cart oscillates, so does the beam.
  • the strain thus produced causes a change in the resistance of the sensor that is a direct measure of the force experienced by tile cart
  • the signal conditioning circuit for this is standard.
  • the strain gauge is used in a typical off-balance Wheatstone Bridge configuration with the off-balance voltage being measured by the three op-amp instrumentation amplifier.
  • Figure 7 is a schematic representation showing the measurement of velodty and acceleration using the multifunction interface of the invention.
  • a simple method for measuring ti e instantaneous velodty or acceleration of a moving object is by using the multifunction interface as an event timer to measure the time it takes for the object to traverse specific distances.
  • Figure 7 is the measurement set up for this task. The detailed explanation of this figure is provided in Example 1.
  • the sensor here comprises a photo-gate 71 fabricated using an infrared source-sensor pair but could be any proximity sensor.
  • a slotted card 72 is mounted on the car 73. As the slotted card 72 goes through the photo-gate 71, the infrared signal is interrupted each time it encounters an edge 74. Then ti e output from the sensor 71 changes state.
  • the same prim ⁇ ple can be employed for determining acceleration due to gravity by dropping a ball from rest and determining the time it takes for it to pass through two photo-gates fixed a known distance apart
  • the setup can also be used to determine the angular frequency of rotation of a motor by mounting a shaft with a narrow slit carved in it Each complete rotation generates a voltage transition pulse. Determining time between two consecutive pulses gives a continually updated value of angular frequency.
  • the interface device of the invention includes the following essential units:
  • the dedicated software provided on the microcomputer includes a database of select generic tasks involved in predetermined laboratory procedures.
  • the software is menu driven and typically provides the following options depending on the user requirement 1. tutorials.. These provide a sequence of exercises that aim to introduce the user to generic operations possible using the multifunction interface.
  • these entail generating an output digital signal according to a prescribed logical sequence; detecting a digital input signal or switching action; controlling real world devices; timing interval between events; generating a voltage waveform; measuring frequency of a given voltage waveform; and measuring and calibrating analog voltage output from a variety of transducers and sensors.
  • a spedal feature of the tutorials is that the essential prindple and crudal instructions for programming the parallel port are displayed on the screen in real time in tiie context of the task on hand. Knowledge of these few simple measurement techniques empowers tiie user to set up a vast range of scientific investigations.
  • the device of the invention comprises of a plurality of analog channel, a plurality of analog to digital converters, an analog output channel, at least one digital input/ output channel, a digital to analog converter.
  • Digital channels used in the invention preferably comprise eight analog input channels for connecting a vast range of sensors such as temperature, tight force, magnetic field, pressure, and the like, one analog output channel, two digital I/O channels (ti e number of digital I/O channels depends on the experimental set up).
  • the multifunction interface device serves primarily as a teaching instrument a device with simple design that highlight principles of measurement have no more than an appropriate level of sophistication and functional aspects of which are transparent and easy to comprehend.
  • the modules have a robust packaging and incorporate protection circuits to avoid acddental damage to tiie microcomputer.
  • Table 5 Hardware Items in ti e interfacing package accompanying the Multifunction Interface Device: Illustrative List of Dedicated Experimental Setups: Examples from Physics
  • the motion detector sensor comprised of an ultrasonic receiver-transmitter assembly located at one fixed position.
  • a digital output signal was sent from the microcomputer interface to activate the transmitter to emit a burst of ultrasonic pulses.
  • the ultrasonic pulses were reflected back from the object moving directly and unobstructed in front of it
  • the receiver signalled the arrival of the echo by generating a digital signal that was input to the computer.
  • the time taken for an echo to return from a distance x was determined by a generic pulse counting procedure that calculates the time elapsed between the two signals.
  • the multifuction interface permits simultaneous measurement of the force acting on the cart as its motion is being recorded.
  • the cart is constrained by two springs to oscillate on a track.
  • These data allow real-time display of displacement-time (x-t), force-time (F-t) and force-displacement (F-x) graphs.
  • the force transducer used in this example is a commonly available strain gauge which is glued to the surface of a beam to which are attached the two springs. This beam is mounted on the cart As the cart oscillates, so does the beam.
  • the strain thus produced causes a change in the resistance of the sensor that is a direct measure of the force experienced by the cart
  • the underpinning principle of the measurement is to convert the change in resistance to an analog voltage signal appropriate for measurement by the analog - digital converter of the interface.
  • the signal conditioning drcuit used for this function is conventionaL
  • the strain gauge is used in a typical off-balance Wheatstone Bridge configuration with the off-balance voltage being measured by the three op-amp instrumentation amplifier.
  • Example 3 Measurement of Instantaneous Velodty and Acceleration ( Figure 8):
  • a simple method for measuring the instantaneous velocity or acceleration of a moving object is by using the Multifunction Interface as an event timer to measure the time it takes for the object to traverse specific distances.
  • Figure 8 is the measurement set up for this task.
  • the sensor used herein is a photo-gate fabricated using an infrared source-sensor pair. However, any conventional proximity sensor can be used.
  • Example 4 Measurement of acceleration due to gravity
  • Example 3 The same principle as in Example 3 was used to determine acceleration due to gravity by dropping a ball from rest and determining the time it takes for it to pass through two photo-gates fixed a known distance apart Using a slotted logical optical switch, the setup can also be used to determine the angular frequency of rotation of a motor by mounting a shaft writh a narrow stit carved in it Each complete rotation would generate a voltage transition pulse. Dete ⁇ nining the time between two consecutive pulses would give a continually updated value of the angular frequency.

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un dispositif d'interface multifonctions utilisable entre autres dans des procédés de laboratoire. Elle permet à l'utilisateur de mettre en oeuvre un nouveau moyen pour assembler une configuration expérimentale en utilisant des unités de matériel proposées et d'effectuer physiquement la recherche expérimentale en temps réel contrôlée par micro-ordinateur, les résultats des mesures étant affichés sous forme numérique ainsi que sous forme d'images, au moyen de représentations graphiques et d'autres icônes en temps réel. Le système informatique indique également en temps réel l'état physique du système observé ou du phénomène sous-jacent tel que reflété par le processus de mesure à tout moment en utilisant les formats de représentation sélectionnés. Le dispositif d'interface multifonctions de l'invention se présente comme une interface à commande informatique simple mais extrêmement puissante, destinée à l'acquisition de données et le contrôle de dispositifs réels. Utilisée conjointement avec un logiciel approprié, l'interface de l'invention permet de transformer le micro-ordinateur en un instrument de laboratoire polyvalent. Il peut, entre autres, fonctionner comme un instrument de mesure pour effectuer la sortie à partir d'une large gamme de capteurs et fonctionner de façon variée comme voltmètre numérique, oscilloscope à mémoire ou enregistreur x-y. En outre, il peut fonctionner comme un générateur de signaux, un analyseur de fréquences, un analyseur de réseau, un instrument de test, une sonde logique, une minuterie numérique, un compteur d'événements, une unité de commande de commutation, un circuit pilote de dispositifs et un contrôleur. Les fonctions énumérées ci-dessus sont citées à titre d'exemple et ne sont pas exhaustives.
PCT/IN2002/000150 2001-07-24 2002-07-15 Dispositif d'interface multifonctions utilisable entre autres dans des procedes de laboratoire WO2003010612A2 (fr)

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WO2021042706A1 (fr) * 2019-09-02 2021-03-11 芯创智（北京）微电子有限公司 Dispositif et procédé de test automatique de logique numérique
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US20220093243A1 (en) * 2014-09-15 2022-03-24 Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd Method and system for monitoring operation of instruments using a transceiver over a communication network
US11195611B2 (en) 2016-08-29 2021-12-07 Beckman Coulter, Inc. Remote data analysis and diagnosis
US11955230B2 (en) 2016-08-29 2024-04-09 Beckman Coulter, Inc. Remote data analysis and diagnosis
US11199557B2 (en) * 2016-10-26 2021-12-14 Beckman Coulter, Inc. Remote testing of laboratory instruments
CN110009988A (zh) * 2019-04-26 2019-07-12 安徽核芯电子科技有限公司 一种射线源及探测器系统模拟器
US20210035464A1 (en) * 2019-08-03 2021-02-04 Kristhian Otero Science Education Project
WO2021042706A1 (fr) * 2019-09-02 2021-03-11 芯创智（北京）微电子有限公司 Dispositif et procédé de test automatique de logique numérique
CN111211773A (zh) * 2019-10-22 2020-05-29 浙江中控技术股份有限公司 一种自由组态三端隔离模块
CN112367074A (zh) * 2020-10-29 2021-02-12 中船动力研究院有限公司 一种单套接口多功能隔离信号处理电路
CN112798841A (zh) * 2020-12-29 2021-05-14 北京无线电计量测试研究所 一种数字多用表全自动测量装置及方法
CN112798841B (zh) * 2020-12-29 2023-11-14 北京无线电计量测试研究所 一种数字多用表全自动测量装置及方法
CN113871927A (zh) * 2021-09-27 2021-12-31 浙江中控技术股份有限公司 油气管道通用接线装置
CN113871927B (zh) * 2021-09-27 2023-11-24 浙江中控技术股份有限公司 油气管道通用接线装置

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