Mini-automation controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10379501-B2
Application number	US-201715484608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2017
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling lab equipment such as transmitters are provided that includes a mini automation controller (MAC). The system provides a control system, user interface, and interfaces, including network interfaces usable for interfacing equipment, MAC, and user interfaces over a network, which provide a variety of functions including automation and monitoring of transmission sequences and receiver events. An exemplary MAC may include an Ethernet controller capable of converting an Ethernet signal to a serial signal. The MAC may also include a receiver monitor section comprising a fiber optic receiver input, a copper cable receiver input, and a monostable multivibrator. In addition to the receiver monitor section, the MAC may have a transmitter control section including a transmitter control pulse and a power output. An exemplary MAC may have a microcontroller coupled to the Ethernet controller, the receiver monitor section, and the transmitter control section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mini automation controller, comprising:
a first controller adapted to convert a plurality of first signals to a plurality of second signals, wherein said first signals are defined by a first communication protocol and said second signals are defined by a second communication protocol;
a microcontroller operable to automate and monitor at least one event of a group of events comprising a transmission sequence event and a receiver event, said microcontroller being electronically coupled to the first controller;
a receiver monitor section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and at least one receiver comprising a monostable multivibrator integrated circuit coupled between the first controller and at least one interface to said at least one receiver; and
a transmitter control section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and at least one transmitter, said transmitter control section comprising a transmitter control pulse section and a transmitter power output section, said transmitter control pulse section and transmitter power output section are coupled to said at least one transmitter;
wherein the microcontroller can receive a transmitter or receiver event control signal from a control system external to the mini automation controller via the first controller and activates the transmitter control section to send a transmission signal from the transmitter control pulse section and power output section, the microcontroller is configured to receive a receiver activation signal from the monostable multivibrator integrated circuit that the receiver monitor section has received the transmission signal;
wherein the microcontroller sends the plurality of first signals to the first controller regarding a status of the transmitter control section and the receiver monitor section wherein the plurality of first signals are converted to the plurality of second signals by the first controller and at least one of the plurality of second signals is sent to the control system external to the mini automation controller.

2. The mini automation controller of claim 1 , wherein said first communication protocol includes an Ethernet protocol format.

3. The mini automation controller of claim 1 , wherein said second communication protocol includes a serial interface protocol format.

4. The mini automation controller of claim 1 , wherein said receiver monitor section comprises a fiber optic receiver inlet and a copper wire receiver inlet, and said fiber optic receiver inlet and said copper wire receiver inlet are adapted to couple said monostable multivibrator integrated circuit with said at least one receiver.

5. The mini automation controller of claim 4 , wherein said transmission signal is sent to said at least one receiver from said monostable multivibrator integrated circuit through either said fiber optic receiver inlet or the copper wire receiver inlet.

6. A transmission and receive event control system, comprising:
at least one receiver;
at least one transmitter;
a test control system comprising a display, a non-transitory storage medium adapted to store a plurality of non-transitory machine readable instructions, an input/output system, and a plurality of test control system machine readable instructions stored on said non-transitory machine readable media including instructions operable to generate one or more graphical user interface on said display adapted to facilitate user control of said transmission and receive event control system, wherein said one or more graphical user interfaces comprises a menu of a plurality of operations associated with one or more transmission sequence events and receiver events; and
a mini automation controller comprising:
a first controller adapted to convert a plurality of first signals to a plurality of second signals, wherein said first signals are defined by a first communication protocol and said second signals are defined by a second communication protocol;
a microcontroller operable to automate and monitor at least one event of a group of events comprising said transmission sequence events and receiver events, said microcontroller being electronically coupled to the first controller;
a receiver monitor section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and at least one receiver comprising a monostable multivibrator integrated circuit coupled between the first controller and at least one interface to said at least one receiver;
a transmitter control section adapted to couple with the microcontroller and at least one transmitter, said transmitter control section comprising a transmitter control pulse section and a transmitter power output section, said transmitter control pulse section and transmitter power output section are coupled to said at least one transmitter;
wherein the microcontroller can receive a transmitter or receiver event control signal from said control system external to the mini automation controller via the first controller and activates the transmitter control section to send a transmission signal from the transmitter control pulse section and power output section, the microcontroller is configured to receive a receiver activation signal from the monostable multivibrator integrated circuit that the receiver monitor section has received the transmission signal; and
wherein the microcontroller sends the plurality of first signals to the first controller regarding a status of the transmitter control section and the receiver monitor section wherein the plurality of first signals are converted to the plurality of second signals by the first controller and at least one of the plurality of second signals is sent to the control system external to the mini automation controller.

7. The transmission and receive event control system of claim 6 , wherein said first communication protocol includes an Ethernet protocol format.

8. The transmission and receive event control system of claim 6 , wherein said second communication protocol includes a serial interface protocol format.

9. The transmission and receive event control system of claim 6 , wherein said receiver monitor section comprises a fiber optic receiver inlet and a copper wire receiver inlet, wherein said fiber optic receiver inlet and said copper wire receiver inlet are adapted to couple said monostable multivibrator integrated circuit with said at least one receiver.

10. The transmission and receive event control system of claim 9 , wherein said transmission signal is sent to said at least one receiver from said monostable multivibrator integrated circuit through either said fiber optic receiver inlet or the copper wire receiver inlet.

11. A method of automating and monitoring one or more transmission event sequences and receiver event sequences comprising:
providing at least one receiver;
providing at least one transmitter;
providing a mini automation controller;
providing a test control system comprising a display, an input/output system, a plurality of test control system machine readable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine readable media including instructions operable to generate one or more graphical user interfaces on said display adapted to facilitate user control of said transmission and receive event sequences, said one or more graphical user interfaces comprise a first graphical user interface including a first user input box that allows a user to input a desired transmission interval, a second user input box that allows the user to input a desired transmission length, and a third user input box operable to allow the user to set a network address associated with said mini automation controller, wherein said first graphical user interface

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Emerson David R

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G05B11/01

  electric · CPC title

• G05B19/4185

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title

• H04L69/08

  Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion · CPC title

• G05B2219/1214

  Real-time communication between plc, Ethernet for configuration, monitor · CPC title