Control architecture for devices in an rf environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149733-A1
Application number	US-201414555424-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system includes a processing device to generate a command, the command having a first format that is transmissible over a conductive communication link. The system further includes a first converter, coupled to the processing device, to receive the command and convert the command into a second format that is transmissible over a non-conductive communication link. The system further includes a second converter, configured to operate in a destructive radio frequency (RF) environment, to receive the command and convert the command back to the format that is transmissible over a conductive communication link and to subsequently transmit the command to a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit. The PWM circuit is coupled to the second converter and configured to operate in the destructive RF environment, to adjust a setting used to control one or more elements that are to operate in the destructive RF environment based on the command.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
a processing device to generate a command, the command having a first format that is transmissible over a conductive communication link; a first converter, coupled to the processing device, to receive the command and convert the command into a second format that is transmissible over a non-conductive communication link; a second converter, configured to operate in a destructive radio frequency (RF) environment, to receive the command and convert the command back to the format that is transmissible over a conductive communication link and to subsequently transmit the command to a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit; and the PWM circuit, coupled to the second converter and configured to operate in the destructive RF environment, to adjust a setting used to control one or more elements that are to operate in the destructive RF environment based on the command; wherein the PWM circuit and the second converter are ungrounded and are to be maintained at approximately a same potential.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is formatted in accordance with a protocol for a multi-master, multi-slave, single-ended, serial computer bus.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further to generate an additional digital control signal and to send the additional digital control signal to a digital device that is external to the destructive RF environment.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further to generate an additional analog control signal and send the additional analog control signal to an analog device that is external to the destructive RF environment.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further to generate an electrical switching control signal, and wherein at least one of the first converter or a third converter coupled to the processing device is to convert the electrical switching control signal to an optical switching control signal, the system further comprising:
a fourth converter, configured to operate in the destructive RF environment, to receive the optical switching control signal and convert the optical switching control signal back to the electrical switching control signal; and a switch, coupled to the fourth converter and configured to operate in the destructive RF environment, to switch on and off in accordance with the electrical switching control signal.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive communication link comprises a fiber-optic interface, and wherein the second format comprises an optical format.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more switching devices coupled to the PWM circuit, wherein the PWM circuit is to determine a duty cycle based on the setting and switch on and off the one or more switching devices in accordance with the duty cycle, and wherein the one or more switching devices are to provide power to the one or more elements when switched on and to provide no power to the one or more switching devices when switched off.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements comprises at least one of resistive heating elements, heat lamps or lasers.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more sensors, coupled to the second converter, to generate a measurement signal and provide the measurement signal to the second converter, the measurement signal having the first format; wherein the second converter is to convert the measurement signal to the second format and to transmit the measurement signal over the non-conductive communication link; wherein the first converter is to convert the measurement signal back into the first format and transmit the measurement signal to the processing device; and wherein the processing device is to perform an action based on the measurement signal.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of PWM circuits coupled to the second converter, each of the plurality of PWM circuits to control a different plurality of elements in accordance with settings provided by the processing device; wherein the plurality of PWM circuits and the second converter are mounted to a circuit board that is approximately centered in an electrically conductive housing.

11 . A method comprising:
generating a command at a processing device, the command having a first format that is transmissible over a conductive communication link; converting, by a first converter coupled to the processing device, the command from the first format into a second format that is transmissible over a non-conductive communication link; transmitting the command to a second converter over the non-conductive communication link; converting, by a second converter that operates in a destructive radio frequency (RF) environment, the command back to the format that is transmissible over a conductive communication link; transmitting the command to a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit that operates in the destructive RF environment to adjust a setting of the PWM used to control one or more elements that operate in the destructive RF environment; wherein the PWM circuit and the second converter are ungrounded and are maintained at approximately a same potential.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the control signal is formatted in accordance with a protocol for a multi-master, multi-slave, single-ended, serial computer bus.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating, by the processing device, an additional digital control signal; and sending the additional digital control signal to a digital device that is external to the destructive RF environment.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating an additional analog control signal; and sending the additional analog control signal to an analog device that is external to the destructive RF environment.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating, an electrical switching control signal; converting the electrical switching control signal to an optical switching control signal; transmitting the optical switching control signal to a third converter that operates in the destructive RF environment; converting, by the third converter, the optical switching control signal back to the electrical switching control signal; and switching on and off a switching device that operates in the destructive RF environment in accordance with the electrical switching control signal.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the non-conductive communication link comprises a fiber-optic interface, and wherein the second format comprises an optical format.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by the PWM circuit, a duty cycle based on the setting; and switching on and off the one or more switching devices in accordance with the duty cycle, wherein the one or more switching devices provide power to the one or more elements when switched on and provide no power to the one or more elements when switched off.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more elements comprises at least one of resistive heating elements, heat lamps or lasers.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating, by one or more sensors that operate in the destructive RF environment, a measurement signal; providing the measurement signal to the second converter, the measurement signal having the first format; converting the measurement signal to the second format; transmitting the measurement sig

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Criminale Phillip
• Babayan Steve E
• Marohl Dan A

Classifications

• H04L21/00

  Apparatus or local circuits for mosaic printer telegraph systems · CPC title

• H04Q11/0003

  Details · CPC title

• H04L25/4902 Primary

  Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation · CPC title