Automatic control system and automatic instrument searching method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018059179-A1
Application number	US-201615366480-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 1, 2016
Priority date	Aug 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An automatic instrument searching method and an automatic control system are provided. The automatic control system includes a computer, plural serial ports and at least one measuring instrument. The at least one measuring instrument is connected with computer through the plural serial ports. Firstly, the computer detects a number of the plural serial ports and arranges the serial ports. Then, the plural serial ports are inquired according to plural different communication protocols. Then, the at least one measuring instrument makes a response to a setting of the matched communication protocol. If one of the inquired serial ports receives the response, the computer judges that the serial port is connected with one measuring instrument and issues a verification command to the connected measuring instrument. If the measuring instrument complies with the verification command, the measuring instrument is addressed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An automatic instrument searching method for an automatic control system, the automatic control system comprising a computer, plural serial ports and at least one measuring instrument, the at least one measuring instrument being connected with the computer through the plural serial ports, the automatic instrument searching method comprising steps of:
the computer detecting a number of the plural serial ports and arranging the plural serial ports; inquiring the plural serial ports according to plural different communication protocols; the at least one measuring instrument making a response to a setting of the matched communication protocol; if one of the inquired serial ports receives the response, judging that the serial port is connected with one of the at least one measuring instrument and issuing a verification command to the connected measuring instrument to perform a verifying process; and if the measuring instrument in the verifying process complies with the verification command, addressing the measuring instrument.

2 . The automatic instrument searching method according to claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
inquiring a specified serial port of the plural serial ports according to one of the plural different communication protocols; if no response is received after a predetermined time period, inquiring the specified serial port according to another of the plural different communication protocols; and if no response is received after the specified serial port is inquired according to all of the plural different communication protocols, judging that the specified serial port is connected with none of the at least one measuring instrument and inquiring another serial port of the plural serial ports according to the plural different communication protocols.

3 . The automatic instrument searching method according to claim 1 , wherein after the measuring instrument connected with a specified serial port is addressed, the automatic instrument searching method further comprises a step of inquiring other serial ports according to the plural communication protocols.

4 . The automatic instrument searching method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer comprises a memory unit, and addressing results of the corresponding measuring instruments are saved as an initiation file and stored in the memory unit, wherein the initiation file is read by the computer when the automatic control system is operated in a next time.

5 . The automatic instrument searching method according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the plural serial ports is equal to or more than a number of the at least one measuring instrument, wherein each measuring instrument is connected with a corresponding serial port of the plural serial ports.

6 . The automatic instrument searching method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plural communication protocols contains a Baud rate setting, a data bit setting, a stop bit setting and a parity bit setting.

7 . The automatic instrument searching method according to claim 1 , wherein the plural communication protocols are set and compiled according to applications of the at least one measuring instrument.

8 . The automatic instrument searching method according to claim 1 , wherein the verification command contains a predetermined brand data or a predetermined machine model data, wherein if a brand name or a model number of the connected measuring instrument is identical to the predetermined brand data or the predetermined machine model data, the computer judges that the connected measuring instrument complies with the verification command.

9 . An automatic control system with an automatic instrument searching function, the automatic control system comprising:
at least one measuring instrument; a computer, wherein a control program is installed in the computer; and plural serial ports connected with the at least one measuring instrument, wherein when the control program is executed, the computer detects a number of the plural serial ports and arranges the plural serial ports, the computer inquires the plural serial ports according to plural different communication protocols, and the at least one measuring instrument makes a response to a setting of the matched communication protocol, wherein if one of the inquired serial ports receives the response, the computer judges that the serial port is connected with one of the at least one measuring instrument and issues a verification command to the connected measuring instrument to perform a verifying process, wherein if the measuring instrument in the verifying process complies with the verification command, the computer addresses the measuring instrument.

10 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein the computer is equipped with or expansively connected with the plural serial ports.

11 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one measuring instrument and the corresponding serial ports are connected with each other through RS232 transmission interfaces.

12 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein if no response is received after the computer inquires a specified serial port of the plural serial ports according to one of the plural different communication protocols for a predetermined time period, the computer inquires the specified serial port according to another of the plural different communication protocols, wherein if no response is received after the specified serial port is inquired according to all of the plural different communication protocols, the computer judges that the specified serial port is connected with none of the at least one measuring instrument and inquires another serial port of the plural serial ports according to the plural different communication protocols.

13 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein after the measuring instrument connected with a specified serial port is addressed, the computer inquires other serial ports according to the plural communication protocols.

14 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein the computer comprises a memory unit, and the computer saves addressing results of the corresponding measuring instruments as an initiation file and stores the initiation file in the memory unit, wherein the initiation file is read by the computer when the automatic control system is operated in a next time.

15 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein the number of the plural serial ports is equal to or more than a number of the at least one measuring instrument, wherein each measuring instrument is connected with a corresponding serial port of the plural serial ports.

16 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein each of the plural communication protocols contains a Baud rate setting, a data bit setting, a stop bit setting and a parity bit setting.

17 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein the plural communication protocols are set and compiled according to applications of the at least one measuring instrument.

18 . The automatic control system according to claim 9 , wherein the verification command contains a predetermined brand data or a predetermined machine model data, wherein if a brand name or a model number of the connected measuring instrument is identical to the predetermined brand data or the predetermined machine model data, the computer judges that the connected measuring instrument complies with the verification comm

Assignees

• Primax Electronics Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Pei Ming
• Hsu Shih Chieh
• Zhang Shi Jie
• Huang Wei Lung

Classifications

• G06F13/4282 Primary

  on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247) · CPC title

• G01R31/3187 Primary

  Built-in tests · CPC title

• G01R31/31937

  Timing aspects, e.g. measuring propagation delay (G01R31/3191 and G01R31/31922 take precedence; marginal testing G06F11/24) · CPC title