Broadcast serial bus termination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577601-B2
Application number	US-201214130277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2012
Priority date	Jul 1, 2011
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A subsea broadcast serial bus system includes a broadcast serial bus having a first signal line and a second signal line. One or more nodes are connected in parallel to the first signal line and the second signal line of the broadcast serial bus. Each node connects the first signal line to the second signal line via a node impedance. A subsea node connected to the broadcast serial bus includes an adjustable impedance that may be adjusted based on the number of nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A broadcast serial bus termination circuit for a broadcast serial bus, the broadcast serial bus having a variable number of nodes connected thereto, wherein each node of the variable number of nodes is connected in parallel to a first signal line and a second signal line of the broadcast serial bus, wherein each node of the variable number of nodes connects the first signal line to the second signal line via a node impedance, and wherein the broadcast serial bus is configured for operation with a predetermined bus impedance, the broadcast serial bus termination circuit comprising:
an adjustable impedance connected, in operation, between the first signal line and the second signal line of the broadcast serial bus; and
an adjusting unit configured for adjusting the adjustable impedance based on a number of the nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus, such that a total impedance of the broadcast serial bus corresponds to the predetermined bus impedance for different numbers of nodes.

2. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable impedance is configured for adjustment based on integer fractions of the node impedance.

3. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable impedance comprises a voltage controlled resistance.

4. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable impedance comprises a field effect transistor.

5. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable impedance comprises a resistor ladder.

6. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit comprises a controller configured for controlling a value of the adjustable impedance.

7. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit comprises a mechanical switch configured for selecting different values of the adjustable impedance.

8. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast serial bus termination circuit is configured for adjusting the total impedance of the broadcast serial bus to match the predetermined bus impedance up to a predetermined maximum number of nodes.

9. A subsea node for a broadcast serial bus, the broadcast serial bus having a variable number of nodes connected thereto, wherein each node of the variable number of nodes is connected in parallel to a first signal line and a second signal line of the broadcast serial bus, wherein each node of the variable number of nodes connects the first signal line to the second signal line via a node impedance, and wherein the broadcast serial bus is configured for operation with a predetermined bus impedance, the subsea node comprising:
a broadcast serial bus termination circuit that is, in operation, connected to the first signal line and the second signal line, wherein the broadcast serial bus termination circuit comprises:
an adjustable impedance connected, in operation, between the first signal line and the second signal line of the broadcast serial bus; and
an adjusting unit configured for adjusting the adjustable impedance based on a number of the nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus, such that a total impedance of the broadcast serial bus corresponds to the predetermined bus impedance for different numbers of nodes.

10. The subsea node of claim 9 , wherein the subsea node is configured to automatically determine the number of nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus, and to adjust the adjustable impedance based on the determined number of connected nodes.

11. The subsea node of claim 9 , wherein the subsea node and the nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus are powered from a common power bus, and wherein the subsea node is configured for measuring power consumption on the power bus in order to determine the number of nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus.

12. A subsea broadcast serial bus system comprising:
a broadcast serial bus having a first signal line and a second signal line;
one or more nodes connected in parallel to the first signal line and the second signal line of the broadcast serial bus, wherein each node of the one or more nodes connects the first signal line to the second signal line via a node impedance; and
a subsea node connected to the first signal line and the second signal line and terminating the broadcast serial bus;
wherein the subsea node comprises:
a broadcast serial bus termination circuit that is, in operation, connected to the first signal line and the second signal line; and

wherein the broadcast serial bus termination circuit comprises:
an adjustable impedance connected, in operation, between the first signal line and the second signal line of the broadcast serial bus; and
an adjusting unit configured for adjusting the adjustable impedance based on a number of the nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus, such that a total impedance of the broadcast serial bus corresponds to the predetermined bus impedance for different numbers of nodes.

13. The subsea broadcast serial bus system of claim 12 , further comprising a subsea canister, wherein the subsea node comprises a master node located inside the subsea canister.

14. The subsea broadcast serial bus system of claim 12 , wherein the nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus are located outside the subsea canister, and wherein the subsea broadcast serial bus system comprises one or more further subsea canisters housing one or more of the nodes.

15. The subsea broadcast serial bus system of claim 12 , wherein the nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus are sensor nodes.

16. The subsea broadcast serial bus system of claim 12 , further comprising a power bus, wherein the subsea node and the nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus are supplied with electric power by the power bus.

17. A method of terminating a broadcast serial bus, the method comprising:
determining a number of nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus;
adjusting an impedance of a node connected between a first signal line and a second signal line of the broadcast serial bus based on the determined number of connected nodes;
wherein the adjusting of the impedance is performed such that a total impedance on the broadcast serial bus corresponds to a predetermined bus impedance at which the broadcast serial bus is to be operated.

18. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 2 , wherein the adjustable impedance comprises a voltage controlled resistance.

19. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 4 , wherein the field effect transistor comprises a junction gate field effect transistor (JFET).

20. The broadcast serial bus termination circuit of claim 2 , wherein the adjustable impedance comprises a resistor ladder.

Assignees

• Kristiansen Karstein
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Kristiansen Karstein

Classifications

• G06F13/4282

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

• G06F13/4081 Primary

  Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging (current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004) · CPC title

• H03H7/38 Primary

  Impedance-matching networks · CPC title