Analog signal input circuit to process analog input signals for the safety of a process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9658267-B2
Application number	US-201314397375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

An analog signal input circuit with a first number of analog signal detection channels and a diagnostics circuit, with each analog signal detection channel including a third number of analog signal detection circuits and a first connection selection device, and each analog signal detection circuit comprising a first connection device and a second connection device. For each analog signal detection channel, for detecting analog input signals applied at analog signal inputs from a second number of analog signal inputs, and for the respective issuance of output signals for the detected analog input signals, respectively one analog signal detection circuit is alternatingly selected for a certain period of time, not connected to its first connection device comprising an analog signal input for detecting an analog input signal, but used for testing and/or diagnostic purposes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An analog signal input circuit to process analog input signals relevant for the safety of a process with a first number of at least two analog signal detection channels ( 100 ; 100 ′), which can be operated redundantly or can be connected to form a redundancy block, with
each analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) being embodied to detect an analog input signal applied at an analog signal input from a second number of analog signal inputs ( 201 , 202 ; 201 ′, 202 ′) and, responding to a detected analog input signal, issuing an output signal;
each analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) respectively including two analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′), at least one diagnostics circuit ( 130 ; 130 ′) and at least one first connection selection device ( 115 , 125 );
each analog signal detection circuit ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) comprising a first connection device ( 111 , 121 ) and a second connecting device ( 112 , 122 );
each of the analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) of an analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) being able to connect to its first connection device ( 111 , 121 ) with the same analog signal input of the second number of analog signal inputs ( 201 , 202 ; 201 ′, 202 ′) for detecting an analog input signal, at least successively, and both analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) of an analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) being embodied such that, responding to detected analog input signals matching their second connection devices ( 112 , 122 ) issuing matching output signals;
each analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) for the detection of the analog input signal applied at one analog signal input from the second number of analog signal inputs and for the responding output of the output signal for the detected analog input signal respectively one of the two included analog signal detection circuits is selected alternatingly for a certain period of time, not connected to its first connection device with this analog signal input for detecting this analog input signal, but used for test and/or diagnostic purposes, and the respectively other two included analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) are selected for this certain period of time to be connected to their first connection device with this analog signal input for detecting this analog input signal and responding to the detected analog input signal issuing the output signal of the analog signal detection channel at this second connection device as the output signal, with the first connection selection device ( 115 , 125 ) being embodied for the purpose of connecting the respectively first connection device ( 111 , 121 ) of the two included analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) in response to the selection at least to either the analog signal input to be connected or to the diagnostics circuit for introducing test and diagnostic signals.

2. An analog signal input circuit to process analog input signals relevant for the safety of a process with a first number of at least two analog signal detection channels ( 100 ; 100 ′), which can be operated redundantly or can be connected to form a redundancy block, with
each analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) being formed, to detect analog input signals applied at a second number of at least two analog signal inputs ( 201 , 202 ; 201 ′, 202 ′) and in response issue output signals for the detected input signals;
each analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) respectively showing a third number of analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′), at least one diagnostics circuit ( 130 ; 130 ′) and at least one first connection selection device ( 115 , 125 );
with the third number amounting to at least three and being maximally greater by one than the second number;
each analog signal detection circuit ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) comprising a first connection device ( 111 , 121 ) and a second connection device ( 112 , 122 );
each of the analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) of an analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) with its first connection device ( 111 , 121 ) is able to be connected to respectively one analog signal input from the second number of analog signal inputs ( 201 , 202 ; 201 ′, 202 ′) for detecting an analog input signal, with it being possible to connect each of the analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′ 120 ′) of an analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) with its first connection device ( 111 , 121 ) to the same analog signal input of the second number of analog signal inputs ( 201 , 202 ; 201 ′, 202 ′) for detecting an analog input signal, at least successively, and all of the third number of analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 , 110 ′, 120 ′) of an analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) being embodied, to issue at their second connection devices ( 112 , 122 ) matching output signals, responding to detected, matching analog input signals;
one analog signal detection circuit is selected alternatingly for a certain period of time for each analog signal detection channel ( 100 ; 100 ′) for detecting analog signal input signals applied at signal inputs of the second number of analog signal inputs and for the respective output of output signals in response to the detected analog input signals, not connected to its first connection device with an analog signal input for detecting an analog input signal, but used for test and/or diagnostic purposes, and all except for this one being selected from the third number of included analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′), each for this certain period of time, to be connected to the first connection devices with certain analog signal inputs of the second number of analog signal inputs for detecting analog input signals, and issuing at their second connection devices as output signals the output signals of the analog signal detection channel, responding to the detected analog input signals, with the first connection selection device ( 115 , 125 ) being embodied for the purpose of connecting the respectively first connection devices ( 111 , 121 ) of all included analog signal detection circuits ( 110 , 120 ; 110 ′, 120 ′) in response to the selection at least to either a certain analog signal input to be connected or to the diagnostics circuit for introducing test and diagnostic signals.

3. The analog signal input circuit according to claim 1 , with at least one analog signal detection channel ( 100 , 100 ′) being embodied to process also digital signals, and each analog signal detection circuit ( 110 , 120 ) of this analog signal detection channel comprising an analog/digital converter ( 116 , 126 ), with its digital signal connection being switched to the respectively second connection device ( 112 , 122 ) and with its analog signal connection being switched in the direction towards the first connection selection device.

4. The analog signal input circuit according to claim 1 , with each analog signal detection channel showing a second connection selection device ( 101 ), which is embodied to connect, in coordination with the first connection selection device ( 115 , 125 ), the second connection devices ( 112 , 122 ) accordingly selected with one processing device ( 300 ) provided for the further processing of output signals of the analog signal detection channel or for connecting to the diagnostics circuit ( 130 ).

5. The analog signal input circuit according to claim 1 , with the first connection selection device ( 115 , 125 ) being embodied to allow selecting a connection of one respective first

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Oster Viktor
• Lohre Hubertus

Classifications

• G01R31/50 Primary

  Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections (testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58) · CPC title

• H03M1/1004

  without interrupting normal operation, e.g. by providing an additional component for temporarily replacing components to be tested or calibrated (H03M1/1009, H03M1/1071 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03M1/12

  Analogue/digital converters ({H03M1/001 – } H03M1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R31/02 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic