Multi-connection equipment

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-connected device capable of easily and accurately achieving synchronization without a complicated software correction process. A multi-connected device according to the present invention is provided with a plurality of devices including an upper device, a lower device, and one or more intermediate devices positioned between the upper device and the lower device, the devices being connected in series via a communication line and capable of transmitting and receiving data between the devices, the multi-connected device being characterized in that: the upper device and the lower device are connected in series via a communication line; a data acquisition request command for controlling the acquisition time of prescribed data is associated with each device, so that the data acquisition request command corresponding to the device farther from the upper device is transmitted earlier, and before the data acquisition request command arrives at the lower device, the data acquisition request command is transmitted earlier than the data acquisition request command corresponding to the device farther from the upper device is transmitted earlier than the data acquisition request command arrives at the lower device. And sending all the corresponding data acquisition request instructions to the intermediate equipment in sequence.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a multi-unit device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention relating to a multi-sensor that connects multiple sensor units in a daisy-chain manner. In Patent Document 1, communication is possible between adjacent sensor units or between the host and sensor units, thereby maintaining appropriate communication quality.

[0003] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-50502 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-238341 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-88208 Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-66278 Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-13394 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The problem that the invention aims to solve Patent Document 1 does not describe the process of achieving data synchronization. On the other hand, the technology of using the common synchronization signal line described in Patent Documents 2-4 to achieve synchronization is widely known (see Patent Document 2). Figure 1 Patent document 3 Figure 3 Patent document 4 Figure 1 wait).

[0005] However, there is a problem that the number of connected devices and the distance between devices are limited by the driving capability of the common synchronization signal line.

[0006] On the other hand, in Patent Document 5, the propagation delay time caused by the transmission line is calculated by inputting the type and length of the transmission line into the machine (equipment), and the correction amount is calculated based on the propagation delay time.

[0007] However, since the propagation delay time varies among devices, correcting the propagation delay time for a large number of devices requires complex correction processing, resulting in a large software load.

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-connection device that can easily and accurately achieve synchronization without the need for dedicated signals or complex software correction processing.

[0009] Technical solutions for solving the problem The multi-device of the present invention has multiple devices, including a host device, a slave device, and one or more intermediate devices located between the host device and the slave device. The devices are connected in series via communication lines and can transmit and receive data between each other. The multi-device is characterized in that by associating a data acquisition request instruction for controlling the timing of each device acquiring specified data with each device, the data acquisition request instruction corresponding to the device farther away from the host device is sent earlier, and all corresponding data acquisition request instructions are sent to the intermediate device in sequence before the data acquisition request instruction reaches the slave device.

[0010] In this invention, preferably, after the data acquisition request instruction is sent to the lower-level device, the next data acquisition request instruction is then transmitted to the lower-level device.

[0011] In this invention, preferably, the upper-level device is a host device, and the intermediate device and the lower-level device are sensor devices for detecting wind.

[0012] Invention Effects According to the present invention, a multi-connection device can be realized that can easily and accurately achieve synchronization without the need for dedicated signals or complex software correction processing, thereby enabling the sensors to keep their detection times consistent. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-unit device in this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a conceptual diagram used to illustrate the problems in command transmission of a multi-unit device in a comparative example.

[0015] Figure 3 This is an example of sending instructions to a multi-connected device in this embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4 This is an example of a communication block diagram for a multi-connected device in this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 This is an example of a circuit diagram for a sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the embodiment") will be described in detail. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications can be made within its scope.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-unit device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the multi-unit device 10 of this embodiment is configured to have a host device H and multiple sensor devices 1 to 4. In this specification, the host device H and the sensor devices 1 to 4 are sometimes referred to as "device" without distinction. In addition, the host device H is sometimes referred to as "upper-level device", the sensor devices 4 as "lower-level devices", and the sensor devices 1 to 3 as "intermediate devices". Furthermore, "lower-level device" refers to the device that is closer to the "lower-level device" among adjacent devices.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, each device shows a signal line L1 for exchanging data signals (SDA) and a signal line L2 for exchanging clock signals (SCL), but these signal lines L1 and L2 can together form a communication line 5, and the devices are connected in series through the communication line 5.

[0022] The host device H is a microcomputer that controls the data transmission to each sensor device 1-4, referring to a device that acts as the master device in communication. For example, the host device H can be a computer, server, router, etc. Furthermore, sensor devices 1-4 are microcomputers that control sensors, LEDs, etc., referring to devices that act as slave devices in communication.

[0023] In this embodiment, each of the sensor devices 1 to 4 can acquire physical quantity data, specifically flow rate data. In particular, this embodiment can provide a multi-connected device 10 that can acquire wind speed data.

[0024] In this embodiment, the devices are connected in series via communication line 5, thereby enabling data transmission and reception between the devices.

[0025] In each of the sensor devices 1 to 4, the time when sensor data is acquired is the time when the data acquisition request command (the command that triggers sensor data acquisition) sent from the host device H is received. However, in this embodiment, by controlling the data acquisition request command received by each of the sensor devices 1 to 4 to be almost at the same time, the problem of time deviation in data acquisition can be improved.

[0026] The following explains how to send commands, but first use... Figure 2 This is a comparative example illustrating the discrepancy in the timing of data acquisition request commands issued by various sensor devices. Furthermore, in... Figure 2 , Figure 3 For the sake of simplicity, only the host device H, sensor device 1, and sensor device 2 are illustrated in the diagram. Figure 2 , Figure 3 The vertical axis represents the time series, with time moving from top to bottom in the diagram.

[0027] like Figure 2 As shown, a data acquisition request command S1 is sent from the host device H to the sensor device 1. Furthermore, in Figure 2 , Figure 3 In the diagram, the top column of the box indicates the type of instruction, the bottom left column indicates the sending source, and the bottom right column indicates the receiving target.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, the data acquisition request command S1 is the command from the host device H to all sensor devices. Therefore, as... Figure 2 As shown, sensor device 1, which receives data acquisition request instruction S1 from host device H, performs specified data detection at that moment and sends the data acquisition request instruction S1 from sensor device 1 to sensor device 2.

[0029] Then, as Figure 2 As shown, sensor device 2, which receives the data acquisition request instruction S1 from sensor device 1 later than the time when sensor device 1 acquires data, performs the specified data detection.

[0030] In addition, sensor devices 1 and 2, which have completed data detection, send data to host device H to obtain completion instructions S2 and S3.

[0031] Thus, in Figure 2 In the comparative example, the data acquisition request command S1 sent from the host device H to the sensor devices 1 and 2 is a command for all sensor devices and is communicated in a so-called relay mode. Therefore, the sensor device closer to the host device H receives the data acquisition request command S1 earlier and performs data detection earlier, which leads to a time deviation in data detection.

[0032] Such time deviations in data detection will still occur even when using the common synchronization signal line structure shown in the patent document. That is, commands sent to sensor devices connected to a device far from the host device will arrive later than those connected to a sensor device near the host device. Therefore, the data acquisition time is inconsistent among the sensor devices, and the longer the common synchronization signal line, the greater the time deviation. As a result, it is impossible for the sensor devices to acquire sensor data at the same time, or for LEDs to light up simultaneously and perform sensor functions at the same time.

[0033] Therefore, in order to improve the problem that the data acquisition time of sensor devices farther away from the host device H is later and thus causes time deviation in data acquisition, this embodiment improves the transmission control of data acquisition request commands in the following manner.

[0034] That is, in this embodiment, the data acquisition request command is associated with each device. In this embodiment, Figure 3The data acquisition request instruction S4 is associated with the data acquisition time of sensor device 2, and the data acquisition request instruction S5 is associated with the data acquisition time of sensor device 1. Therefore, sensor device 2 performs data acquisition when it receives the data acquisition request instruction S4, and sensor device 1 performs data acquisition when it receives the data acquisition request instruction S5.

[0035] Then, as Figure 3 As shown, the first data retrieval request command is sent to the sensor device furthest from the host device H. Figure 3 In the sensor device 1 and sensor device 2 shown, since sensor device 2 is farther away from the host device H than sensor device 1, the data acquisition request instruction S4 for sensor device 2 is sent first.

[0036] That is, such as Figure 3 As shown, the host device H sends a data acquisition request command S4 to the sensor device 1, and then the sensor device 1 transmits the data acquisition request command S4 to the sensor device 2.

[0037] At this time, after transmitting the data acquisition request instruction S4 from sensor device 1 to sensor device 2, the host device H immediately sends the data acquisition request instruction S5 for sensor device 1 to sensor device 1.

[0038] Thus, after sending a data acquisition request command S4 from the host device H to the adjacent sensor device 1, the host device H then sends another data acquisition request command S5 to the adjacent sensor device 1. At this time, once the host device H receives the Ack signal indicating that the sensor device 1 has received the data acquisition request command S4, it can immediately send the data acquisition request command S5.

[0039] As described above, by controlling the transmission of data acquisition request commands, thus... Figure 3 As shown, the timing of sensor device 2 receiving the data acquisition request instruction S4 is approximately the same as the timing of sensor device 1 receiving the data acquisition request instruction S5. Therefore, the time deviation between data detection by sensor device 1 and data detection by sensor device 2 can be almost zero, at least smaller than in traditional methods.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, sensor device 1 and sensor device 2 send data acquisition completion instructions S6 and S7 to host device H. Then, host device H processes the sensor detection signals of sensor device 1 and sensor device 2 obtained at the same time.

[0041] As described above, host device H uses Figure 1In this method, a data acquisition request command is sent to the farthest connected sensor device 4. Then, when the host device H's adjacent sensor device 1 receives the data acquisition request command, it immediately sends a data acquisition request command from the host device H to the second farthest sensor device 3. Each device transmits its data acquisition request command to the sensor device associated with that command. Just as the data acquisition request command from sensor device 4 arrives at the farthest sensor device 4, the data acquisition request commands from each of the other sensor devices also arrive at their respective sensor devices 1-3. In this way, the arrival times of the data acquisition request commands from each sensor device are approximately the same, thus reducing the sensor detection time deviation compared to conventional methods.

[0042] In this embodiment, the time deviation of sensor detection can be reduced regardless of the number of connected sensor devices. Although not limited, synchronization can be appropriately achieved even when the number of sensor devices ranges from hundreds to thousands.

[0043] By increasing the number of connected sensor devices, the distance between the host device H and the farthest sensor device becomes longer. However, since this embodiment is a system that uses communication line 5 to connect the devices and can send and receive data between them, even though the total communication distance will be longer compared to a system using a conventional common synchronization signal, synchronization can still be properly achieved by controlling the transmission of data acquisition request commands in this embodiment.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a communication block diagram of the multi-connection device in this embodiment. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the host device H is configured to have an upper-level communication control unit 12, a lower-level communication control unit 13, and a processor 14. Furthermore, each of the sensor devices 1 to 4 is configured to have an upper-level communication control unit 15, a lower-level communication control unit 16, a processor 17, and a sensor function unit 18.

[0045] Thus, each host device H and each sensor device 1 to 4 has two communication control units: upper-level communication control unit 12, 15 and lower-level communication control unit 13, 16.

[0046] The host device H's upper communication control unit 12 is connected to the information control device 30 such as a PC. In addition, the host device H's lower communication control unit 13 performs transmit and receive control with the sensor device 1 located on the lower side.

[0047] Similarly, each lower-level communication control unit 16 of each sensor device 1 to 4 is connected to the upper-level communication control unit 15 of the lower-level sensor device to perform transmission and reception control between the sensor devices.

[0048] In addition, the processor 14 located in the host device H controls the instructions from the information control device 30, or performs various processing on the data from the sensor devices 1 to 4.

[0049] In addition, the processor 17 installed in each of the sensor devices 1 to 4 performs various processes such as writing the data output by the sensor into the host transmission memory and processing based on instructions from the host device H.

[0050] Settings Figure 4 The sensor function unit 18 in each of the sensor devices 1 to 4 shown is a data acquisition function unit. For example, in the case of a wind sensor that detects wind, it is configured as follows.

[0051] Figure 5 This is an example of a circuit diagram for the functional section of a sensor.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown, the sensor functional unit consists of a bridge circuit 27 formed by a flow detection resistor 25, a temperature compensation resistor 26, and resistors 28 and 29. Figure 5 As shown, a first series circuit 19 is formed by a flow detection resistor 25 and a resistor 28, and a second series circuit 20 is formed by a temperature compensation resistor 26 and a resistor 29. Furthermore, the first series circuit 19 and the second series circuit 20 are connected in parallel to form a bridge circuit 27.

[0053] like Figure 5 As shown, the output 21 of the first series circuit 19 and the output 22 of the second series circuit 20 are respectively connected to a differential amplifier (hereinafter referred to as "amp") 23. The bridge circuit 27 is connected to a feedback circuit 24 containing the differential amplifier 23. The feedback circuit 24 includes transistors (not shown), etc.

[0054] Resistors 28 and 29 have smaller temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR) compared to the flow detection resistor 25 and the temperature compensation resistor 26. The flow detection resistor 25, for example, has a predetermined resistance value Rs1 when heated to a temperature controlled only slightly above a predetermined ambient temperature. Similarly, the temperature compensation resistor 26 is controlled to have a predetermined resistance value Rs2 at the aforementioned ambient temperature. Furthermore, the resistance value Rs1 is smaller than the resistance value Rs2. The resistor 28, which forms the first series circuit 19 with the flow detection resistor 25, is, for example, a fixed resistor with the same resistance value R1 as the flow detection resistor 25. Similarly, the resistor 29, which forms the second series circuit 20 with the temperature compensation resistor 26, is, for example, a fixed resistor with the same resistance value R2 as the temperature compensation resistor 26.

[0055] When wind acts on the flow detection resistor element 25, the temperature of the flow detection resistor element 25, which acts as a heating resistor, drops, causing a change in the potential of the output section 21 of the first series circuit 19 connected to the flow detection resistor element 25. This results in a differential output through the differential amplifier 23. Next, the feedback circuit 24 applies a drive voltage to the flow detection resistor element 25 based on the differential output. Then, based on the change in voltage required to heat the flow detection resistor element 25, the wind speed can be calculated and output by a microcomputer (described later).

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, the communication control section is divided into an upper-level communication control section and a lower-level communication control section in the host device H and sensor devices 1-4. This allows the host device H and sensor devices 1-4 to be connected in a daisy-chain manner, and instruction transmission and data reception can be performed only between adjacent devices. Therefore, by performing the following communication control—(1) associating data acquisition request instructions with each device; (2) ensuring that data acquisition request instructions for devices farther from the upper-level device are sent earlier; and (3) sequentially sending all corresponding data acquisition request instructions to intermediate devices before the data acquisition request instructions reach the lower-level devices—synchronization can be appropriately achieved even with an increase in the number of connected devices, and sensor detection can be performed at almost the same time.

[0057] Industrial availability This invention particularly provides a multi-unit device best suited for simultaneous sensor detection. The multi-unit device of this invention is, for example, a wind detection multi-unit device, applicable both indoors and outdoors. The multi-unit device can be used, for example, in air conditioning systems, lighting fixtures, and for laboratory and analytical applications.

[0058] This application is based on Japanese Special Application 2023-021479, filed on February 15, 2023. Its entire contents are contained herein.

Claims

1. A multi-device setup comprising multiple devices, said multiple devices including a host device, a slave device, and one or more intermediate devices located between the host device and the slave device, wherein the devices are connected in series via communication lines and can transmit and receive data between the devices, characterized in that, By associating data acquisition request instructions, which control the timing of data acquisition, with each device, the data acquisition request instructions corresponding to the device farther away from the upper-level device are sent earlier, and all corresponding data acquisition request instructions are sent to the intermediate device in sequence before the data acquisition request instructions reach the lower-level device.

2. The multi-unit equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the data retrieval request instruction is sent to the downstream device, the next data retrieval request instruction is then transmitted to the downstream device.

3. The multi-unit equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The upper-level device is a host device, and the intermediate device and the lower-level device are sensor devices for detecting wind.

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