An automatic line sequence recognition device and method for cable manufacturing

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing, including a cable plug and socket mounted on a PCBA board. The cable plug and socket are connected to the plug end of the cable. Each wire core of the cable plug end corresponds one-to-one with each pin of the cable plug and socket. The PCBA board is equipped with a line-following probe and a controller with a built-in array of length N. Each pin of the cable plug and socket is connected to the corresponding pin of the controller. The line-following probe is connected to the power supply or ground terminal of the controller. Before the line-following probe contacts the bare wire core of the cable, the controller initializes each element of the array to the same binary code. When the line-following probe contacts the bare wire core of the cable, the controller inverts the array element corresponding to that core. This invention also discloses an automatic wire sequence identification method for cable manufacturing. This invention has a compact structure, low cost, and simple operation, and can be widely used in the field of cable testing and manufacturing technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable testing and manufacturing technology, and in particular to an automatic wire sequence identification device and method for cable manufacturing. Background Technology

[0002] In cable manufacturing, it is often necessary to check the wire sequence at both ends of multi-core cables to ensure that each wire is correctly positioned in the connector. Traditional methods rely on manual continuity testing with a multimeter, which is inefficient and prone to errors. Existing cable testers are mostly used for connecting finished cables to equipment to determine wire sequence consistency. However, in cable manufacturing scenarios, it is common for one end of the cable connector to be pre-made, while the other end needs to be fabricated according to the pre-made connector definition—a manufacturing production line environment where "one end has a pre-defined connector, and the other end has a bare wire randomly connected." Therefore, there is an urgent need for a dedicated device that is simple in structure, easy to operate, and can automatically identify the wire sequence. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned background technology and provide an automatic wire sequence identification device and method for cable manufacturing. As long as any wire core is connected to the bare wire end of the cable, the device can automatically identify its physical sequence number in the bare wire end of the cable. It has a compact structure, low cost and simple operation.

[0004] This invention provides an automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing, comprising a PCBA board and a cable plug and socket disposed on the PCBA board. The cable plug and socket are connected to the plug end of the cable. Each wire core of the cable plug end corresponds one-to-one with each pin of the cable plug and socket. The PCBA board is provided with a line-following probe for testing the bare wire end of the cable. The PCBA board is also provided with a controller having a built-in array of length N, wherein the array length N is greater than or equal to the number of cable wire cores. Each pin of the cable plug and socket is connected to a corresponding pin of the controller. The line-following probe is connected to the power supply or ground terminal of the controller. Before the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end wire core, the controller initializes each element of the array to the same binary code. When the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end wire core, the controller inverts the array element corresponding to that wire core and transmits the inverted code to the output device.

[0005] In the above technical solution, before the line inspection probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the controller sets each element of the array to code 1. When the line inspection probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the controller sets the code 0 for the array element corresponding to that wire end.

[0006] In the above technical solution, the controller configures a unique array element for each pin connected to the cable plug and socket pins. The line-following probe is connected to the ground terminal of the controller. Before the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the controller configures the pin with the array element to pull-up resistor mode. When the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the pin of the controller connected to that wire end is configured to low level.

[0007] In the above technical solution, the controller is an MCU, and the pins of the MCU are GPIO pins.

[0008] In the above technical solution, the PCBA board is equipped with a buzzer with short circuit / misconnection alarm function, and the buzzer is connected to the MCU.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the PCBA board is provided with a host computer communication interface connected to the MCU.

[0010] In the above technical solution, the PCBA board is equipped with a DIP switch that is connected to the MCU and supports switching between multiple plug types.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the MCU has built-in de-jitter software.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the output device is an OLED display screen, and the cable plug socket includes a socket fixture connected to the cable plug end and a common socket connected to the socket fixture. Each pin of the common socket corresponds one-to-one with the GPIO pin of the MCU.

[0013] This invention also provides an automatic wire sequence identification method for cable manufacturing, comprising the following steps: S1, using a controller pin as a detection pin; S2, initializing the controller array and setting the potential signal of all array elements to 1; S3, connecting the pre-made cable plug end to the cable plug socket and then to the controller; S4, connecting the line-following probe to the controller ground terminal and touching a bare wire, thereby pulling the controller pin corresponding to that bare wire low; S5, the controller detects the change in the low-pin potential and sets the potential signal of the array element corresponding to the low-pin to 0, and the OLED display shows a low potential. The signal corresponds to the wire core number; S6. After the line probe leaves the bare wire, due to the pull-up resistor, the low pin is restored to a high level. The array copies the element number that has been measured to the controller's buffer and marks the tested wire core number hasTested[n]. At the same time, the element lineState[n] is cleared in the current test array, where n represents the tested wire core number; S7. When the current round of cable testing is completed, the measured cable number hasTested[n] element is all set to 0. The screen displays "Test ended", "Reset" clears the data and starts the next round of cable testing.

[0014] The automatic wire sequence identification device and method for cable manufacturing of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: 1. Simple operation: Workers only need to "plug in the plug and touch the wire end" to take the reading; 2. Accurate identification: Based on direct judgment of physical continuity, there is no risk of signal interference; 3. Low cost: Only common controllers, output devices, sockets and test leads are required, and the BOM cost is controllable; 4. Portable and reliable: Integrated design, suitable for on-site use in the workshop. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a hardware layout diagram of the automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the automatic wire sequence identification method for cable manufacturing according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but these embodiments should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0017] In view of the background art, this invention discloses a portable wire sequence identification device that automatically identifies and displays the corresponding serial number in the plug when one end of the cable is fixedly connected to the device, by connecting any wire core to the other end. This wire sequence identification device is compact, low-cost, and easy to operate, and achieves the following functions: 1) The cable plug end requires no modification after the initial connection; 2) The device can automatically identify the physical serial number of any wire core at the bare end of the cable when connected; 3) The corresponding serial number is displayed on the screen in real time, which improves the quality inspection efficiency of cable manufacturing.

[0018] Example 1 See Figure 1 The present invention provides an automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing, comprising the following modules: Cable plug and socket: used to fix and connect to the terminated cable plug end. The cable plug and socket includes a socket fixture connected to the cable plug end and a common socket connected to the socket fixture. Each pin of the common socket is connected to a GPIO pin of the microcontroller. Test probe: Used to contact the bare end of the cable under test, and its end is connected to the system common ground (GND) via a wire. Microcontroller Unit (MCU): A microcontroller with a sufficient number of GPIOs (such as STM32, ESP32, etc.) is used, and all GPIOs used for detection are configured as input pull-up mode; OLED display: used to display the identified line number; Power module: Provides a stable operating voltage for the system (e.g., lithium battery + voltage regulator circuit); Shell: Integrating the above components to form a portable handheld device.

[0019] The working principle of the automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing of this invention is as follows: 1. In the initial state, the MCU internally maintains an array lineState[N] of length N, with all elements initialized to 1 (indicating that it is not powered on). 2. After the user inserts the cable plug into the socket fixture, each core wire is connected to the corresponding GPIO pin of the MCU. 3. When the line probe is connected to the GND terminal, the user touches a certain bare wire end with the line probe. If the bare wire end is connected to the nth core in the plug, the nth GPIO is pulled low to a low level by the line probe (grounded). n represents the serial number of the wire core being tested. 4. The MCU periodically scans the status of all GPIOs. Once a GPIO is detected to be low, lineState[n] is set to 0 and the index n (i.e., the line number) is read. 5. Display n (or according to the actual defined sequence numbering rules) on the line sequence display screen to prompt the user which line number is being tested.

[0020] Note: To avoid false triggers, software debouncing can be added (e.g., confirm only if it is low after 3 consecutive checks).

[0021] Example 2 This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that: Each pin of the common socket is independently connected to GPIO1-N of the MCU; The internal wires of the line-following probe are connected to the system GND; When the line-following probe touches a bare wire, if it is connected to the nth pin of the connector, then GPIO[n] is pulled low; After the MCU detects this, it clears the corresponding element bit in the array to zero and outputs the value of n to the OLED display. Add a buzzer alert tone and a short circuit / misconnection alarm function; Supports switching between multiple plug types (n value can be selected via DIP switch); Add a host computer communication interface (such as USB / Bluetooth) to upload test records.

[0022] Example 3 See Figure 2 The present invention provides an automatic wire sequence identification method for cable manufacturing, comprising the following steps, taking an 8-core cable as an example: S1. Use an STM32F103C8T6 microcontroller, with GPIOA0~PA7 as detection pins; S2. Turn on the device, press the reset button, and initialize the array lineState[n] = {1,1,1……1,1,1}; S3. Connect the pre-made cable plug end to the socket fixture and the public socket. S4. When a worker touches the third bare wire (corresponding to pin 4 of the connector) with a line inspection probe, PA3 is pulled low. S5, the MCU detects PA3=0, sets lineState [3]=0, and the OLED display shows "3"; S6. After the line probe leaves the bare wire, PA3 returns to high level due to the pull-up resistor. The array copies the index of the element that has been measured to the controller's buffer and marks the tested wire core index hasTested[n]. At the same time, lineState[n] is cleared in the current test array, where n represents the tested wire core index. S7. When all cables in this round of testing are completed, the sequence number of the measured cables, hasTested[n], is set to 0. The screen displays that the test is over. Design a "Reset" button to clear the data and start the next round of cable testing.

[0023] The core innovation of this invention: 1. Single-ended grounding identification mechanism: Only one line-following probe is needed to complete the identification of any wire core, without the need for master-slave pairing; 2. Pure hardware + lightweight software implementation: No complex communication protocols or additional encoding chips are required, resulting in low cost and fast response; 3. Specifically designed for manufacturing scenarios: Optimized for the "one end cured, one end bare wire" working condition, meeting the needs of production lines.

[0024] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

[0025] The contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing, characterized in that: The system includes a PCBA board and cable plugs and sockets mounted on the PCBA board. The cable plugs and sockets are connected to the plug end of a cable. Each wire core of the cable plug end corresponds one-to-one with each pin of the cable plug and socket. The PCBA board is equipped with a line-following probe for testing the bare wire end of the cable. The PCBA board also has a controller with a built-in array of length N, where the array length N is greater than or equal to the number of cable wire cores. Each pin of the cable plug and socket is connected to a corresponding pin of the controller. The line-following probe is connected to the power supply or ground terminal of the controller. Before the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end wire core, the controller initializes each element of the array to the same binary code. When the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end wire core, the controller inverts the array element corresponding to that wire core and transmits the inverted code to the output device.

2. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the line inspection probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the controller sets each element of the array to code 1. When the line inspection probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the controller sets the code to 0 for the array element corresponding to that wire end.

3. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller configures a unique array element for each pin connected to the cable plug and socket pins. The line-following probe is connected to the controller's ground terminal. Before the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the controller configures the pin with the array element to pull-up resistor mode. When the line-following probe contacts the bare wire end of the cable, the controller configures the pin connected to that wire end to low level.

4. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 3, characterized in that: The controller is an MCU, and the pins of the MCU are GPIO pins.

5. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The PCBA board is equipped with a buzzer with short circuit / misconnection alarm function, and the buzzer is connected to the MCU.

6. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 5, characterized in that: The PCBA board is equipped with a host computer communication interface that connects to the MCU.

7. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 6, characterized in that: The PCBA board is equipped with a DIP switch that connects to the MCU and supports switching between multiple plug types.

8. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 7, characterized in that: The MCU has built-in de-shaking software.

9. The automatic wire sequence identification device for cable manufacturing according to claim 8, characterized in that: The output device is an OLED display screen. The cable plug and socket include a socket fixture connected to the cable plug end and a common socket connected to the socket fixture. Each pin of the common socket corresponds one-to-one with the GPIO pin of the MCU.

10. An automatic wire sequence identification method for cable manufacturing, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: S1. Use the controller's pins as detection pins; S2. Initialize the controller array and set the potential signal of all elements in the array to 1; S3. Connect the prepared cable plug end to the cable plug socket and then to the controller. S4. When the line-following probe is connected to the controller grounding terminal and touches a bare wire, the controller pin corresponding to that bare wire is pulled low. S5. When the controller detects a change in the low-potential pin, it sets the potential signal of the array element corresponding to the low-potential pin to 0, and the OLED display shows the core number corresponding to the low-potential signal. S6. After the line probe leaves the bare wire, due to the pull-up resistor, the low pin is restored to a high level. The array copies the index of the element that has been measured to the controller's buffer and marks the tested wire core index hasTested[n]. At the same time, the element lineState[n] is cleared in the current test array, where n represents the tested wire core index. S7. When the current round of cable testing is completed, the number of the measured cable, hasTested[n], is set to 0. The screen displays "Test Ended", "Reset" clears the screen and starts the next round of cable testing.

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