Encoders and Measuring Systems

Abstract

To provide an encoder that allows a user to switch the communication speed of the encoder. [Solution] When the power is turned on, the encoder 100 reads out the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120, and sets the communication unit 130 to receive or transmit at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value, and when a request signal for a transmission request is received from the controller 10 via the communication unit 130, it controls the signal processing unit 160 to transmit status detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 to the controller 10 via the communication unit 130, and when a communication speed setting memory access command including a new communication speed setting value as data is received from the controller 10 via the communication unit 130, the new communication speed setting value is stored in the memory 120.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an encoder and a measurement system, and more particularly to setting the communication speed between a controller and an encoder. [Background technology]

[0002] The encoder detects the state of the measurement target device, for example, the rotation angle of a motor or a wheel. Upon receiving a transmission request signal from the controller, the encoder transmits state detection information relating to the state of the measurement target device to the controller.

[0003] The encoder stores a communication speed setting value in a non-volatile memory, and communicates with the controller at a communication speed based on this communication speed setting value. The communication speed setting value is written to the non-volatile memory by the manufacturer before the encoder is shipped. For this reason, the user cannot change the encoder's communication speed.

[0004] On the other hand, a technique for switching the communication speed of an encoder on the user side is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-54536 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described in the above Patent Document 1, by providing a command determination unit, setting unit, storage unit, etc. in the communication unit, it becomes possible for the user to switch the communication speed of the encoder. However, this requires dedicated circuits and components in the communication unit, which cannot be handled by general transmission and reception circuits, resulting in a problem of a complicated configuration.

[0007] For this reason, it is desirable to enable the user to switch the communication speed of the encoder without complicating the configuration of the communication unit.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an encoder and a measurement system that allows the user to switch the communication speed of the encoder without complicating the configuration of the communication section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The encoder according to the present invention comprises a memory controller, a signal processing controller, a non-volatile memory that stores a communication speed setting value, a sensing unit that detects the state of a device to be measured, a signal processing unit that generates state detection information from the detection result of the sensing unit, and a communication unit that communicates with the controller, wherein the memory controller reads the communication speed setting value written in the memory when the power is turned on, and sets the communication unit to receive or transmit at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value, and when the signal processing controller receives a request signal for a transmission request from the controller via the communication unit, it controls the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit to be sent to the controller via the communication unit, and the memory controller corresponds to memory access from the controller and has a function of writing data to a specified address in the memory, and when it receives a communication speed setting memory access command from the controller via the communication unit, which includes a new communication speed setting value and an address in memory of the new communication speed setting value, it writes the new communication speed setting value to an address in the memory.

[0010] In the encoder according to the present invention, when the power is turned on, the memory controller starts in a state in which writing of a new communication speed setting value to the memory is not accepted, and when the memory controller receives a communication speed change permission memory access command including a change permission flag and an address of the change permission flag in the memory from the controller via the communication unit, the memory controller enters a state in which writing of a new communication speed setting value to the memory is possible. do.

[0011] In the encoder according to the present invention, the memory controller may return to a state in which writing of a new communication speed set value to the memory is not accepted after the memory controller has written the new communication speed set value to the memory.

[0012] In the encoder of the present invention, when the memory controller is in a state in which it is possible to write a new communication speed setting value to the memory, and receives a memory access command for disallowing a change to the communication speed, which includes a change disallowance flag and an address in the memory of the change disallowance flag, from the controller via the communication unit, the memory controller may return to a state in which it does not accept the writing of a new communication speed setting value to the memory.

[0013] In the encoder of the present invention, the memory controller may respond to memory access from the controller and have a function of reading data from a specified address in the memory, and when it receives a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value, which includes the address of the communication speed setting value written in the memory, from the controller via the communication unit, it may read the communication speed setting value from the address in the memory and transmit the read communication speed setting value to the controller via the communication unit.

[0014] In the encoder of the present invention, the communication unit may have a receiving unit that is capable of changing the communication speed and receives at a communication speed set by a communication speed setting value, a transmitting unit that is capable of changing the communication speed and transmits at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value, and a fixed speed receiving unit that receives at a predetermined fixed communication speed.

[0015] In the encoder of the present invention, the communication unit may have a plurality of receiving units whose communication speed is changeable and receive at different communication speeds set by a communication speed setting value, a plurality of transmitting units whose communication speed is changeable and transmit at different communication speeds set by a communication speed setting value, and a plurality of fixed speed receiving units whose communication speed is changeable and receive at different fixed communication speeds determined in advance.

[0016] In the encoder according to the present invention, in the communication section, the fixed communication speed may be set to be lower than the minimum communication speed set by the communication speed setting value.

[0017] In the encoder according to the present invention, in the communication section, the fixed communication speed may be set to be lower than half the minimum communication speed set by the communication speed setting value.

[0018] The measurement system of the present invention comprises a controller that communicates with an encoder, and the above-mentioned encoder that communicates with the controller, and the controller and the encoder communicate at a communication speed set by a communication speed setting value written in the memory based on a memory access command for setting the communication speed from the controller. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the encoder of the present invention, it becomes possible for the user to switch the communication speed of the encoder without complicating the configuration of the communication section. According to the measurement system of the present invention, it becomes possible for the user to switch the communication speed of the encoder without complicating the configuration of the communication section of the encoder. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a measurement system including a controller and an encoder in the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a format of a memory access instruction used in the first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a measurement system including a controller and an encoder in the second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing an encoder according to a second embodiment together with a speed setting value. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a measurement system including a controller and an encoder in a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing an encoder according to a third embodiment together with a speed setting value. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a measurement system including a controller and an encoder in a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an encoder and a measurement system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0022] Embodiment 1 First, the configuration of a measurement system 1 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the measurement system 1 including a controller 10 and an encoder 100 in the first embodiment. Here, the controller 10 functions as a host computer, and the encoder 100 functions as a terminal device.

[0023] [Configuration of Encoder 100 of the First Embodiment] 1, an encoder 100 is configured to be able to communicate with a controller 10. The encoder 100 mainly includes a control unit 110, a memory 120, a communication section 130, a sensing section 150, and a signal processing section 160.

[0024] The control unit 110 includes a memory controller 111 and a signal processing controller 112 .

[0025] The main functions of the memory controller 111 are as follows: When the encoder 100 is powered on, the memory controller 111 reads the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120, and sets the communication unit 130 to receive or transmit at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value. When the memory controller 111 receives the communication speed setting memory access command from the controller 10, it stores a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120. The communication speed setting memory access command includes the new communication speed setting value and the address in the memory 120 of the new communication speed setting value. When the power is turned on, the memory controller 111 sets the memory 120 in a state in which it does not accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120. At this time, the memory controller 111 refers to a change permission flag or a change non-permission flag stored in a predetermined address in the memory 120. When the memory controller 111 receives the memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed from the controller 10, the memory controller 111 enables storage of a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120. The memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed includes a change permission flag and an address of the change permission flag in the memory 120. The memory controller 111 stores the change permission flag at a predetermined address in the memory 120. When the memory controller 111 receives the communication speed change disallowing memory access command from the controller 10, the memory controller 111 returns to a state in which writing of a new communication speed setting value to the memory 120 is not accepted. The communication speed change disallowing memory access command includes a change disallowing flag and an address of the change disallowing flag in the memory 120. The memory controller 111 then stores the change disallowing flag at a predetermined address in the memory 120. When the memory controller 111 receives a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value, which includes the address of the communication speed setting value, from the controller 10, it reads the communication speed setting value from the specified address in the memory 120 and transmits the read communication speed setting value to the controller 10 via the communication unit 130.

[0026] In response to a transmission request signal from the controller 10, the signal processing controller 112 transmits the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 to the controller 10 via the communication unit .

[0027] The memory 120 stores various setting values, a change permission flag, a change non-permission flag, and a communication speed setting value in respective predetermined addresses under the control of the memory controller 111. Note that with respect to the memory 120, the terms "store," "store," and "write" have the same meaning.

[0028] The communication unit 130 includes a receiving unit 131 and a transmitting unit 132. The receiving unit 131 and the transmitting unit 132 communicate with the controller 10 at a communication speed set by the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120 by the memory controller 111.

[0029] The receiving unit 131 is configured to be able to change the communication speed. The receiving unit 131 receives from the controller 10 a request signal for requesting transmission, a memory access command for setting a communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed, and a memory access command for checking the communication speed setting value, at a communication speed set by the memory controller 111 from the memory 120.

[0030] The transmitting unit 132 is configured to be able to change the communication speed. The transmitting unit 132 transmits the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 and the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120 to the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120 by the memory controller 111.

[0031] The sensing unit 150 magnetically or optically detects the state of the device to be measured, for example, the rotation angle of a motor or a wheel. The sensing unit 150 supplies the detection result regarding the state of the device to be measured to the signal processing unit 160.

[0032] The signal processing unit 160 processes the detection result of the sensing unit 150 and generates state detection information including the position, angle, or speed. The state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 is transmitted to the controller 10 via the communication unit 130 under the control of the signal processing controller 112 in response to a transmission request signal from the controller 10.

[0033] Comparative example. Here, the configuration of a measurement system 1x as a comparative example to the measurement system 1 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a measurement system 1x including a controller 10x and an encoder 100x in the comparative example. In Fig. 7, in the configuration of the measurement system 1x, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and components different from those in Fig. 1 are given the suffix "x". Therefore, duplicated explanations will be omitted, and the explanation will focus on the parts different from Fig. 1.

[0034] [Configuration of Encoder 100x in Comparative Example] 7, an encoder 100x is configured to be able to communicate with a controller 10x. The encoder 100x mainly includes a control unit 110x, a memory 120x, a communication unit 130, a sensing unit 150, and a signal processing unit 160.

[0035] The control unit 110x includes a memory controller 111x and a signal processing controller 112.

[0036] Before the encoder 100x is shipped, the memory 120x stores the communication speed setting value via a dedicated port or the like indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 7. After the encoder 100x is shipped, the memory 120x cannot store a new communication speed setting value via the memory controller 111x.

[0037] When the encoder 100x is powered on, the memory controller 111x reads out the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120x, and sets the communication unit 130 so as to receive or transmit at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value.

[0038] The communication unit 130 includes a receiving unit 131 and a transmitting unit 132. The communication unit 130 communicates with the controller 10x at a communication speed set by a communication speed setting value read from the memory 120x by the memory controller 111x.

[0039] That is, the receiving unit 131 receives a transmission request signal from the controller 10x at a communication speed set by the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120x by the memory controller 111x. The transmitting unit 132 transmits the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 to the controller 10x at a communication speed set by the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120x by the memory controller 111x.

[0040] [Operation of Encoder 100x in Comparative Example] The encoder 100x shown in FIG. 7 communicates with the controller 10x via a communication unit 130 to which a communication speed setting value stored in a non-volatile memory 120x is set. The communication speed setting value is written into the memory 120x by the manufacturer before shipping the encoder 100x via a dedicated port or the like indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 7. For this reason, the user cannot change or switch the communication speed of the encoder 100x.

[0041] [Operation of the Encoder 100 of the First Embodiment] Below, the operation of encoder 100 will be explained separately for when power is turned on, when a request signal for a transmission request is received, when a memory access command for setting the communication speed is received, when a memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed is received, when a memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed is received, and when a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value is received.

[0042] Here, the request signal for requesting transmission is a general request signal known as RTS (Request To Send), and is a signal that requests the controller 10 to transmit status detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 based on the detection result of the sensing unit 150. The memory access command for setting communication speed includes as data a new communication speed setting value to be stored in memory 120 and the address in memory 120 of the new communication speed setting value, and is a command to store the new communication speed setting value in memory 120. The communication speed change permission memory access command includes a change permission flag and the address of the change permission flag in memory 120, and is a command that makes memory 120 capable of storing a new communication speed setting value. The communication speed change disallowing memory access command is a command that includes a change disallowing flag and the address of the change disallowing flag in memory 120, and makes it impossible for memory 120 to store a new communication speed setting value. The memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value includes a command to read the communication speed setting value written in memory 120 and the address in memory 120 of the communication speed setting value, and is a command requesting that the communication speed setting value read from memory 120 be sent to the controller 10.

[0043] The above-mentioned memory access command for setting the communication speed, memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed, memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed, and memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value can be realized using the communication format of a general direct memory access command shown in (a) of Figure 2.

[0044] For example, the fields in the format shown in FIG. 2(a) are as follows: The control field CF is command information related to the type of command. The address field ADF is address information for writing to memory 120 or reading from memory 120. The data field EDF is information on the communication speed setting value or various flags to be written to memory 120. In the case of a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value, the data field EDF is composed of dummy data. The check field CRC is error check information using CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) for all bits excluding the start bit and delimiter of all fields other than the CRC field.

[0045] When the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120 is transmitted from the encoder 100 to the controller 10 in response to a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value, a communication format shown in FIG. 2(b), which is similar to FIG. 2(a), can be used. In (b) of Fig. 2, the control field CF uses the field contents of (a) of Fig. 2 as is. The address field ADF is address information read from the memory 120. The data field EDF is communication speed setting value information read from the memory 120. The check field CRC is error check information by CRC for all bits except the start bit and delimiter of all fields other than the CRC field.

[0046] ·When powering on: When the power supply of the encoder 100 is turned on, the control unit 110 initializes each part and executes the following initial operations. The memory controller 111 reads out the communication speed setting value stored in a predetermined address of the memory 120. The memory controller 111 sets the receiving unit 131 to receive at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value, and sets the transmitting unit 132 to transmit at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value. The memory controller 111 may start up in a state in which it does not accept the storage of new communication speed setting values ​​in the memory 120, in order to prevent erroneous storage of communication speed setting values ​​in the memory 120 and unauthorized operations.

[0047] When a request signal for transmission is received: The receiving unit 131 receives the transmission request signal from the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. The receiving unit 131 sends the received transmission request signal to the signal processing controller 112. In response to a transmission request signal from the controller 10, the signal processing controller 112 sends the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 based on the detection result of the sensing unit 150 to the transmitting unit 132. The transmitting unit 132 transmits the state detection information to the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value.

[0048] When a memory access command for enabling a change in communication speed is received: When the encoder 100 is powered on, the memory controller 111 may start up in a state that does not accept the storage of a new communication speed setting in the memory 120 . The receiving unit 131 receives the memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed from the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. The receiving unit 131 sends the received memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed to the memory controller 111. This memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed includes a change permission flag and an address in the memory 120 of the change permission flag. The memory controller 111 writes a change permission flag to a specified address in the memory 120 in response to a memory access command for permission to change the communication speed from the controller 10 . The memory controller 111 references the change permission flag at the specified address in the memory 120, cancels the state in which the memory 120 does not accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value, and makes the memory 120 capable of storing a new communication speed setting value. Therefore, until a memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed is received from the controller 10, the memory 120 is not allowed to store a new communication speed setting value, thereby protecting the communication speed setting value in the memory 120 and improving reliability. After the memory controller 111 has made it possible to store a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120 by using a memory access command to permit a communication speed change, the memory controller 111 may return to a state in which the storage of a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120 is not accepted after a certain period of time has elapsed or after the new communication speed setting value has been stored in the memory 120.

[0049] When receiving a memory access command to not allow a change in communication speed: The receiving unit 131 receives the memory access command for disallowing a change in communication speed from the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. The receiving unit 131 sends the received memory access command for disallowing a change in communication speed to the memory controller 111. The memory access command for disallowing a change in communication speed includes a change disallowance flag and an address in the memory 120 of the change disallowance flag. The memory controller 111 writes a change disallowance flag to a specified address in the memory 120 in response to a communication speed change disallowance memory access command from the controller 10 . The memory controller 111 references the change disallowance flag at the specified address in the memory 120 and sets the memory 120 to a state that does not accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value, thereby making it impossible to store a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120. As a result, the state goes from one in which it is possible to accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value in memory 120 to one in which it is impossible to accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value in memory 120, thereby protecting the communication speed setting value in memory 120 and improving reliability.

[0050] When receiving a memory access command for setting the communication speed: The receiver 131 receives the communication speed setting memory access command from the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. The receiver 131 sends the received communication speed setting memory access command to the memory controller 111. The communication speed setting memory access command includes the new communication speed setting value and the address in the memory 120 of the new communication speed setting value. In response to the communication speed setting memory access command from the controller 10, the memory controller 111 writes a new communication speed setting value to a specified address in the memory 120. In this case, the memory controller 111 overwrites the communication speed setting value already stored in the memory 120 with the new communication speed setting value.

[0051] When receiving a memory access command to check the communication speed setting: The receiving unit 131 receives the memory access command for checking the communication speed setting value from the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. The receiving unit 131 sends the received memory access command for checking the communication speed setting value to the memory controller 111. The memory access command for checking the communication speed setting value includes a command for reading the communication speed setting value written in the memory 120 and the address in the memory 120 of the communication speed setting value. In response to a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value from the controller 10, the memory controller 111 reads out the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120 from the specified address, and transmits the read communication speed setting value from the transmitting unit 132 to the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. This allows the controller 10 to reliably know the communication speed setting value in the encoder 100.

[0052] [Effects obtained by the first embodiment] The encoder 100 of embodiment 1 includes a control unit 110, a non-volatile memory 120 that stores a communication speed setting value, a sensing unit 150 that detects the state of the device to be measured, a signal processing unit 160 that generates state detection information from the detection result of the sensing unit 150, and a communication unit 130 that communicates with the controller 10. When the power is turned on, the memory controller 111 reads the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120, and sets the communication unit 130 so that reception or transmission is performed at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value. The signal processing controller 112 performs control so that the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 is transmitted to the controller 10 via the communication unit 130 in response to a transmission request signal from the controller 10 via the communication unit 130 . When the memory controller 111 receives a memory access command for setting a communication speed from the controller 10 via the communication unit 130 , it writes a new communication speed setting value into a specified address in the memory 120 . According to the encoder 100 described above, it becomes possible for the user to switch the communication speed of the encoder 100 from the controller 10, without complicating the configuration of the communication unit 130. According to the measurement system 1 having the controller 10 and the encoder 100 described above, it becomes possible for the user to switch the communication speed of the encoder 100 from the controller 10, without complicating the configuration of the communication unit 130 of the encoder 100.

[0053] In the encoder 100 of the first embodiment, when the memory controller 111 is in a state where it is not accepting the storage of a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120 and receives a memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed from the controller 10 via the communication unit 130, the memory controller 111 enters a state where it is possible to store a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120. Therefore, until a memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed is received from the controller 10, the memory 120 is not allowed to store a new communication speed setting value, thereby protecting the communication speed setting value in the memory 120 and improving reliability.

[0054] In the encoder 100 of embodiment 1, a memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed enables storage in the memory 120, and after a new communication speed setting value is stored in the memory 120, the memory controller 111 returns to a state in which it does not accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120. Therefore, after a new communication speed setting value is stored in memory 120, the memory 120 will again be in a state where it will not accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value, thereby protecting the communication speed setting value in memory 120 and improving reliability.

[0055] In the encoder 100 of the first embodiment, when a memory access command for permitting a change in communication speed is received from the controller 10 via the communication unit 130, the memory controller 111 goes into a state in which it does not accept the storage of a new communication speed setting value in the memory 120. Therefore, since the memory 120 is in a state where new communication speed setting values ​​cannot be stored, the communication speed setting values ​​in the memory 120 are protected, and reliability can be improved.

[0056] In the encoder 100 of the first embodiment, when the memory controller 111 receives a memory access command for checking the communication speed set value from the controller 10 , the memory controller 111 transmits the communication speed set value stored in the memory 120 to the controller 10 . As a result, even if the controller 10 does not recognize the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120 of the encoder 100, the controller 10 can reliably know the communication speed setting value of the encoder 100.

[0057] Embodiment 2 Next, the configuration of the measurement system 1 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the measurement system 1 including the controller 10 and the encoder 100 in the second embodiment. Next, the configuration of the measurement system 1 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the measurement system 1 including the encoder 100 in the second embodiment. In Fig. 3, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals, so duplicated explanations will be omitted and the following explanation will focus on the differences from Fig. 1.

[0058] [Configuration of the Encoder 100 of the Second Embodiment] The encoder 100 shown in FIG. 3 has the following differences compared to the encoder 100 shown in FIG.

[0059] In addition to a receiving section 131 and a transmitting section 132, the communication section 130 further includes a fixed-rate receiving section 133 that receives at a fixed communication rate. The fixed-rate receiving unit 133 receives in parallel with the receiving unit 131 at a communication speed that does not overlap with that of the receiving unit 131. The fixed communication speed of the fixed-rate receiving unit 133 is predetermined to be slower than the communication speed of the receiving unit 131 determined by the speed setting value.

[0060] The control unit 110 is further provided with a switching unit 113 in addition to the memory controller 111 and the signal processing controller 112 . The switching unit 113 provides the signal processing controller 112 with a transmission request signal received from the controller 10 by the receiving unit 131 or the fixed-rate receiving unit 133 . The switching unit 113 provides the memory access command for setting the communication speed, the memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed, the memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed, and the memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value received from the controller 10 by the receiving unit 131 or the fixed speed receiving unit 133 to the memory controller 111.

[0061] [Operation of the Encoder 100 of the Second Embodiment] In embodiment 2, when the controller 10 does not recognize the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120 in the encoder 100, it transmits a request signal for requesting transmission, a memory access command for setting the communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed, and a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value to the encoder 100 at a fixed communication speed. Various access commands transmitted from the controller 10 at a fixed communication speed are received by the fixed speed receiving section 133. The various access commands received by the fixed speed receiving section 133 are sent to the control unit 110.

[0062] A specific and effective usage mode is that when the controller 10 does not recognize the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120 in the encoder 100, the controller 10 sends a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value to the encoder 100 at a fixed communication speed. The communication speed setting value checking memory access command transmitted from the controller 10 at the fixed communication speed is received by the fixed speed receiving unit 133. The received communication speed setting value checking memory access command is sent to the memory controller 111 via the switching unit 113. In response to a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value from the controller 10, the memory controller 111 reads out the communication speed setting value stored in the memory 120, and transmits the read communication speed setting value from the transmitting unit 132 to the controller 10 at the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. This allows the controller 10 to know the communication speed setting value in the encoder 100 reliably. In addition to the above description, in the second embodiment, the receiving unit 131 and the transmitting unit 132 can be used to perform the same operations as in the first embodiment.

[0063] [Specific Example of Communication Speed ​​Setting in Encoder 100 of the Second Embodiment] A specific example of the communication speed setting of the communication unit 130 in the encoder 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the encoder 100 according to the second embodiment together with the speed setting value. The receiving unit 131 receives from the controller 10 a request signal for requesting transmission, a memory access command for setting the communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed, and a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value at a second communication speed within the range of 1.25 Mbps to 10 Mbps set by the communication speed setting value. The transmission unit 132 transmits to the controller 10 the status detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 and the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120 at a second communication speed in the range of 1.25 Mbps to 10 Mbps set by the communication speed setting value. The fixed speed receiving unit 133 receives a request signal for a transmission request, a memory access command for setting a communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in communication speed, and a memory access command for confirming a communication speed setting value from the controller 10 at a predetermined fixed communication speed of 0.5 Mbps.

[0064] In the above specific example, in order to ensure reliable communication between the controller 10 and the encoder 100, the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiver 133 is set lower than the minimum communication speed of the receiver 131 and the transmitter 132. On the other hand, in order to improve the responsiveness of the encoder 100, the communication speeds of the receiver 131 and the transmitter 132 are set higher than the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiver 133. If the communication speed of the receiving unit 131 and the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiving unit 133 overlap, this is not preferable because the receiving unit 131 and the fixed-speed receiving unit 133 will receive the same data simultaneously. Therefore, the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiving unit 133 is set lower than the minimum communication speed of the receiving unit 131 so that the communication speed of the receiving unit 131 and the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiving unit 133 do not overlap. In order to prevent the fixed-rate receiver 133 from responding at a period that is half the minimum communication speed of the receiver 131, the fixed communication speed of the fixed-rate receiver 133 is set lower than half the minimum communication speed of the receiver 131. With this configuration, the controller 10 and the encoder 100 can communicate with each other at either a slow but reliable fixed communication speed, or a changeable communication speed that is faster than the fixed communication speed.

[0065] [Effects obtained by the second embodiment] According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0066] In the encoder 100 of embodiment 2, the communication unit 130 has a receiving unit 131 that receives at a communication speed set by a communication speed setting value, a transmitting unit 132 that transmits at a communication speed set by the communication speed setting value, and a fixed speed receiving unit 133 that receives at a predetermined fixed communication speed. With this configuration, in the encoder 100, either the receiving section 131 or the fixed-speed receiving section 133 can reliably receive communication from the controller 10, depending on the communication speed on the controller 10 side. Therefore, the controller 10 and the encoder 100 can communicate with each other at either a slow but reliable fixed communication speed or a changeable communication speed that is faster than the fixed communication speed. Furthermore, the user can switch the communication speed of the controller 10 to the encoder 100 without complicating the configuration of the communication unit 130 of the encoder 100.

[0067] In the encoder 100 of the second embodiment, the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiver 133 is set to a low speed that is lower than the minimum communication speed of the receiver 131 . Therefore, the controller 10 and the encoder 100 can reliably communicate with each other at a slow fixed communication speed. On the other hand, the communication speed between the receiver 131 and the transmitter 132 is set to be higher than the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiver 133, so that the responsiveness of the encoder 100 can be improved.

[0068] In the encoder 100 of the second embodiment, the fixed communication speed of the fixed-speed receiver 133 is set lower than half the minimum communication speed of the receiver 131 . This makes it possible to prevent the fixed-rate receiver 133 from responding at a period that is half the minimum value of the communication rate of the receiver 131 .

[0069] Embodiment 3 Next, the configuration of the measurement system 1 in the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the measurement system 1 including the encoder 100 in the third embodiment. In Fig. 5, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in Figs. 1 and 3, and the reference numerals different from Figs. 1 and 3 are suffixed with "a" or "b". Therefore, duplicated descriptions will be omitted, and the description will focus on the parts different from Figs. 1 and 3.

[0070] [Configuration of Encoder 100 of Third Embodiment] In FIG. 5, communication unit 130 is provided with a plurality of receiving units 131a, 131b that receive at different communication speeds set by a communication speed setting value, a plurality of transmitting units 132a, 132b that transmit at different communication speeds set by a communication speed setting value, and a plurality of fixed speed receiving units 133a, 133b that receive at different predetermined fixed communication speeds.

[0071] [Specific Example of Communication Speed ​​Setting in Encoder 100 of the Third Embodiment] A specific example of the communication speed setting of the communication unit 130 in the encoder 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a configuration diagram showing the encoder 100 according to the third embodiment together with the speed setting value.

[0072] The receiving unit 131a receives from the controller 10 a request signal for requesting transmission, a memory access command for setting a communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed, and a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value, at a communication speed within the range of 1.25 Mbps to 10 Mbps set by the communication speed setting value. The receiving unit 131b receives from the controller 10 a request signal for requesting transmission, a memory access command for setting a communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in the communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in the communication speed, and a memory access command for confirming the communication speed setting value, at a communication speed within the range of 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps set by the communication speed setting value.

[0073] The transmitting unit 132a transmits to the controller 10 the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 and the communication speed setting value read from the memory 120 at a communication speed within the range of 1.25 Mbps to 10 Mbps set by the communication speed setting value. The transmitting unit 132b transmits to the controller 10 the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit 160 and the communication speed setting value read out from the memory 120 at a communication speed within the range of 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps set by the communication speed setting value.

[0074] The fixed speed receiving unit 133a receives a request signal for a transmission request, a memory access command for setting a communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in communication speed, and a memory access command for confirming a communication speed setting value from the controller 10 at a predetermined fixed communication speed of 0.2 Mbps. The fixed speed receiving unit 133b receives a request signal for a transmission request, a memory access command for setting a communication speed, a memory access command for allowing a change in communication speed, a memory access command for not allowing a change in communication speed, and a memory access command for confirming a communication speed setting value from the controller 10 at a predetermined fixed communication speed of 0.5 Mbps.

[0075] The receiving units 131a and 131b are configured with circuit configurations and elements suitable for their respective communication speed ranges. Similarly, the transmitting units 132a and 132b are configured with circuit configurations and elements suitable for their respective communication speed ranges. Similarly, the fixed-rate receiving units 133a and 133b are configured with circuit configurations and elements suitable for their respective communication speed ranges. For this reason, by dividing the receiving units 131a, 131b, the transmitting units 132a, 132b, and the fixed-speed receiving units 133a, 133b into low-speed and high-speed units, it becomes possible to more easily accommodate wideband communication speeds than by using a single receiving unit 131, a single transmitting unit 132, and a single fixed-speed receiving unit 133.

[0076] In the specific example shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a state is shown in which the number "plural" is two for a plurality of receiving sections 131a and 131b, a plurality of transmitting sections 132a and 132b, and a plurality of fixed-rate receiving sections 133a and 133b. In contrast, it is also possible to define "multiple" as 3 or more and receive and transmit at low, medium, high, and ultra-high speeds. In this case, too, by configuring with circuit configurations and elements suitable for each communication speed range, it becomes possible to efficiently support wideband communication speeds.

[0077] [Effects obtained by the third embodiment] In the encoder 100 of the third embodiment, the communication section 130 has a plurality of receiving sections 131a and 131b, a plurality of transmitting sections 132a and 132b, and a plurality of fixed speed receiving sections 133a and 133b. Here, the multiple receivers 131a and 131b receive at different communication speeds set by a communication speed setting value. The multiple transmitters 132a and 132b transmit at different communication speeds set by a communication speed setting value. The multiple fixed-speed receivers 133a and 133b receive at different fixed communication speeds determined in advance. The multiple receivers 131a and 131b, the multiple transmitters 132a and 132b, and the multiple fixed-rate receivers 133a and 133b can be configured with circuit configurations and elements suitable for their respective communication speed ranges. This makes it easier to support a wide range of communication speeds than using a single fixed-rate receiver 133, a single receiver 131, and a single transmitter 132. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 measurement system, 10 controller, 100 encoder, 110 control unit, 111 memory controller, 112 signal processing controller, 113 switching unit, 120 memory, 130 communication unit, 131, 131a, 131b receiving unit, 132, 132a, 132b transmitting unit, 133, 133a, 133b fixed speed receiving unit, 150 sensing unit, 160 signal processing unit.

Claims

1. A memory controller (111); A signal processing controller (112); A non-volatile memory (120) for storing a communication speed setting value; A sensing unit (150) for detecting a state of a measurement target device; A signal processing unit (160) that generates state detection information from the detection result of the sensing unit (150); A communication unit (130) that communicates with the controller (10); Equipped with When power is turned on, the memory controller (111) reads the communication speed setting value written in the memory (120) and sets the communication unit (130) to receive or transmit at the communication speed set by the read communication speed setting value; When the signal processing controller (112) receives a transmission request signal from the controller (10) via the communication unit (130), the signal processing controller (112) controls the state detection information generated by the signal processing unit (160) to be transmitted to the controller (10) via the communication unit (130); The memory controller (111) The memory controller (10) has a function of writing data to a specified address in the memory (120) in response to a memory access from the controller (10); When the power is turned on, the device starts up in a state in which writing of a new communication speed setting value to the memory (120) is not accepted, when a communication speed change permission memory access command including a change permission flag and an address of the change permission flag in the memory (120) is received from the controller (10) via the communication unit (130), the new communication speed setting value becomes available for writing to the memory (120); when receiving a communication speed setting memory access command including the new communication speed setting value and an address of the new communication speed setting value in the memory (120) from the controller (10) via the communication unit (130), the communication speed setting memory access command writes the new communication speed setting value to the address in the memory (120); Encoder.

2. After executing the writing of the new communication speed setting value to the memory (120), the memory controller (111) returns to a state in which the writing of the new communication speed setting value to the memory (120) is not accepted. The encoder of claim 1 .

3. when the memory controller (111) receives a communication speed change disallowance memory access command including a change disallowance flag and an address of the change disallowance flag in the memory (120) from the controller (10) via the communication unit (130) in a state in which the new communication speed setting value can be written to the memory (120), the memory controller (111) returns to a state in which writing of the new communication speed setting value to the memory (120) is not accepted. The encoder of claim 1 .

4. The memory controller (111) The memory device (120) has a function of reading data from a specified address in the memory (120) in response to a memory access from the controller (10); when receiving a memory access command for confirming a communication speed setting value from the controller (10) via the communication unit (130), the memory access command including an address of the communication speed setting value written in the memory (120), reading the communication speed setting value from the address in the memory (120), and transmitting the read communication speed setting value to the controller (10) via the communication unit (130); The encoder of claim 1 .

5. The communication unit (130) A receiving unit (131) capable of changing a communication speed and receiving at a communication speed set by the communication speed setting value; a transmission unit (132) capable of changing a communication speed and transmitting at a communication speed set by the communication speed setting value; A fixed rate receiving unit (133) for receiving at a predetermined fixed communication rate. The encoder of claim 4.

6. The communication unit (130) A plurality of receiving units (131a, 131b) capable of changing a communication speed and receiving at different communication speeds set by the communication speed setting value; a plurality of transmitting units (132a, 132b) capable of changing a communication speed and transmitting at different communication speeds set by the communication speed setting value; A plurality of fixed-rate receiving units (133a, 133b) for receiving at different fixed communication rates determined in advance, The encoder of claim 1 .

7. In the communication unit (130), the fixed communication speed is set to be lower than the minimum value of the communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. The encoder of claim 5.

8. In the communication unit (130), the fixed communication speed is set to be lower than half of the minimum communication speed set by the communication speed setting value. The encoder of claim 5.

9. A controller (10) in communication with the encoder (100); The encoder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in communication with the controller (10), The controller (10) and the encoder (100) communicate at a communication speed set by the communication speed setting value written in the memory (120) based on a communication speed setting memory access command from the controller (10). Measurement system.

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