Gated Pulse Width Modulation Sensor Network Bus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sensor networks face challenges with extensive wiring, weight, installation costs, cross-connections, interference, and poor reliability, especially when dealing with thousands of sensors, and implementing a common medium for communication leads to synchronization, configuration, and coordination issues due to complex digital protocols and variable transmission delays.
Innovation Solution
A sensor network that communicates using analog signals via a shared bus, employing time division multiplexing and gated time encoder circuits like asynchronous sigma-delta modulators to transmit pulse width modulated signals, eliminating the need for analog to digital conversion and simplifying synchronization, thereby reducing size, weight, and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wire bundle is used to connect each sensor to a data collection point, then reliable communication is achieved, but the weight, installation costs, and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensor connections are merged into a single shared communication medium (bus), allowing all sensors to communicate through one common channel rather than requiring separate wires for each sensor, thereby dramatically reducing wiring weight and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The shared bus serves as a universal communication channel for all sensors in the network, replacing multiple dedicated connection lines with a single multi-functional medium that handles communication from numerous sensors simultaneously
2Device complexity
If a common medium is used to reduce wiring, then wiring complexity is reduced, but synchronization and coordination difficulties arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic time slots assigned to different sensors, creating a structured repeating pattern of communication opportunities that simplifies synchronization compared to continuous digital protocols, making timing and coordination more predictable and easier to implement
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from digital domain communication with complex protocols to analog domain communication with simpler wave-based signals, changing the fundamental parameter domain to reduce protocol complexity while maintaining synchronization through time-slot assignment
3Loss of information
If digital protocols are used for communication on a common medium, then data transmission is achieved, but transmission delays and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex digital signal processing and protocol handling with simpler analog pulse width modulation techniques, substituting electronic/digital mechanisms with analog wave-based communication that requires less processing and introduces minimal delay
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of converting analog sensor signals to digital for transmission (which adds conversion and processing delay), the system inverts the approach by transmitting analog pulse width modulated signals directly, eliminating the analog-to-digital conversion step and reducing overall transmission latency
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (114) includes a bus interface to couple to a shared bus (120) of a sensor network. The device (114) also includes a sensor interface to couple to a sensor (112) of the sensor network. The device (114) further includes a gated pulse width modulation circuit (116) coupled to the bus interface and to the sensor interface. The gated pulse width modulation circuit (116) is configured to transmit, during a time slot determined based on a timing signal (150) received via the shared bus (120), an analog pulse width modulated representation of a signal (154) received from the sensor (112).