GPIB Sniffer Architecture for Nonintrusive Bus Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing GPIB configurations lack a system to capture events on the bus without interrupting existing operations, and captured data is not easily transferred to the cloud for big data analysis, requiring costly and space-consuming PC-based solutions.
Innovation Solution
A GPIB sniffer system comprising a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) and Data Processing Unit (DPU) that captures data without participating in the GPIB handshake mechanism, time-stamps it in JSON format, and transfers it to a host server for big data analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a PC with PCI/PCI Express board is used to capture GPIB traffic, then GPIB traffic can be captured and displayed locally, but the cost and space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the GPIB traffic capture functionality from the expensive PC/PCI board system and implements it in a standalone microcontroller-based device. The microcontroller captures GPIB traffic independently, then transmits it via USB to a host computer for display, eliminating the need for costly PCI/PCI Express hardware while maintaining capture reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using the PC's local display capability, the patent creates a digital copy of the GPIB traffic data and transmits it through USB to the host computer. This allows the same capture functionality to be achieved through data replication and transfer rather than requiring expensive local hardware
2Ease of operation
If captured GPIB data is stored locally on PC, then data can be viewed immediately, but data cannot be easily transferred to cloud for big data analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling the captured GPIB data to serve multiple purposes: local display on the host computer and simultaneous cloud transmission for big data analysis. The USB interface and cloud connectivity provide universal access to the data, making it adaptable for both immediate viewing and remote analytical processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cloud storage services as an intermediary between the local capture device and end users. The captured data is transmitted to cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) which serve as mediators, enabling both local access through USB and remote access through web interfaces, thereby bridging the gap between immediate data availability and long-term analytical utility
3Device complexity
If a standalone device is used to capture GPIB traffic, then cost and space are reduced, but the device must independently handle both capture and data transmission functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into two distinct functional components: a microcontroller-based capture device that handles GPIB traffic acquisition, and a host computer that handles data display and cloud transmission. This segmentation allows the standalone capture device to remain simple and cost-effective while delegating computationally intensive tasks to the host system, thereby maintaining productivity without compromising the cost and space benefits
Data Source
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AI summary
A sniffer bus-based network General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) module includes two functional units. One is Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) module, and the other one is Data Processing Unit (DPU) module. The DPU is configured to receive data from the (DAU) module and converting the data by time-stamping and a host server configured to receive JSON format data via a communication network. Further, captured data is transferred to the cloud for big data analysis to obtain the specifics of equipment utilization and evaluate the overall efficiency of the test system.