Yarn Feeder Bus Segmentation via Gateway Reencoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional differential serial buses, such as CAN-bus or RS485, limit the number of independently controllable yarn feeders to around 256 nodes, making it complex and expensive to install and manage yarn-feeding apparatus for applications requiring more than 400 feeders.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a secondary serial bus connected to each stack of feeders via a gateway with a microcontroller, which reencodes messages between the main serial bus and the secondary bus, allowing for a higher number of feeders to be controlled by distributing the connection points and reducing the need for differential transceivers in the feeders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional differential serial bus (CAN-bus or RS485) is used to connect yarn feeders to control unit, then the system can be installed and managed with simple architecture, but the number of independently controllable feeders is limited to around 256 nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into multiple stacks, where each stack is a separate network segment connected to the control unit via its own differential serial bus. This segmentation allows each bus to handle a manageable number of nodes (around 256), while the total system can control thousands of feeders across multiple stacks. The gateway device coordinates message routing between stacks and the control unit, enabling scalable expansion without increasing the node limit on any single bus.
2Quantity of substance
If two or more independent serial lines are directly connected to a single control unit to increase the number of controllable feeders, then the number of controllable feeders increases, but the installation and management becomes more complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device acts as an intermediary between the control unit and multiple stacks of feeders. Instead of directly connecting numerous serial lines to the control unit (which would complicate installation and management), the gateway receives messages from the control unit, determines the target stack, and routes messages to the appropriate stack's serial bus. This intermediary approach simplifies the control unit's interface while enabling scalable expansion to thousands of feeders.
3Quantity of substance
If repeater is connected to serial line to repeat messages to second serial line in order to increase the number of controllable feeders, then the number of controllable feeders increases, but the installation and management becomes more complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device performs multiple functions: it acts as a message router between stacks and the control unit, manages address allocation and message routing logic, coordinates communication timing, and handles protocol conversion if needed. This multi-functional gateway replaces the need for multiple simple repeaters, reducing overall system complexity while enabling expansion to thousands of feeders across multiple stacks.
Data Source
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AI summary
The apparatus comprises a plurality of stacks of positive yarn feeders (A1,1, A1,2, A1,3, A2,1, A2,2, A2,3, ..., Am,1, Am,2, Am,3) each provided with a respective microcontroller (MC1, MC2, MC3) which is electronically connected to the microcontrollers of the feeders adjacent to it in the stack. A control unit (CU) exchanges data with the stacks of feeders via a main serial bus (L). At least one of the feeders is connected to a respective secondary serial bus (K1, K2k, ..., Km) which, in turn, is connected to the main serial bus (L) via a respective gateway (G1, G2, ..., Gm) programmed for re-encoding messages transmitted by the control unit (CU) on the main serial bus (L) into corresponding messages on the secondary serial bus (K1, K2k, ..., Km), and vice versa.