Ifm Electronic Gmbh

Alfred Wagner

Benno Kathan

Lorenz Halbinger

Heinz Walter

Werner Hoch

Joerg Schuetze

Andres Glöckner

Matthias Hoffmann

Michael Kimmich

Daniel Spinnenhirn

The disclosure relates to a communication system for automation and process engineering, having a controller as a signal receiver and a sensor as a signal source, which interchange voltage and/or current signals via a connection line, wherein the sensor is suitable for providing digital data according to the IO-Link standard, and the controller has only an analogue and/or switching signal input. In order to make it possible for the user to be able to easily access the data from an IO-Link-enabled sensor in the communication system if the control unit itself is not suitable for this purpose, the communication line is divided into two partial lines and a Y selector switch unit is used at the connection point, wherein a first connection is provided on the sensor side and a second and a third connection are provided on the controller side on the Y selector switch unit, wherein the controller is connected to the second connection and a further data receiver is connected to the third connection, and wherein the Y selector switch unit provides the further data receiver with the digital data according to the IO-Link standard from the sensor at the third connection and comprises an evaluation and processing unit which taps off the digital data according to the IO-Link standard from the sensor, extracts a binary switching signal therefrom and provides the controller with said signal at the second connection, with the result that the further data receiver can query the digital data from the sensor and can access the sensor without the signals between the sensor and the controller being influenced thereby.

Communication system for automation and process engineering, and y selector switch unit for such a communication system

The invention relates to a communication system for automation and process engineering, having a controller () as a data receiver and a sensor () as a data source, which use a communication line to exchange digital data as voltage signals based on the IO-Link standard. In order to allow the user to be able to access the data of a sensor that is in the communication system in a simple manner, the communication line is divided into two line sections, and a Y selector switch unit () is used at the junction, wherein the Y selector switch unit () is provided with a first connection () on the sensor side and with a second and a third connection () on the controller side, wherein the second connection () has the controller () connected to it and the third connection () has a further data receiver () connected to it, and wherein the Y selector switch unit () comprises a microcontroller () in which the sensor () is simulated by means of software so that the further data receiver () can query data of the sensor () without having to directly access or engage with the sensor () or the communication thereof with the controller ().

Communication system for automation and process engineering, and Y selector switch unit for such a communication system

The invention relates to a method for the contactless tapping of communication signals that are exchanged between two communication units, in particular a sensor or actuator and a digital evaluating or control unit, wherein the communication signals are transmitted on a line () of a multi-core cable () as voltage signals. According to the invention, in order that the communication signals can be tapped also in the case of multi-core cables without the line having to be interrupted for this purpose, the communication signals are tapped capacitively, wherein at least two electrodes (), which lie on the cable sheath and the angular position of which in relation to the cable axis is variable, are used for the tapping and the angular position at which the differential signal between the two electrodes () is maximized is determined, wherein the at least two electrodes (), each consisting of a plurality of individual electrodes (E-E), are designed as collection electrodes and the various angular positions of the collection electrodes () are achieved in that the association of the individual electrodes (E-E) with the at least two collection electrodes () is sequentially changed by means of a controller (). The invention further relates to an assembly for performing said method.

Method for the contactless tapping of communication signals

A process for detecting the operating state of a pump of a pump system, involves the steps of: detecting at least one pressure and/or flow profile P(t) in the pump system, computing of at least one characteristic value Kfrom the pressure and/or flow profile P(t), comparing the computed characteristic value Kwith at least one defined characteristic value Kor with a range bordered by the characteristic value K, the defined characteristic value Kor the characteristic value range corresponding to the operating state of the pump of interest, and outputting the operating state determined by the comparison. With the process, the operating states of pumps, pump systems and hydraulic systems is determined by the computed characteristic value Kcharacterizing the pulsation of the pressure and/or flow profile P(t) in a computation time interval &#x394;t, the pulsation quotient being computed as the computed characteristic value K.

Process, sensor and diagnosis device for pump diagnosis

An electrical connector for connection to a sensor has an integrated microcontroller, with a plug-and-socket connection for connection to an interface of the sensor and with an electronic circuit. With the connector, the data of a sensor, especially the parameter data, can be mirrored outside the sensor in a simple and economical manner so that the data are available at any time and as much as possible on site. The electronic circuit has a memory for storage of data, especially parameter data and characteristic data of the sensor, and a microcontroller, the microcontroller operating the interface of the sensor, and depending on the characteristic data of the sensor, either reading data, especially parameter data, out of the sensor via the interface and storing it in the memory, or reading data stored in the memory, especially parameter data, out of the memory and transmitting them via the interface into the sensor.

Electrical connector and process for decentralized storage of the parameters of a sensor

An electrical transducer has a sensor outputting a value corresponding to the quantity to be measured, an analog end stage connected downstream of the sensor, a processor circuit, and an analog measurement signal transmission path. The end stage converts the sensor output signal into an impressed output current related to the magnitude of the quantity measured, the electronic transducer being controlled with the processor circuit. The electrical transducer can be scaled by the user, has low inherent power consumption and ensures high response speed because the processor circuit in normal operation is shifted temporarily into a sleep mode, in the analog measurement signal transmission path an analog scaling unit is inserted, the output signal of the sensor and at least one analog setting value are supplied to the analog scaling unit, and the output signal of the analog scaling unit is supplied to the analog end stage.

Electrical transducer

An electrical measurement device is described, with a measurement input, an integrated sensor, a measurement and evaluation circuit, and a measured value display, and several measured value outputs. The electrical measurement device enables not only one measured value or several measured values to be determined, but makes it possible to display and process the determined measured values depending on other values such as comparison values and setpoints. An influencing input acts on the measurement and evaluation circuit and is the connecting point for the electrical measurement device to which or via which an influencing value can be applied or input. Therefore, a value with which the measured value can be influenced in the broadest sense is applied.

Electrical measurement means

A measurement apparatus for determining the position of an object relative to a reference surface, with a measurement nozzle, a reference nozzle, and a measurement device, the outlet opening of the measurement nozzle being located in the reference surface. A compressed air source provides air having a certain feed pressure so that the measurement device acquires one of three state variables: flow rate, pressure and speed of the air upstream of the measurement nozzle.

Growing community of inventors

Bodnegg, Germany

Alfred Wagner