General Electric Company

Ge Intelligent Platforms Inc.

Stephen Emerson Douthit

Daniel Milton Alley

Alan Paul Mathason

Naresh Kesavan Rao

Feng Chen

System and methods are provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a master device comprising a first serial peripheral interface (SPI) port having only a first four wires. The system further includes a slave device comprising a second SPI port having only a second four wires. The system additionally includes a galvanic isolation barrier communicatively coupling the first four wires to the second four wires. The master device is configured to use the first four wires to transmit a plurality of signals representative of a reset and of a first communications mode. The first communications mode is used to transfer data between the master device and the slave device.

Systems and methods for improved linking of master and slave devices

A system is provided that includes a controller that is configured to enable communication between one or more sensors and a processor. The controller includes a plurality of input-output (IO) ports each configured to couple to the one or more sensors. Moreover, each of the IO ports is configured to couple to a plurality of sensor types such that each IO port is configured to couple more than one sensor type. The controller also includes an interface configured to receive a selection of a selected mode from a plurality of modes each corresponding to a sensor type. Furthermore, the controller includes a switch block having a plurality of switches each configured to toggle a connection in the switch block according to the selected mode.

Programmable universal IO interface

An input/output module for use in an industrial control system and connectable to a programmable logic controller (PLC), the input/output module having an interface configured for an electrical connection to the PLC, a plurality of pins configured for connection to one of a plurality of peripherals, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) disposed in the I/O module and electrically coupled to a system controller, the ASIC having a plurality of connection paths, each path being configured for a function, and a switch block configured to reassign a signal from a first connection path of the plurality of connection paths to a second connection path of the plurality of connection paths.

Application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) disposed in input/output module connectable to programmable logic controller (PLC) based systems having plurality of connection paths

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Charlottesville, VA, United States of America

Stephen Emerson Douthit