Diagnostic system for a modular fieldbus board

Abstract

A diagnostic system for a modular fieldbus board carrying a number of fieldbuses connected to a bulk power supply. A monitoring transceiver means is adapted in use to one or more of the number of fieldbuses by means of two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points, which points are dispersed between the bulk power supply and the fieldbus trunk. The monitoring transceiver means can detect one or more fieldbus physical layer characteristics between two of the two or more of said points.

1 . A physical layer diagnostic system for a modular fieldbus board carrying one or more fieldbuses, the one or more fieldbuses each including a power supply converter and a power conditioner and the one or more fieldbuses connected to a bulk power supply via the power supply converter and power conditioner for each of the one or more fieldbuses, the system comprising a monitoring transceiver connected in use to the one or more fieldbuses in which each connection to each of the one or more fieldbuses comprise two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points, which points are collectively formed to inject and/or detect both common mode and/or differential mode signals, and wherein first points of the common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points are located between the bulk power supply and the power supply a converter of each of the one or more fieldbuses and second points of the common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points are located between the power conditioner and a fieldbus trunk part of each of the one or more fieldbuses, such that the monitoring transceiver can detect one or more fieldbus physical layer characteristics between two of the two or more of said points, and in which the monitoring transceiver is provided with a first digital and/or analog interface adapted to transmit physical layer diagnostic data detected by the monitoring transceiver directly to an associated digital or analog device. 
     
     
         2 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the fieldbus physical layer characteristics comprise one or more of: over/under termination, noise/ripple level of one or more particular devices, signal level of one or more particular devices, signal jitter of one or more particular devices, signal ringing of one or more particular devices, signal distortion of one or more particular devices, signal attenuation cross talk, unbalance, and earth leakage. 
     
     
         3 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the monitoring transceiver means also detects one or more characteristics of hardware carried on the modular fieldbus board by means of one or more of said points. 
     
     
         4 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 3  in which the one or more characteristics of hardware comprise one or more of: voltage, short circuit, hardware module failure, quiescent current, and rate of charge. 
     
     
         5 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 4  in which the monitoring transceiver means is adapted to gather received data and produce one or more of: Fourier analysis, trending analysis, and data logging. 
     
     
         6 . A diagnostic system as claimed in any of the  claim 1  in which the monitoring transceiver means is adapted to provide an alarm in the event that received data indicates one or more of pre-determined failures or the one or more fieldbuses. 
     
     
         7 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the monitoring transceiver means is provided with a first digital and/or an analogue interface, such that diagnostic data detected and/or alarms created by the monitoring transceiver means in use are transmitted to a digital or analogue device operated by a user, and such that commands are sent in use from the user operated digital or analogue device to operate the monitoring transceiver means. 
     
     
         8 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 7  in which the monitoring transceiver means is provided with a second digital and/or an analogue interface, such that diagnostic data detected and/or alarms created by the monitoring transceiver means in use are transmitted to other associated diagnostic systems. 
     
     
         9 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the monitoring transceiver means is provided with visual means adapted to display diagnostic data detected and/or alarms created. 
     
     
         10 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the monitoring transceiver means is removable from the fieldbus board. 
     
     
         11 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 1  in which the monitoring transceiver means is connected to the bulk power supply. 
     
     
         12 . A diagnostic system as claimed in  claim 1  in which one or more of the two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/original detection points are disposed within hardware carried on the board. 
     
     
         13 . A modular fieldbus board comprising
 a backplane;   one or more fieldbuses mounted on the backplane, the one or more fieldbuses each including a power supply converter and a power conditioner and the one or more fieldbuses connected to a bulk power supply via the power supply converter and power conditioner of each of the one or more fieldbuses, and   a monitoring transceiver connected to the one or more fieldbuses by means of two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points, and wherein the two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points are interposed between and/or within the bulk power supply, the power supply converter, the power supply conditioner and the fieldbus trunk, such that the monitoring transceiver can detect one or more fieldbus physical layer characteristics between two of the two or more of said two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points.   
     
     
         14 . A modular fieldbus board as claimed in  claim 13  in which each of the one or more fieldbuses comprise a connection to the bulk power supply, a power supply converter, a power supply conditioner and a fieldbus trunk. 
     
     
         15 . A modular fieldbus board as claimed in  claim 14  in which an each of the one or more fieldbuses a first common mode signal injection and/or signal detection point is disposed between the bulk power supply and the power supply converter, in which a second common mode signal injection and/or signal detection point is disposed between the power supply converter and the power supply conditioner, in which third a common mode signal injection and/or signal-detection point is disposed between the power supply conditioner and the field bus trunk, and a differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection point is disposed between the third common mode signal injection and/or signal detection point and the fieldbus trunk. 
     
     
         16 . A modular fieldbus board as claimed in  claim 15  in which a fourth common mode signal injection and/or signal detection point is disposed within the power supply converter, and in which a fifth common mode signal injection and/or signal detection point is disposed within the power supply conditioner. 
     
     
         17 . A modular fieldbus board comprising a number of fieldbuses connectable in use to a bulk power supply, characterized in which: the modular fieldbus board is provided with a diagnostic system comprising a monitoring transceiver means connected to one or more of the number of fieldbuses, in which each connection to a fieldbus comprises one or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection points and one or more corresponding common mode and/or differential mode signal detection points, in which said points are dispersed between the points at which the fieldbus is connectable to the bulk power supply and to a fieldbus trunk, and in which the monitoring transceiver means is adapted to detect one or more fieldbus physical layer characteristics between any signal injection point and any signal detection point. 
     
     
         18 . A modular fieldbus board as claimed in  claim 17  in which the fieldbus physical layer characteristics comprise one or more of: over/under termination, noise/ripple level, signal level, signal bias, signal jitter, signal ringing, signal distortion, signal attenuation, cross talk, unbalance, and earth leakage. 
     
     
         19 . A modular fieldbus board as claimed in  claim 17  in which the modular fieldbus board carries hardware and in which the monitoring transceiver means is also adapted to detect one or more characteristics of hardware disposed between any signal injection point and any signal detection point. 
     
     
         20 . A modular fieldbus board as claimed in  claim 19  in which the one or more characteristics of hardware comprise one or more of: voltage, short circuit, hardware module failure, quiescent current, and rate of charge.