Programmable electronic circuit with an identification number and external connections for control, actuation and display

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

0001The present invention relates to a computerised monolithic circuit CMC which can be connected to electrical control devices such as for example push-buttons and/or switches, and to display devices for providing information on a performed command (micro lights), or to electromechanical or static relays, having functions which can be programmed and reprogrammed both locally and by remote control. The circuit can be fitted with an AWG26 three-lead cable for civil and industrial electrical systems with very low voltage (SELV - security extra low voltage), with which it is possible to introduce new levels of operations, practical use and management of an electrical system, not attainable with conventional systems engineering.

0002The CMC circuit according to the invention, in addition to introducing new levels of operations, practical use and management of an electrical system, also enables combined use with standard electrical components.

0003The CMC circuit according to the present invention is particularly suitable for use in the refurbishment of rooms or in the design of buildings via traditional prefabrication techniques. It also allows a considerable reduction in masonry work, hitherto essential for installing an electrical plant or, in the refurbishment of rooms, it enables existing masonry to be reused, with standard embedded boxes and relevant electrical products, in order to perform a higher number of command and/or actuation functions, programmable in various ways, according to needs, by laying down only three wires.

0004The CMC circuit according to the present invention is made completely watertight by a casing in epoxy resin or in a thermosetting material, thus suitable for use also in damp areas or outside. Moreover, as referred previously, it can be connected to electrical control devices such as push-buttons and/or switches and devices for displaying a performed command (micro lights), also of a standard type, housed in standard embedded boxes, and to an infrared or black light detection cell for remote control of its command devices.

0005The functions of electrical devices for command or actuation, via memories (EEPROM) contained in a microprocessor, can be programmed and reprogrammed both locally and by remote control, either for a high number of addressings to actuation devices or for changing the functions of each of their individual command or actuation devices, according to the requirements of use.

0006All the CMC circuits forming an integral part of an electrical system are connectable in parallel by means off three wires, two of which are used for their low voltage power supply, and the third for data receiving and data transmitting operations.

0007Programming and reprogramming of the transmitting functions of each individual command (TX) or receiving functions of each individual actuation (RX), can be performed by remote control either with a simple programming device of switch type which can be connected by the same three wires to the CMC circuits, or via an interface by means of a personal computer, or locally by means of electrical jumpers.

0008The CMC circuits according to the present invention can be manufactured either by the printed circuit technique, with standard components or SMD, or by the thick film technique, or again by integrated circuits, being particularly suitable for civil and industrial electrical systems with controls at very low voltage (SELV - security extra low voltage).

0009An unlimited number of CMC circuits programmed with command functions (TX) can be connected in parallel one to the other, and up to 256 CMC circuits can be programmed for actuation functions (RX) of 8 relays, for an overall total of 2048 actuations and/or functions, depending on the microprocessor used for the same CMC circuit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

0010According to a first aspect of the invention, a CMC circuit (computerised monolithic circuit) having programmable and reprogrammable command or actuation functions, for electrical systems, has been provided comprising: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="dash" compact="compact"><li>a watertight casing having a substantially flat shape and reduced thickness, provided with a rear support base;</li><li>a plurality of electric terminals in the form of rigid connectors or wires arranged along the peripheral edge of the casing;</li><li>a microprocessor provided with programmable and erasable EEPROM memory, having the inlets/outlets (I/O) operatively connected to terminals of the CMC circuit, said microprocessor memory being programmable with command functions (TX) or actuation functions (RX) respectively;</li><li>means for the composition of an identification serial number for the CMC circuit, for example composed of a series of electrical tracks connected to respective inlets/outlets (I/O) of the microprocessor, which tracks can be interrupted to perform a binary-code composition of the identification number, in the case wherein the CMC circuit is of printed or thick film type, while, in the case wherein it is an integrated circuit, the binary-code composition is performed by earth connection of one or more of its connection terminals;</li><li>the CMC circuit also comprising three terminals for connection to a three-lead cable, for powering electrical components inside the same CMC circuit, as well as for the serial receiving and transmission of data, between various CMC circuits connected in parallel on a same electrical system and to a programming device, for example of the switch type or to a personal computer and vice versa, for programming the data relating to its identification, or relating to various addressings of the command and/or actuation devices of the same electrical system or again for changing the functions of each individual relay or actuation device.</li></ul>

0011According to another aspect of the invention, means for displaying a function of performed command can be connected to all or to part of the electric terminals.

0012According to a further aspect of the invention, the CMC circuit can be provided with a pair of electric terminals for connection to an infrared or black light detection cell for remote control of its electrical command devices.

0013The CMC circuit according to the invention can have any flat configuration; it is preferably of a rectangular shape having dimensions which vary according to the number of wires or terminals, with a relatively small size, for example a length of between 25 and 60 mm, a width of between 15 and 35 mm, and an extremely small thickness of between 4 and 15 mm which provide the CMC circuit with extremely small overall dimensions.

0014The CMC circuit according to the invention can therefore be housed into boxes embedded of an electrical system connected to standard electrical control/actuation devices, if it is of the type having rigid terminals or wires or, it it is of the integrated circuit type, mounted directly on a base on board of the actuation devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0015These and further characteristics of the CMC circuit, according to the invention, will be made clearer from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li>Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a CMC circuit according to the invention, made by the printed circuit or thick film technique, with the lower dotted part embedded in resin and with rigid connectors which can be replaced with wires; the drawing schematically indicates some basic components totally embedded in a protective resin.</li><li>Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a CMC circuit according to the invention, made by the printed circuit technique which can be mounted onto a base;</li><li>Fig. 3 shows the wiring diagram for the main components of the CMC circuit off Figure 1 and Figure 2.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

0016A description is now given of a first embodiment of a computerised monolithic circuit according to the invention, hereinafter referred to more simply as "CMC circuit". This representation is given purely by way of an explanation, without thereby forming a limitation as regards shape, dimensions and type of CMC circuit, as well as the features of the various electrical control devices, such as for example push-buttons and/or switches, displaying devices for the performed commands (micro lights), or electrical actuation devices such as for example electromechanical or static relays which can be connected to the CMC circuit.

0017As shown in Figure 1, the CMC circuit, denoted overall by 10, is substantially composed of a printed circuit of the standard type or of thick film technique, formed with the necessary connection tracks for the various electrical components, according to the example of Figure 3.

0018More specifically, as the three figures show, in the case in consideration the CMC circuit 10 comprises a microprocessor 11, for example a 68HC8C5K3 microprocessor produced by Motorola and provided with memories (EEPROM) which can be electrically erasable and repeatedly programmable with two operating modes: a first command one (TX) and a second actuation one (RX), which can be selected via a pair of connectors C1 to provide 2048 modes of addressing, 6 relay operating modes (monostable, stepped, set/reset, timer, switch and inverter) and 256 modes for programming an identification number of the same CMC circuit.

0019This latter case is only for CMC circuits made by the integrated circuits and thick film technology. In particular, in the example shown, the serial output 11' and 11" of the microprocessor 11, as well as a power supply unit 12, are connected by means of an appropriate interface 28 to three terminals 13, 14 and 15 (alternatively to three prewired cables) for supplying power to the CMC circuit and respectively for receiving and transmitting function signals and/or of programming data.

0020From the same figures it can also be seen that the I/O of the microprocessor 11 are connected to two sets of double terminals (alternatively thirty-two prewired cables), denoted overall by A1 to A8 and B1 to B8, arranged along the edges of the printed circuit. Each pair of terminals A can be connected to corresponding control devices (push-buttons/switches) 16, while each pair of terminals B can be connected to corresponding display devices for providing information on a performed command (micro light) if the CMC is set up with command functions (TX), while if it is set up with an actuation function (RX), only the pairs of terminals B are enabled for actuation of corresponding electromechanical or static relays 17. Enabling of actuation (RX) or (TX) is performed by means of the pair of terminals C1.

0021More specifically, in the example of Figure 3, the I/O of the microprocessor 11, programmed with a command operating mode (TX), are connected, via a multiplexer 19, to the group of terminals A1-A8 connected in turn, via appropriate connectors (not shown) , to 8 electrical control devices 16, outside the CMC circuit or forming part of an electrical system, for example housed in a standard embedded box.

0022The same inlets/outlets (I/O) of the microprocessor 11, again programmed or set up for operating in TX mode (command), are connected, via a multiplexer 21 and an interface 22, to the group of terminals B1-B8, in turn connected, via appropriate connectors (not shown) to 8 electrical devices for displaying the command performed, outside of the CMC circuit 10, for example housed in the same actuation devices (push-buttons/switches) or otherwise positioned.

0023The same I/O of the microprocessor 11 programmed or set up instead for operating in RX mode (actuation), again connected via the multiplexer 21 and the interface 22 to the group of terminals B1-B8, can in turn be connected via connectors (not shown) to 8 external relays 17, of electromechanical or static type and variously arranged and/or connected in a civil or industrial electrical system.

0024Finally, in the example of Figure 3, it can be seen that the I/O of the microprocessor 11 are connected, via a multiplexer 23, to eight interruptable tracks 24, for assigning to the CMC circuit 10 a serial number of identification which is stored in a memory area of the microprocessor.

0025The identification number is programmed, in the case of a CMC circuit made by the printed or thick film technique, by cutting one or more of the eight tracks 24 contained within the square 25 on the rear part of a flat casing of the CMC circuit 10.

0026Since the computerised circuit according to the invention can be made by any technology, for example by the technology of printed circuits or thick film according to the example illustrated, or by the technology of integrated circuits, in the latter case the outputs of the multiplexer 23 are provided on the eight connectors of the CMC circuit made by the integrated circuit technology, and represented by way of an example in Figure 2.

0027In an alternative form, the individual terminals can be in the form of electrical wires which can be connected directly or indirectly to the electrical controls, relays and/or display device.

0028The CMC circuit, with programmable functions, made in this way, has extremely small dimensions, thus enabling the housing in standard embedded boxes for electrical fittings or the like, and which can be reduced further if made by the thick film or integrated technologies. Purely by way of a non-limiting example, a circuit of the type described can have dimensions of 25 × 60 × 4 mm approximately, or smaller or larger ones, according to the number of terminals of each group. The same terminals can be formed and/or positioned differently in relation to what shown.

0029Again with reference to the example of Figure 3, the microprocessor 11 can be connected to a pair of terminals C2 for an infrared or black light detection cell 27 suitable for receiving remote commands for performing the functions of the various electrical command devices.

0030Finally 27 in Figure 3 denotes a device for local programming of the microprocessor 11, of the jumper type 28, connected to the I/O of the microprocessor via a multiplexer device 26 for example of the type having eight tracks, or of another suitable type.

0031The intent in any case is that what has been said and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given purely by way of a non-limiting example of the general principles of the CMC with programmable functions according to the invention, and that other changes or variants can be made to the type of circuit and/or to the various components, without thereby departing from what is claimed.