A circuit and method for monitoring multi-channel signals

Multi-channel signal monitoring circuit and method

The present invention relates to a signal monitoring circuit and method, and more particularly to a multi-channel signal monitoring circuit and method.

Please refer to the first figure, which is a structure diagram of a conventional signal monitoring circuit, which includes a plurality of sensors to collect the signals to be monitored; a plurality of signal monitoring channels to transmit the signals to be monitored collected by the sensors; The monitoring chip is directly connected to the sensor through the signal monitoring channel to monitor and process the signal to be monitored collected by the sensor.

In the conventional signal monitoring circuit, one signal monitoring channel can only monitor one sensor signal. If you need to monitor multiple sensor signals, you need to provide multiple signal monitoring channels. Each signal monitoring channel corresponds to a sensor signal. Problems such as excessive circuit size and cost increase will occur.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel signal monitoring circuit and method, which provides monitoring of multiple sensor signals in a state where only one signal monitoring channel is used, so as to avoid the problems caused by the increase of signal monitoring channels.

In order to achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a multi-channel signal monitoring circuit, which includes: a plurality of sensors for collecting analog/digital/pulse signals to be monitored; and a multiplexer with the sensor Connected to transmit the signal collected by the sensor; a signal conversion circuit, which is connected to the multiplexer, used to convert the signal collected by the sensor and output; a monitoring chip, which is connected to the data bus The signal conversion circuit is connected to monitor and process the signal output by the signal conversion circuit. Among them, the multiplexer further includes a signal monitoring channel and a plurality of channel selection ports. The channel selection port is usually GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output); the signal conversion circuit further includes an analog/digital converter ( Analog/Digital Convertor, ADC) and a Micro Control Unit (MCU). Wherein, the micro control unit further includes a digital output port and a counter.

The present invention also provides a multi-channel signal monitoring method. The method includes: selecting an appropriate number of channel selection ports according to the number of signals to be monitored, and then selecting the sensor to be selected through the channel selection port. One common method of selecting the sensor to be selected through the channel selection port is: the micro-control unit sends a high-level signal (indicated by "1") or a low-level signal (indicated by " 0" means), a signal combination of the channel selection port represents the selection of a specific sensor, for example, "00" represents the selection of the first sensor, and "01" represents the selection of the second sensor. In this way, if the number of signal monitoring channels is required to be 4, then 2 channel selection ports are required; if the number of signal monitoring channels is required to be 8, 3 channel selection ports are required, and so on. At this time, regardless of the number of signal monitoring channels required, the actual number of channels used is 1.

After the multiplexer determines the sensor to be selected through the channel selection port, the signal collected by the sensor is transmitted to the signal conversion circuit through the monitoring channel of the multiplexer. After the analog/digital signal is uniformly converted into a digital signal by the signal conversion circuit, it is output through the digital output port of the micro-control unit; the pulse signal is directly output through the counter of the micro-control unit. Finally, the signal conversion circuit transmits the output signal to the monitoring chip for processing via the data bus.

The circuit and method of the present invention can not only monitor multiple sensor signals, but also monitor multiple types of signals, such as fan speed, temperature and humidity sensor voltage, clock, etc., when only a single monitoring channel is used. Fast system signal, thereby reducing circuit size and saving cost.

Please refer to the second figure, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-channel signal monitoring circuit of the present invention. The circuit includes: sensors 11, 12, 13, 14 for collecting signals to be monitored; a multiplexer 20, which It is connected to the sensors 11, 12, 13, and 14 to transmit the signals collected by the sensors 11, 12, 13, and 14; a signal conversion circuit 30 is connected to the multiplexer 20 for conversion The signals collected by the sensors 11, 12, 13, and 14 are output; a monitoring chip 40 is connected to the signal conversion circuit 30 through a data bus for monitoring and processing the signals output by the signal conversion circuit 30. The multiplexer 20 further includes a signal monitoring channel 21 and channel selection ports 201 and 202. The channel selection ports 201 and 202 are usually GPIO; the signal conversion circuit 30 further includes an analog/digital converter 31 and a micro-control unit 32. The micro control unit 32 further includes a digital output port 321 and a counter 322.

Please refer to the third figure, which is a schematic flow chart of the multi-channel signal monitoring method of the present invention. Select the appropriate number of channel selection ports according to the number of signals to be monitored. When the system is operating, the micro-control unit 32 of the signal conversion circuit 30 selects one of the sensors 11, 12, 13, 14 through the channel selection ports 201, 202 of the multiplexer 20. Determine whether the collected signal to be monitored is an analog signal (step 100). If the signal to be monitored is an analog signal, it is transmitted to the analog/digital converter 31 of the signal conversion circuit 30 via the multiplexer 20 (step 201) , The analog/digital converter 31 converts the analog signal to be monitored into a digital signal (step 301), and the converted digital signal is output through the digital output port 321 of the micro-control unit 32 (step 401).

If the signal to be monitored is a non-analog signal, it is transmitted to the micro-control unit 32 of the signal conversion circuit 30 via the multiplexer 20 (step 202) to determine whether the signal to be monitored is a pulse signal (step 302), if the signal to be monitored is It is a pulse signal, which is output through the counter 322 of the micro-control unit 32 (step 402); if the signal to be monitored is a digital signal, it is output through the digital output port 321 of the micro-control unit 32 (step 401). Finally, the signal is transmitted to the monitoring chip 40 via the data bus for processing (step 500).

In this embodiment, two channel selection ports are used, so a maximum of four channels to be monitored can be corresponded to, that is, a maximum of four different sensor signals can be monitored. However, in other embodiments, more sensor signals may need to be monitored, and more channel selection ports need to be used. If three channel selection ports are used, a maximum of eight channels to be monitored can be used; if four channel selection ports are used, a maximum of sixteen channels to be monitored can be used.

In summary, the present invention meets the requirements of a patent for invention, and Yan filed a patent application in accordance with the law. However, the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. For those who are familiar with the technique of the present case, equivalent modifications or changes made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of the following patent applications.

<p>11, 12, 13, 14Sensor</p><p>20Multiplexer</p><p>21Signal monitoring channel</p><p>201, 202Channel selection port</p><p>30Signal conversion circuit</p><p>31Analog/Digital Converter</p><p>32Micro control unit</p><p>321Digital output port</p><p>322Counter</p><p>40Monitoring chip</p>

The first figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of the conventional signal monitoring circuit.

The second figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-channel signal monitoring circuit of the present invention.

The third figure is a schematic flow diagram of the multi-channel signal monitoring method of the present invention.