Development of an intelligent reconfigurable NCAP for Smart Transducer applications

The IEEE 1451 standard has enabled data acquisition systems to achieve plug and play operation through the smart transducers, used in environmental and structural health monitoring applications. The usual methodology is to make use of a Network Capable Application Processor (NCAP) that communicates with a Smart Transducer Interface Module (STIM), which gives sensor readings to the end user through the connection of the NCAP. This paper presents a development of an intelligent, data acquisition device that incorporates both an NCAP and a universal interface which supports most of industrial analog transducers in 2, 3 or 4 wire mode as specified in 1451.4 Mixed Model Interface (MMI). The universal interface is capable of identifying and configuring itself to match with smart transducers automatically according to the IEEE 1451.4 Transducer Electronic Datasheet (TEDS) standard. The universal transducer interface is based on reconfigurable hardware blocks present within the Cypress PSoC, which will also function as the Network Capable Application Processor.