A research prototype of a control system based on smart transducers

A research prototype of a control system based on smart transducers is described. The smart transducers are self-configuring and support a wide variety of sensors and actuators. Closed loop control has been demonstrated based on peer-to-peer communications. Each smart node consists of three modules: 1. A communication transceiver allows selection of wired or wireless communication media. 2. A common core execution module performs configuration, conversion and management of data, and runs optional application-specific software such as control algorithms. 3. A transducer interface module conditions the transducer output signal and contains an ''electronic data sheet'' which describes the transducer to the common core module. The contributions of this system are in three areas: 1. A network interface which defines a common data model, a set of node operations, and a consistent way to add application-specific behavior. 2. A set of node behaviors which simplify the installation and use of the system. 3. A transducer interface which supports the ''electronic data sheet''. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.