Fear of darkness: Integrating automation systems with a more complex protocol converter

摘要

As data collection becomes a larger task, it might be wise to use an automation system that lasts longer and makes system integration easier. Ask these 3 data collection questions. Bedesigning a system to eliminate the aptly named "black box" is a commonly performed task. Black box is a generic term for a protocol converter. Originally, these devices only converted electrical protocols, such as RS-232 to RS-485. They were named black boxes because no one knew how the magic took place inside them. Many original black boxes ran for years without user intervention or maintenance. As automation systems became more complex and data interfaces became more important, each manufacturer had its own protocols. Almost all were electrically and structurally different. The need to integrate all these automation systems required a much more complex protocol con- vertor. The black boxes had become essentially computers communicating to each automation system with a compatible protocol.