Smart Sensor Platform for Industrial Monitoring and Control

A wireless smart sensor platform (based on patent pending technologies "A generic wireless transducer interface" (Ramamurthy, et al., 2005) and "Application of generic reconfigurable wireless interface for industrial automation scenarios" (Ramamurthy, et al., 2006) targeted for instrumentation and predictive maintenance systems is presented. The generic smart sensor platform, with 'plug-and-play' capability, supports hardware interface, payload and communications needs of multiple inertial and position sensors and actuators, using a RF link (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or RFID) for communications, in a point-to-point topology. The design also provides means to update operating and monitoring parameters as well as sensor/RF link specific firmware modules 'over-the-air'. Sample implementations for industrial applications and system performance are discussed