Paul J Mckenzie

US Patent:

59464712, Aug 31, 1999

Filed:

Aug 7, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/693753

Inventors:

Robert Thomas Voorhees - Cincinnati OH
Paul Ardeshir McKenzie - Cincinnati OH
Estel Dean Sprague - Cincinnati OH

Assignee:

University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati OH

International Classification:

G06F 9445

US Classification:

395500

Abstract:

An improved laboratory instrument emulation network system is provided having instrument emulation stations and an instrument emulation network controller in which the emulation network system allows communication between the network controller and each instrument emulation station along a bi-directional, high-speed serial data communications network. The network system allows users at each emulation station to configure the station so as to emulate a certain instrument, i. e. , voltmeter, pH meter, temperature meter, etc. The system performs real-time acquisition of raw data at each emulation station, transmits the raw data to the network controller in near-real time where it is converted into engineering units (e. g. , volts, units of pH, degrees Celsius), then returns the converted data to the respective station and displays the data in either graphical or numerical format (or both), as the user selects. The converted data can also be transmitted to other emulation stations, if desired.