A prototype IEEE 1451.4 smart transducer interface for sensors and actuators

Analog transducers (sensors or actuators) are widely used in industry. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1451.4 standard defines a mixed-mode communication protocol and the Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) formats for analog transducers. This standard enables the plug-and-play capability of analog transducers and easy integration of analog transducers with measurement and control systems. This paper describes a prototype of the IEEE 1451.4 one-wire interface for analog transducers. The prototype system developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) consists of an IEEE 1451.4-based transducer, a one-wire interface board, and a single board computer (SBC). An example of reading the IEEE 1451.4 TEDS from an IEEE 1451.4-compatible accelerometer is provided to illustrate system functionality.