The 1451 was initiated in 1994 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Instrument and Measurement Branch and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to address the traditional sensor integration problem with standard communication interfaces. Currently, P1451 has evolved into seven working groups, four of which are formally approved.
Recently, the P1451.3 working group defined standards for cluster sensor applications and ensuring high speed, synchronous data transfer. At the same time, the P1451.4 working group completed the application of mixed mode communication for analog transmitters, such as digital spreadsheets and analog signals.
About two years ago, National Instruments reported that it recognized the potential value of 1451.4 and began to work more actively with the IEEE working group. NI incentives and IEEE approvals have been the driving force behind the 1451.4 recovery.
Development of 1451.4
By adding plug-and-play functionality to analog transmitters, it can be added to the network of digital instruments and measurement systems. IEEE 1451.4 is currently having a good opportunity to accelerate the use of networked sensors by simplifying the installation of the transmitter, building the network, and maintaining and updating the system. 1451. 4 is achieving this by establishing a general-purpose system whose information digital network needs to identify, mark, interface and use signals from analog sensors.
1451.4 Vice Chairman of the Working Group, National Instruments Manager David Potter explained that 1451.4 is a practical technical standard that makes transmitter spreadsheets compatible with analog measurements. “Because of the added self-identification feature in the transmitter analog interface, this standard has the potential to make any measurement system, analog or digital, easier to install, configure and maintain. When the sensor is connected to a data acquisition device or any dashboard, You'll get a lot of installation scope, filtering, and other parameters. If the information is already stored on a memory chip, you can automate the installation and calibration."
The 1451.4 standard also utilizes an electrically erasable, programmable, read-only memory chip (EEPROM) embedded in the sensor to enable the storage and communication of plug-and-play functional details. Manufacturers can get the chip's identifier from the Internet. A complete transmitter spreadsheet may contain the type identification and attribute content of a specific type of sensor, such as accelerometers, microphones, strain gauges, thermocouples, and other types of sensors. All calibration data for the sensor can also be included in the transmitter spreadsheet.
The requirement for a specific sensor is that the template description file should be given and published on the website. The standard considers that memory such as EEPROM cannot be embedded in some existing sensors, so virtual transmitter spreadsheets are available on the Internet. National Instruments and his partners offer a vast library of virtual transmitter spreadsheets that can be downloaded free of charge at the website. As part of the National Instruments Partner Program, approximately 25 companies currently offer sensors that meet the 1451.4 standard.
