Data input module

A data input module has a data card jack with power-out contacts, power-in contacts and data input contacts. The power-out contacts are connected to a power source, which is protected against surges and alternating voltages in the module. The power-in contacts are connected to power terminals of three integrated circuits and a fourth oscillator integrated circuit, which feeds clocking pulses to the three integrated circuits. The data contacts of the jack are connected to input terminals of two of the integrated circuits. The power-in contacts are additionally connected to inputs of the third integrated circuit. Power from the power source powers the input module elements through the power-out and power-in contacts and through a card interposed between the contacts to activate the circuit. At the same time, binary data from the signal contacts provides information to the first and second integrated circuits. The integrated circuits are pulsed to provide pulse sequences from the first integrated circuit to the second integrated circuit, from the second integrated circuit to the third integrated circuit and pulsed signal sequences from the third integrated circuit, which summarizes the simultaneous plural binary inputs from the jack into a pulsed output signal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to data reading circuits and particularly circuits 
which convert simultaneous binary data from plural parallel lines into a 
sequence of pulses on an output line. The invention is particularly 
related to key card reading data input modules. 
Existing modules are either complex or are incapable of converting a large 
number of simultaneous input signals into a pulsed signal train or require 
separate power sources for the signals and for the reading. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a noncomplex data input module in which 
simultaneous binary data from plural input lines is assembled into an 
output sequence of pulses on a single line. 
The invention overcomes problems of the prior art by providing power from 
the module to a card reader so that the power is supplied through the 
card, back into the module to operate integrated circuits within the 
module and so that the power is applied to coded conductors within the 
card to give shorted or open signals to inputs of the integrated circuits. 
Power from the card and the jack is supplied to the integrated circuits 
and to an oscillator integrated circuit to provide clock pulses. 
A preferred data input module has a power source and a data input jack 
having plural terminals for simultaneously reading binary information from 
multiple contacts on a card. The jack has power-out contacts connected to 
the power source for providing power to power-in contacts on a card. The 
jack further has power-in contacts for receiving power from power-out 
contacts of a card. The input module apparatus further includes plural 
integrated circuits and plural conductors severally connecting each 
contact in the jack to individual contacts of the integrated circuits for 
providing binary data from the jacks to individual inputs of the 
integrated circuits. Clock means is connected to the integrated circuits 
for providing clocking pulses to the integrated circuits. A line connects 
the power-in contacts in the jack to each of the integrated circuits and 
the clock for powering the integrated circuits in the clock by power from 
the power source passed into and out of a key card by the power-out 
contacts and the power-in contacts in the jack. Lines serially connect the 
integrated circuits and take a signal from a last integrated circuit in 
the series. 
Preferably the power source further has excess voltage grounding means and 
alternating voltage removing means for preventing excess voltage and 
alternating voltages from reaching the power-out contact and from reading 
the signal contacts and the power-in contacts. Limiting means are 
connected to the signal output line for limiting voltage and current on 
the signal conductor. A secondary voltage means is connected to the 
power-in means and to the integrated circuits for controlling voltage in 
the integrated circuits. Limiting means are connected to ground and 
severally are connected to the conductors between the jack contacts and 
the integrated circuits for limiting input to the integrated circuits from 
the jack contacts. 
Preferably, the plural integrated circuits include three integrated 
circuits. First and second integrated circuits have inputs connected to 
the jack. The third integrated circuit has inputs connected to the 
power-in contact of the jack. The first integrated circuit has a pulsed 
signal output connected to the second integrated circuit, and the second 
integrated circuit has a pulsed signal output connected to the third 
integrated circuit. The third integrated circuit has a pulsed signal 
output connected to the output signal line for producing sequential output 
pulses on the signal line according to binary data inputs on the data 
contacts in the jack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
The data input module of the present invention accepts a key card with a 
code. The data input module accepts the code from the key card and 
transmits the code as a 16-bit data stream to the host apparatus, which 
may be, for example, a Rockwell Tripmaster trip recorder. The input card 
has edge contacts that plug into the data input module. Shorted conductors 
to the edge contacts are interrupted to provide a code that is read by the 
data input module. A method is used to measure the strobe times of each 
bit with a 4-bit wide sync pulse that has its width measured by the host 
device, for example, the Rockwell Tripmaster trip recorder. The width is 
used to determine what the width will be of each of the 16 serial bits 
that are transmitted to the host. The sync pulse is therefore used as a 
"rubber yardstick". 
Referring to FIG. 1, a data input module is generally indicated by the 
numeral 50. The input module has a data input jack 52 with power-out 
contacts 54 which are connected to a source of power 56. 
Power source 56 has protective devices 58, which include a current limiting 
resistor R-2, an alternating voltage grounding capacitor C-2 and an excess 
voltage grounding breakdown diode CR-1. 
Jack 52 includes plural parallel signal contacts 60. 
Power from source 56 through power-out contacts 54 is supplied to key card 
circuits. The power is transmitted through the key card circuits and back 
to data contacts 60 which are read to determine whether the key card 
circuits are shorted or open. Power-in contacts 62 receive power from 
power source 56 via power-out contacts 54, key card contacts and power-in 
contacts 62 to supply power to power line 64. The power line 64 supplies 
power to terminals 16 of integrated circuits IC-1, IC-2, and IC-3 and to 
terminals 4 and 8 of integrated circuit IC-4. Power is also supplied from 
line 64 to terminals 1, 6 and 15 of integrated circuit IC-3 and the 
capacitor C-1 which maintains voltage cross inputs 9 and 16 of integrated 
circuits IC-1, IC-2 and IC-3. 
Resistor R-1 provides a voltage differential between grounded terminal 11 
and terminal 9 in IC-1. 
Terminals 8 in IC-1, 2 and 3 are grounded, as are terminals 4, 5, 13 and 14 
of IC-3. 
Plural signal conductors 66 and 68 are connected between jack 52 and the 
integrated circuits IC-1 and 2. Resitors RN-1 and RN-2 connect those 
conductors to ground. 
Integrated circuit IC-4 with resistors R-3 and R-4 and capacitors C-3 and 
C-4 provides keying pulses in terminals 10 of integrated circuits IC-1, 
IC-2, and IC-3. 
Integrated circuit IC-1 delivers a pulse train on line 70 to integrated 
circuit IC-2. The latter delivers a combined pulse train on line 72 to 
integrated circuit IC-3 and integrated circuit IC-3 produces the 
integrated pulse train as an output signal on line 74. 
Resistor R-5 limits current on signal output line 76, and breakdown diode 
CR-2 cancels voltage surges. 
The output signal on line 76 is used for identification in a separate 
device. 
As shown in FIG. 2, a key card for using with module 50 is generally 
indicated by the numeral 80. The key card has contacts 82 which cooperate 
with contacts 52 in the module. Power-in contacts 84 on key card 80 
receive power from power-out contacts 54 on the module 50. The DC power is 
supplied from the input contacts 84 to line 85 in which, in turn, supplies 
the voltage to parallel lines 86. Lines 86 are selectively interrupted by 
punching in the area 88 to provide binary information, either shorted or 
open, on data contacts 90 which connect to contacts 60 in jack 52. 
Power-out contacts 92 connect to power-in contact 62 in jack 50 to provide 
a power flow from the source through the card to operate the integrated 
circuits in the data module. 
While the invention has been described with reference to a specific 
embodiment, modifications and variations of the invention may be 
constructed without departing from the scope of the invention.