Patent ID: 7774624

Claim:
A system for detecting tampering in a signal conditioner of electronics that determines a parameter from signals received from one or more sensors, said system comprising: a host system that receives said parameter signals from said signal conditioner indicating properties of a material and supplies power to said signal conditioner; and said signal conditioner is remote from and coupled to said host system, wherein said signal conditioner generates said parameter signals; with said host system being configured to transmit an initialize request to said signal conditioner, requesting said authentication information in response to detecting said signal conditioner being connected to said host system, receive said authentication information from said signal conditioner, and store said authentication information as said initial authentication information; with said host system being configured to periodically transmit a request for authentication information to said signal conditioner, receive said authentication information from said signal conditioner in response to said request, compare said authentication information with initial authentication information, and detect said tampering condition in said signal conditioner if said authentication information is not equal to said initial authentication information, with the authentication information comprising information that can change but is not authorized to be changed except by a signal conditioner manufacturer or agents thereof.