1. A system, comprising:
an inputoutput (IO) module;
a functionality feature of the IO module, wherein the functionality feature is configured to perform one or more specific functions, locally within the IO module, on signals communicated through a base portion of an IO device to which the IO module is physically and communicatively coupled and to provide an output based on the signals; and
an activation feature of the IO module, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable the functionality feature based on an identification mechanism of the base portion.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the functionality feature comprises one or more algorithms stored on a memory of the IO module, and wherein the one or more algorithms include machine-readable instructions for performing the one or more specific functions.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the activation feature comprises activation software for determining whether to activate or disable the functionality feature based on the identification mechanism.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the functionality feature comprises circuitry configured to perform one or more of the specific functions when the circuitry is communicatively completed by the activation feature, wherein the activation feature comprises a switch configured to be activated by coupling with the base portion.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable a functionality feature of the base portion.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable the functionality feature based on a key that is physically inserted into the IO module.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the key comprises an additional functionality feature to be activated for the IO module.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable the functionality feature based on a key that is electronically communicated to the IO module.
9. A system, comprising:
a base portion of an inputoutput (IO) device;
a functionality feature of the base portion, wherein the functionality feature is configured to perform one or more specific functions, locally within the base portion, on signals communicated through the base portion and to provide an output based on the signals; and
an activation feature of the base portion, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable the functionality feature based on an identification mechanism of an IO module that is physically and communicatively coupled to the base portion.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the functionality feature comprises one or more algorithms stored on a memory of the base portion, and wherein the one or more algorithms include machine-readable instructions for performing the one or more specific functions.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the activation feature comprises activation software for determining whether to activate or disable the functionality feature based on the identification mechanism.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein the functionality feature comprises circuitry configured to perform one or more of the specific functions when the circuitry is communicatively completed by the activation feature, wherein the activation feature comprises a switch configured to be activated by coupling with the IO module.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable a functionality feature of the IO module.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable the functionality feature based on a key that is physically inserted into the base portion.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the key comprises an additional functionality feature to be activated for the base portion.
16. The system of claim 9, wherein the activation feature is configured to activate or disable the functionality feature based on a key that is electronically communicated to the base portion.
17. A system, comprising:
a first IO device component comprising a first functionality feature, wherein the first functionality feature is configured to perform one or more specific functions locally within the first IO device component; and
a second IO device component comprising a second functionality feature, wherein the second functionality feature is configured to perform one or more specific functions locally within the second IO device component;
wherein the first and second functionality feature are activated or disabled based on identification mechanisms of the first and second IO device component.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second functionality features comprise one or more algorithms stored on a memory, and wherein the one or more algorithms include machine-readable instructions for performing the one or more specific functions.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second functionality features comprise circuitry configured to perform one or more of the specific functions when the circuitry is communicatively completed an activation feature, wherein the activation feature comprises a switch configured to be activated by coupling between the first and second IO device components.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the activation feature comprises a first conductive connector of the first IO device component, which is configured to couple with a second conductive connector of the second IO device component.
21. The system of claim 17, wherein an activation feature of the first IO device component is configured to activate or disable the first and second functionality features based on the identification mechanisms.
22. The system of claim 17, wherein a first activation feature of the first IO device component is configured to activate or disable the first functionality feature based on an identification mechanism of the second IO device component, and a second activation feature of the second IO device component is configured to activate or disable the second functionality feature based on an identification mechanism of the first IO device component.
23. The system of claim 17, comprising a key configured to be physically inserted into the first IO device component, wherein the first and second functionality features are activated or disabled based on the key when the key is inserted into the first IO device component.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the key comprises an additional functionality feature to be activated for the first IO device component when the key is physically inserted into the first IO device component.
25. The system of claim 17, comprising a key configured to be electronically communicated to the first IO device component, wherein the first and second functionality features are activated or disabled based on the key when the key is electronically communicated to the first IO device component.
26. The system of claim 17, wherein the identification mechanisms comprise variable resistance values, values stored in a memory, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, or a combination thereof.
27. A system, comprising:
an inputoutput (IO) device component;
a functionality feature of the IO device component, wherein the functionality feature is configured to perform one or more specific functions, locally within the IO device component, on signals communicated through the IO device component and to provide an output based on the signals; and
an activation key feature of the IO device component, wherein the activation key feature is configured to activate or disable the functionality feature.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein the activation key feature is configured to be physically inserted into the IO device component.
29. The system of claim 27, wherein the activation key feature is configured to be electronically communicated to the IO device component.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Method for electrical heating of furnaces for heat treating of metallic workpieces, especially vacuum furnaces usable for plasma carburizing or nitriding in which the heating elements (8a, 8b, 8c) of a furnace are supplied with a heating voltage that is generated on the secondary circuit of a three phase transformer (6) connected to a three phase power network, characterized in that the primary coil windings of the three phase transformer (6) are switched in the delta connection in a first heating phase and in the star connection in a second heating phase, whereby the switchover time (tum) from the delta connection to the star connection is determined as a function of operating parameters characteristic for the heating process.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the switchover point (tum) from delta to the star connection is determined as a function of a specifiable manipulated magnitude.
3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the switchover point (tum) from the delta connection to the star connection is determined as a function of a specifiable output factor (cos ).
4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that upon reaching or undershooting an output factor cos of 0.80, the switchover from the delta connection to the star connection takes place.
5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the switchover point (tum) from the delta connection to the star connection is determined as a function of furnace temperature.
6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the switchover from the delta connection to the star connection occurs as a function of a change in furnace temperature over time.
7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the switchover time (tum) from the delta connection to the star connection is determined as a function of charge temperature.
8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the switchover from the delta connection to the star connection takes place as a function of the change of batch temperature over time.
9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the furnace is heated up to a certain temperature during the first heating phase and is maintained at a processing temperature necessary for the requisite heat treatment during the second heating phase.
10. Method according to cone of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the switchover from the delta connection to the star connection takes place using a contactor (4b, 4c).
11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that heating elements (8a, 8b, 8c) with a comparatively high ohmic resistance are used.
12. Method according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a variably adjustable reactance transformer (6) is used as a three phase transformer.
13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the heating voltage for the first and second heating phase is adapted by varying the manipulated variable of the reactance transformer (6).
14. Method according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that during the first heating phase, a heating voltage of less than 60 volts V, preferably about 50 volts V, and during the second heating phase, a heating voltage of less than 35 volts V, preferably about 30 volts V, is applied to the heating elements.
15. Method according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by a three phase power grid with a voltage of about 400 volts V.