1. An energy management gateway comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory;
a building management system (BMS) interface executed by the processor and configured to receive a first message, the first message being structured according to an industrial protocol;
an energy management system interface executed by the processor and configured to:
translate the first message into a second message structured according to an energy management protocol different from the industrial protocol, the second message including a query comprising at least one command and a set of qualifiers, the query being addressed to at least one first endpoint and including at least one of a sum command and a set command; and
provide the second message to a first domain member of a first domain including the at least one first endpoint, the first domain member being a device other than the at least one first endpoint.
2. The energy management gateway according to claim 1, wherein the industrial protocol includes MODBUS.
3. The energy management gateway according to claim 1, wherein the energy management protocol includes EnergyWise.
4. The energy management gateway according to claim 1, wherein the energy management system interface is configured to provide the second message to a router.
5. The energy management gateway according to claim 1, wherein the energy management system interface is further configured to provide the second message to a second domain member of a second domain including at least one second endpoint addressed by the query.
6. The energy management gateway according to claim 5, wherein a subset of the set of qualifiers addresses the query to the at least one first endpoint and the at least one second endpoint.
7. The energy management gateway according to claim 6, wherein the subset includes a domain name qualifier with a value including a wildcard.
8. The energy management gateway according to claim 1, wherein the energy management system interface is further configured to:
receive a third message from the first domain member, the third message structured according to the energy management protocol; and
translate the third message into a fourth message structured according to the industrial protocol; and
wherein the BMS interface is further configured to:
receive the first message from an external entity; and
provide the fourth message to the external entity.
9. The energy management gateway according to claim 8, wherein the BMS interface is configured to:
receive the first message from a BMS controller; and
provide the fourth message to the BMS controller.
10. A method of facilitating communication between devices using a computer system, the method comprising:
receiving, by the computer system, a first message, the first message being structured according to an industrial protocol;
translating, by the computer system, the first message into a second message structured according to an energy management protocol different from the industrial protocol, the second message including a query comprising at least one command and a set of qualifiers, the query being addressed to at least one first endpoint and including at least one of a sum command and a set command; and
providing, by the computer system, the second message to a first domain member of a first domain including the at least one first endpoint, the first domain member being a device other than the at least one first endpoint.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein receiving, by the computer system, the first message includes receiving a message structured according to the MODBUS protocol.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein translating, by the computer system, the first message into the second message includes translating a message into the EnergyWise protocol.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein providing, by the computer system, the second message to the first domain member includes providing the second message to a router.
14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing the second message to a second domain member of a second domain including at least one second endpoint addressed by the query.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein translating, by the computer system, the first message into the second message includes addressing the query to the at least one first endpoint and the at least one second endpoint.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein addressing the query includes assigning wildcard to a domain name qualifier.
17. The method according to claim 10, wherein receiving, by the computer system, the first message includes receiving the first message from an external entity and the method further comprises:
receiving a third message from the first domain member, the third message structured according to the energy management protocol;
translating the third message into a fourth message structured according to the industrial protocol; and
providing the fourth message to the external entity.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein receiving the first message from the external entity includes receiving the first message from a BMS controller.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for facilitating communication between devices using a computer system including instructions that will cause at least one processor to:
receive a first message structured according to an industrial protocol;
translate the first message into a second message structured according to an energy management protocol different from the industrial protocol, the second message including a query comprising at least one command and a set of qualifiers, the query being addressed to at least one first endpoint and including at least one of a sum command and a set command; and
provide the second message to a first domain member of a first domain including the at least one first endpoint, the first domain member being a device other than the at least one first endpoint.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the at least one processor to:
receive the first message using the MODBUS protocol; and
translate the first message into a second message structured according to the EnergyWise protocol.
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. A method for controlling a source of liquid metal ions, the source comprises a tip a first electrode and a second electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
maintaining the first electrode at a first voltage level range and maintaining the second electrode at a second voltage range, such as to extract metal ions formed on a tip of the source, during an active mode of operation of the source; and
maintaining the first electrode at a third voltage level range and maintaining the second electrode at a fourth voltage level range, such as to substantially reduce an extraction of metal ions from the tip, during an idle mode of operation of the source;
whereas at least one out of the third and fourth voltage level ranges does not include zero voltage level; and
whereas the first voltage level range differs than the third voltage level range.
2. The method of claim 1 whereas the first electrode is an extraction electrode.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein an upper end of the first voltage level range is higher than an upper end of the third voltage level range.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the third voltage level range comprises voltage levels that are lower than a non-extraction voltage level by a first voltage difference.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein an upper end of the fourth voltage level range is higher than an upper end of the second voltage level range.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein a transition between the idle mode and the active mode does not substantially alter ion-optical properties of an ion-optic components positioned downstream of the source.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein a transition between the idle mode and the active mode is fast.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein a transition between the idle mode and the active mode does not substantially alter ion-optical properties of an ion-optic components positioned downstream of the source.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the transition is faster than a minute.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein a transition between the active mode and the idle mode is fast.
11. The method of claim 1 whereas the first electrode is a suppression electrode.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein during the idle mode there is no emission of ions from the tip.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein during idle mode ions being provided to the tip are maintained in a liquid form.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein a transition between the idle mode and the active mode is followed by step of stabilizing ion extraction from the tip.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the stabilization step comprises measuring a flow of extracted ions from the tip and altering a voltage level of a voltage being supplied to one or more electrode.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein a transition between idle mode and active mode does not involve heating the source.
17. A source of liquid metal ions, comprising:
a tip;
a first electrode and a second electrode;
a controller, coupled at least one voltage supply, for maintaining the first electrode at a first voltage level range and maintaining the second electrode at a second voltage range, such as to extract metal ions formed on a tip of the source, during an active mode of operation of the source; and for maintaining the first electrode at a third voltage level range and maintaining the second electrode a fourth voltage level range, such as to substantially reduce an extraction of metal ions from the tip, during an idle mode of operation of the source;
whereas at least one out of the third and fourth voltage level ranges does not include zero voltage level; and
whereas the first voltage level range differs than the third voltage level range.
18. The source of claim 17 whereas the first electrode is an extraction electrode.
19. The source of claim 18 wherein an upper end of the first voltage level range is higher than an upper end of the third voltage level range.
20. The source of claim 18 wherein the third voltage level range comprises voltage levels that are lower than non-extraction voltage level by a first voltage difference.
21. The source of claim 18 wherein an upper end of the fourth voltage level range is higher than an upper end of the second voltage level range.
22. The source of claim 18 wherein a transition between the idle mode and the active mode does not substantially alter ion-optical properties of an ion-optic components positioned downstream of the source.
23. The source of claim 18 wherein a transition between the idle mode and the active mode is fast.
24. The source of claim 17 wherein a transition between the idle mode and the active mode does not substantially alter ion-optical properties of an ion-optic components positioned downstream of the source.
25. The source of claim 24 wherein the transition is faster than a minute.
26. The source of claim 17 wherein a transition between 10 the active mode and the idle mode is fast.
27. The source of claim 17 whereas the first electrode is a suppression electrode.
28. The source of claim 17 wherein during the idle mode there is no emission of ions from the tip.
29. The source of claim 17 wherein during idle mode ions being provided to the tip are maintained in a liquid form.
30. The source of claim 17 wherein the controller is capable of initiating a stabilization process after a transition between the idle mode and the active mode.
31. The source of claim 30 wherein the stabilization process comprises measuring a flow of extracted ions from the tip and altering a voltage level of a voltage being supplied to one or more electrode.
32. The source of claim 30 wherein a transition between 25 idle mode and active mode does not involve heating the source.