Electric equipment system

Abstract

An input/output device inputting and outputting information to an external device includes a control section for communicating with an external controller. Electric equipment for communicating with the input/output device includes an input/output assignment storing section for storing which port of an input circuit an input from the external device is assigned to, and which port of an output circuit an output is assigned to. The electric equipment also includes an electric-equipment-side input/output control section for operating a function of the electric equipment based on information from the control section, or transmitting, to the control section, the information indicating which port of the output circuit an output of the electric equipment is output to. The electric equipment, using the external controller, stores the information related to the assignment in the input/output assignment storing section, or alters the information related to the assignment stored in the input/output assignment storing section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric equipment system comprising:
 an input/output device having a function of inputting and outputting information to an external device; and   electric equipment for communicating with the input/output device,   wherein the input/output device includes:
 a general-purpose input circuit section for inputting information from the external device; 
 a general-purpose output circuit section for outputting information to the external device; and 
 an input/output control section for communicating with at least one of the general-purpose input circuit section, the general-purpose output circuit section, and the electric equipment, 
   wherein the electric equipment includes:
 an input/output assignment storing section for storing which input channel of the general-purpose input circuit section an input signal from the external device is assigned to, and which output channel of the general-purpose output circuit section an output signal to the external device is assigned to; and 
 an electric-equipment-side input/output control section for operating a function of the electric equipment based on a signal transmitted from the input/output control section, or transmitting, to the input/output control section, a signal indicating which channel of the general-purpose output circuit section an output signal from the electric equipment is output to, 
   wherein at least one of the input/output control section and the electric-equipment-side input/output control section communicates with an external controller, and   wherein the electric equipment system stores the information related to the assignment in the input/output assignment storing section using the external controller, or alters the information related to the assignment stored in the input/output assignment storing section using the external controller.   
     
     
         2 . The electric equipment system of  claim 1 ,
 the electric equipment including:
 a first rectifying section for rectifying an input AC voltage; 
 an inverter for converting an output of the first rectifying section into a high frequency wave; 
 a transformer for varying a voltage of an output of the inverter; 
 a second rectifying section for rectifying an output of the transformer; and 
 an output terminal for outputting an output of the second rectifying section to between an electrode for welding and a welding object, 
   wherein the external controller being a personal computer for communicating with the electric equipment via the input/output device.   
     
     
         3 . The electric equipment system of  claim 1 ,
 the electric equipment including:
 a first rectifying section for rectifying an input AC voltage; 
 an inverter for converting an output of the first rectifying section into a high frequency wave; 
 a transformer for varying a voltage of an output of the inverter; 
 a second rectifying section for rectifying an output of the transformer; and 
 an output terminal for outputting an output of the second rectifying section to between an electrode for welding and a welding object, 
   wherein the external controller being a setting device for setting a welding condition for the electric equipment.   
     
     
         4 . The electric equipment system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the input/output device is disposed on a surface of the electric equipment, the input/output device is disposed at a position separate from the electric equipment, or the input/output device is disposed inside the electric equipment.   
     
     
         5 . The electric equipment system of  claim 2 , wherein
 the input/output device is disposed on a surface of the electric equipment, the input/output device is disposed at a position separate from the electric equipment, or the input/output device is disposed inside the electric equipment.   
     
     
         6 . The electric equipment system of  claim 3 , wherein
 the input/output device is disposed on a surface of the electric equipment, the input/output device is disposed at a position separate from the electric equipment, or the input/output device is disposed inside the electric equipment.