JP4304718B2 - Auxiliary equipment development support device for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a development support device for developing a vehicular auxiliary device control device disposed in a vehicle.

  In the conventional vehicle control device, it is not easy to take out the sensor output taken in by the control device or the signals exchanged inside the control device to reduce the size of the device, space saving, and cost reduction. Specifically, when a signal or the like is directly extracted from a control device installed in the vehicle, first, the interior of the vehicle is removed, and other devices that surround the target control device or are installed in the vicinity In many cases, it is necessary to remove the target control device from the bracket or stay after removing the bracket.

Furthermore, with the recent intelligentization, informationization, and safety improvement of vehicles, the control signals and information in the vehicles are increasing dramatically. This complicates the harness and increases the bundle diameter, and it may take a considerable amount of man-hours to remove the target control device. As one countermeasure against such a problem, as shown in Patent Document 1, a fault diagnosis device or a development support device is directly connected to the in-vehicle network without connecting a new signal line or harness to the target control device. Transferring signals or data with a target control device or the like is performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-301997

However, when using an in-vehicle network, it is targeted depending on the communication traffic of the in-vehicle network (that is, the degree of communication congestion), the priority of signals / data, the degree of urgency, etc., depending on the control state such as the driving of the automobile. In many cases, continuous communication cannot be continued between the control device and the external device connected to the in-vehicle network. In such a situation, when the target control device has a function related to vehicle safety, there is a problem in reliability in using the in-vehicle network for monitoring the failure of the control device. For this purpose, a method is used in which the main CPU of the control device is connected to the monitoring CPU via a dedicated data bus for monitoring.
However, in this case, since a further dedicated data bus or dedicated communication line is required for communication between the control device and the external development support device, there is a problem that the CPU becomes large and the cost is high.

An object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary equipment development support device for a vehicle that can be easily attached to a target control device and can check its detailed operation and function.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

A vehicle auxiliary machine development support device for solving the above-described problem has a communication line for performing data communication between connected CPUs, and a communication port to which communication data between the CPUs is input. In the vehicular auxiliary machine control device that monitors the operation of the CPU of the communication partner via the communication line,
Blocking means for blocking the communication line that connects the CPUs when connecting to the vehicular auxiliary machine control device, and the communication line and the communication port that are blocked to allow data communication between the CPUs It is assumed that it has a connection means for connecting to each other.

The above-mentioned vehicular auxiliary machine development support device operates a blocking means connected in the middle of a communication line (hereinafter referred to as “communication line”) connecting a plurality of CPUs of the vehicular auxiliary machine control device. Then, the communication line is cut off, and on the other hand, the cut off communication line is connected to the communication port of the auxiliary equipment development support device for vehicles by the connecting means. In this way, the direct communication line between the CPUs of the vehicular auxiliary machine control device is switched to the indirect communication line that interrupts the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device in the middle of the communication line, and this inter-CPU communication is performed. This is done via the vehicle auxiliary equipment development support device. This makes it possible to continuously monitor communications between CPUs without increasing the cost due to an increase in the communication port of the auxiliary controller for a vehicle or the addition of a CPU I / O function. By examining the responses of both CPUs to instructions / inquiries issued from the support device, the operation / function can be known in detail. For example, this means that a slight change in environmental conditions such as vehicle temperature, humidity, vibration or shock, or an instantaneous malfunction or malfunction of the CPU or peripheral circuit due to the influence of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) such as electromagnetic interference can be accurately detected. It is possible to capture.

In addition , the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device of the present invention has a plate-like plug in which connection electrodes having the number of electrodes corresponding to the number of communication ports are formed, and a socket to which the plate-like plug is connected, The connection means is configured to connect the communication port to the communication line by inserting the plug into the socket. In this way, it is possible to easily and surely connect to the communication line between CPUs using an inexpensive standard product multi-pole flat connector, and it is not affected by vehicle vibration in in-vehicle tests, etc. The reliability is high and the contact resistance at the connection point is also small, so the influence on high-speed data communication such as CPU can be reduced.

Further , in the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device of the present invention, the vehicular auxiliary machine control device is provided with a switch button for cutting off the communication line,
The plate-shaped plug is integrally formed with a protrusion,
When the plate plug is inserted into the socket, the blocking means presses the switch button to open a contact point in the middle of the communication line to cut off the communication line. It is. In this way, the communication line can be disconnected and connected in a single operation of inserting the plug into the socket, and the communication can be switched between the CPUs in this single operation. This makes it easy to reduce man-hours and, in turn, reduces development costs.

Further , the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device of the present invention, the diagnostic signal generation means for generating a diagnostic signal for diagnosing the operation of the CPU of the communication partner, and the diagnostic signal is transmitted to the CPU of the communication partner, And a communication means for receiving a response of the CPU of the communication partner with respect to the diagnostic signal. In this way, the auxiliary equipment development support device for vehicles placed in the middle of both CPUs can simulate abnormal signals and abnormal data (signals that deviate from the protocol in communication between CPUs, for example, the period of the signals) And send it to the CPU of the other party to check its function / behavior, or, for example, send a “numeric value and a predetermined calculation instruction using that numeric value” to the CPU. It is possible to investigate the accurate performance of the CPU by checking the calculation processing result etc. that the CPU has responded to, and confirming the fail-safe and fail-proof performance as an auxiliary equipment control device for vehicles. It can also be judged.

The auxiliary equipment development support device for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a mounting arm extending forward of the plate-shaped plug, a base on which the auxiliary equipment control device for the vehicle is mounted, and a screw for fixing the mounting arm. A positioning means having a mechanism,
The socket mechanism can be fitted into the plate-like plug by moving the pedestal by operating the screw mechanism. In this way, by operating the screw mechanism, the pedestal can be moved based on the screwing function of the screw, and the fitting state between the socket and the plug can be easily obtained mechanically. In addition, it is possible to test without changing the structure / shape of the auxiliary control device for a vehicle to be developed from a mass-produced product or with a shape / structure as close as possible to the final mass-produced product.

The auxiliary device development support device for a vehicle according to the present invention is a control device for an electric power steering device for assisting a steering force of a steering of a vehicle or a transmission ratio variable steering device for changing a transmission ratio of a rotation angle of the steering. This is applied to the control device. Both the electric power steering device and the variable transmission ratio steering device are important devices for controlling the steering of the vehicle, and in order to increase the reliability and safety, a plurality of CPUs are adopted for the control, and the operation thereof is performed. In many cases, it is possible to check the reliability of the apparatus by monitoring that it is normally maintained or by performing a fault diagnosis at the time of starting the engine. By applying the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device of the present invention to such a vehicular auxiliary machine control device, the functions / performances of a plurality of CPUs used by the vehicular auxiliary machine control device are quickly, easily and accurately examined. It is possible to increase the development speed of the auxiliary controller for a vehicle and further improve the safety performance such as fail-safe.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best mode of an auxiliary equipment development support device for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a basic circuit in a case where a vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10 of the present invention is attached to a vehicle auxiliary machine control device 20 to be developed. Switch the connection of communication lines 23 and 24 (consisting of balanced lines, distributed constant lines, etc.) between the two CPUs 21 and 22 of the vehicular auxiliary machine control device 20 using the tongue 11 of the connection switching mechanism. Communication between the CPU 21 and the CPU 22 is formed so as to pass through the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10. Specifically, when the convex plug 13 of the tongue 11 is inserted into the socket 25, the push button switch or micro switch button as a blocking means is pushed by the projection 12, and the two-pole contacts S1A and S1B are opened. A pair of communication lines 23 and 24 [Differential Transmission / Half Duplex / Full Duplex etc.] are blocked. At substantially the same time, the four contact points C1A, C1B, C1C, C1D of the connection means are turned on, and the both sides of the pair of communication lines 23, 24 that are cut off are connected to each other by the plurality of communications of the vehicle auxiliary equipment development support device 10. Connected to the port. In this way, the communication line is switched so that communication between the CPU 21 (CPU 1) and the CPU 22 (CPU 2) is performed via the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10.

  FIG. 2 shows a basic circuit when the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10 and the vehicle auxiliary machine control device 20 of FIG. 1 are not connected. Since the configuration of each part is the same as in FIG. 1, the description is omitted. However, since the tongue 11 of the connection switching mechanism is not connected, the two-pole contacts S1A and S1B of the blocking means are closed and the communication lines 23 and 24 are normally connected. The four contact points C1A, C1B, C1C, and C1D of the connection means are in an open state, and the communication lines 23 and 24 and the communication port of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10 are not connected. That is, the two CPUs 21 and 22 of the vehicular auxiliary machine control device 20 are directly connected and do not go through the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10.

[3A] in FIG. 3 shows the external shape and configuration of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10 of the present invention, and [3B] shows the circuit configuration of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10. The configuration and structure of the tongue 11 of the connection switching mechanism mounted on the side surface of the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10 will be described with reference to [3A]. Comb-like flat plate electrodes 14 are formed on both surfaces of the convex plug 13 and projections 12 for pressing the button of the blocking means are provided beside the convex plug 13. In the vehicular auxiliary machine control device 20 connected to the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10, a socket 25 having a metal leaf spring electrode 26 (according to the arrangement of the flat plate electrodes) facing the tongue 11 of the connection switching mechanism. Is attached, and a button 27 of a switch of a shut-off means that is projected by the protrusion 12 is attached to the side. The socket 25 and the blocking means S1A and S2A are also integrally attached to the printed circuit board 28 on which circuit components of the vehicular auxiliary machine control device 20 are mounted. In such a structure, by inserting the plug into the socket, the first switch can be turned off at the same time and the second switch can be turned on at the same time without touching the switch or contacts. Even when static electricity is charged, without affecting the CPU, smoothly connect the auxiliary equipment development support device of the present invention between the CPUs to communicate, via the auxiliary equipment development support device of the vehicle With this, communication between CPUs can be performed with high reliability. Furthermore, by defining the shape of the mounting arm according to the unevenness and grooves of the vehicle auxiliary machine control device to be developed, this vehicle auxiliary machine control device can be easily fixed to the base with the mounting arm.・ Can be held. Then, by rotating the screw mechanism mounted on the mounting arm, the auxiliary device control device for the vehicle is moved to the auxiliary device development support device while being fixed to the pedestal, and the socket is connected to the auxiliary device development support for the vehicle. It can be smoothly fitted to the plug of the apparatus. In addition, it is possible to test the vehicle auxiliary machine control device to be developed with the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device of this configuration connected when there is a surrounding space. It can be used for driving condition tests on chassis dynamometers, and is expected to improve development efficiency.
Next, the circuit configuration of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10 will be briefly described in [3B]. The vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10 connected between the two CPUs 21 and 22 for communication may be constituted by a general-purpose logic circuit (a combination of Gate Logic) or an ASIC (Applied Specific IC). The dedicated logic circuit may be applied, or may be configured by a microcomputer having excellent convenience as shown in [3B]. In the case of [3B] using a microcomputer, the four-pole contacts C1A, C1B, C1C, C1D of the connection means of the plurality of communication ports on the I / O and the convex plug 13 are connected individually, and the CPU RAM, ROM and this I / O are connected to each other by a data bus and an address bus. An external interface such as a Key Board / Switch Panel / Display is connected to this I / O as necessary.

Next, the operation of the mounting apparatus 100 for mounting the vehicular auxiliary machine control device 20 to the vehicular auxiliary machine development support apparatus 10 of the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIG. A mounting arm 31 is attached to a vehicle auxiliary machine development support unit 10 'integrated with a vehicle auxiliary machine development support apparatus 10 in a structure that can be rotated and supported by the vehicle auxiliary machine development support unit 10'. In the vehicular auxiliary machine control device 20 to be developed installed on the movable pedestal 34, the wing screw 32 attached to the tip of the mounting arm 31 is fitted in the screw hole 33 provided at the end of the movable pedestal. Sometimes it is lightly held and fixed along the irregularities of the casing. By rotating the thumbscrew 32, the moving base 34 gradually moves toward the vehicle auxiliary machine development support unit 10 ', so that the socket 25 of the vehicle auxiliary machine control device 20 is connected to the vehicle auxiliary machine development support apparatus 10. As described above, the connection is made by fitting the convex plug 13 and the tongue 11 of the connection switching mechanism. In this way, the mass-produced product can be used for the housing (case / cover / bracket etc.) of the vehicle auxiliary equipment control device to be developed, or the test can be performed with a shape and structure as close as possible to the final mass-produced product. (Changing the shape, structure, etc. of the developed product for testing, etc. may sometimes affect reliability in environmental tests / durability tests, etc.)

The configuration and operation of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support apparatus 10 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 when the vehicular auxiliary machine control apparatus 20 has three CPUs. The three CPUs 211, 212, and 213 use a pair of communication lines 221 and 222 and another pair of communication lines 223 and 224 to communicate with each other and monitor the operation of the partner CPU. In the middle of the two sets of communication lines, four-pole contacts S21, S22, S23, and S24 serving as blocking means are provided. On both sides of these contacts, the respective communication lines are connected to a total of eight contact points C21, C22, C23, C24, C25, C26, C27, C28 of the connecting means. Now, when the convex plate-like plug 13 of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10 is inserted into the socket 250 of the vehicular auxiliary machine control device 20 and the tongue 11 of the connection switching mechanism is activated, The pole contacts S21, S22, S23, S24 are opened to cut off the two pairs of communication lines [221, 222] and [223, 224], and the 8-pole contacts C21, C22, C23 of the connecting means described above. , C24, C25, C26, C27, and C28 are individually connected to the eight communication ports of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10. In this way, communication between the CPU 211 (CPU 1) and the CPU 212 (CPU 2) and communication between the CPU 212 (CPU 2) and the CPU 213 (CPU 3) are both performed via the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10 (through the CPU). The operation of the three CPUs 211, 212, and 213 is monitored by the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10, and a function check signal is generated and transmitted to the target CPU as necessary, and actively from its response, behavior, etc. It is possible to confirm and judge the function of the CPU.

An outline of the active CPU function check method of the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device 10 using a microcomputer will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step P1, the function check procedure starts. First, the diagnostic content instruction (issued from the interface device such as the switch panel) is identified by P2, and the CPU function check signal corresponding to it is identified by P3 (by changing the clock signal cycle of communication) and examining the response on the CPU side There are various methods such as “mixing error codes” into communication data to check the error detection function of the CPU, or sending “reply the result of complicated arithmetic processing using specific numerical data” To do. This is transmitted to the target CPU at P4, and control such as retransmission is performed while checking the response status at P5. If there is a response from the CPU, check the contents at P6, judge the function of the CPU at P7, display the result at P8, P9, inform the worker / evaluator of the result, and end / wait at P10 .

Next, the vehicle auxiliary machine development support device 10 of the present invention includes a plurality of CPUs that monitor each other in order to achieve high reliability and high safety in the target vehicle auxiliary machine control device 20. It is preferably applied to an electric power steering device, a transmission ratio variable steering device, and the like. Electric power steering is often used in small cars because it has less horsepower loss than hydraulic power steering using a hydraulic pump. The torque applied to the steering wheel is detected by the torque sensor, and the steering wheel operating force is reduced by using an electric motor (instead of hydraulic pressure) only when necessary, such as when running out or running at low speed. Next, the variable transmission ratio steering device corrects that the understeer characteristic becomes stronger when the steering angle is fixed while accelerating, and the oversteer characteristic becomes stronger when the steering angle is fixed and decelerated, thereby correcting the steering performance without causing a sense of incongruity. Often used to obtain Specifically, in a device that varies the rudder angle ratio between the input shaft connected to the steering wheel and the output shaft that steers the wheel, the rudder angle ratio that changes according to the vehicle speed (the rudder angle ratio is small at high speeds, Correction control is performed toward the target rudder angle ratio so that the rudder angle ratio is increased at a low speed and gradually decreases as the actual rudder angle increases.

Both the electric power steering control device and the variable transmission ratio steering device are important safety devices that control the steering of the vehicle, and in order to increase its reliability and safety, multiple CPUs are adopted for its control and its operation is In many cases, normality is monitored in a timely manner, and self-diagnosis is performed at the time of engine start, etc., so that the reliability of the device can be self-checked. By applying the vehicular auxiliary machine development support device of the present invention to such a vehicular auxiliary machine control device, the functions and performances of a plurality of CPUs used by the vehicular auxiliary machine control device can be quickly, easily and accurately examined. As a result, it is possible to increase the speed of development of auxiliary control devices for vehicles, and to further improve safety performance such as fail-safe / fail-soft and high reliability such as fail-proof or Noise Immunity / EMC.

The basic circuit diagram which shows the communication line between CPU at the time of connecting the auxiliary equipment development assistance apparatus for vehicles of this invention to the auxiliary equipment control apparatus for vehicles. The basic circuit diagram which shows the communication line between CPU in case the auxiliary equipment development assistance apparatus for vehicles of this invention is not connected to the auxiliary equipment control apparatus for vehicles. The schematic structure figure which shows the structure and shape of the tongue part of the connection switching mechanism of the auxiliary equipment development assistance apparatus for vehicles of this invention, and the circuit block diagram of the auxiliary equipment development assistance apparatus for vehicles using a microcomputer. FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram showing the configuration and operation of a mounting device for mounting a vehicle accessory control device on the vehicle accessory development support device 0 of the present invention. The circuit diagram which shows the communication line between CPU at the time of connecting the auxiliary equipment development assistance apparatus for vehicles of this invention to the auxiliary equipment control apparatus for vehicles provided with three CPU. The flowchart figure explaining the method in which the auxiliary equipment development assistance apparatus for vehicles using a microcomputer checks the CPU function of the auxiliary equipment control apparatus for vehicles.

Explanation of symbols

10 Vehicle auxiliary equipment development support equipment
20 Auxiliary equipment control equipment for vehicles
11 Tongue of connection switching mechanism
12 Protrusion that pushes the switch button of the shut-off means
13 Convex plate-shaped plug for conducting the connection means
25 Socket for fitting a convex plug
21 One of the multiple CPUs (CPU1) in the vehicle auxiliary equipment controller
22 Another one of multiple CPUs (CPU2)
23 One of a pair of communication lines (communication lines) connecting the CPUs
24 Another one of a pair of communication lines (communication lines) connecting between CPUs
Two electrodes for S1A and S2A blocking means
Four electrodes for C1A, C1B, C1C, C1D connection means
100 Attaching device for mounting a vehicular auxiliary control device 20 on a vehicular auxiliary development support device 10
10 ′ vehicle auxiliary equipment development support unit mounting arm thumbscrew screw hole moving base blocking means switch button socket 25 metal leaf spring electrode

Claims (4)

A vehicle having a communication line for performing data communication between connected CPUs and a communication port for inputting communication data between the CPUs, wherein the CPU monitors the operation of the CPU of the communication partner via the communication line Auxiliary machine control device
Blocking means for blocking the communication line that connects the CPUs when connecting to the vehicular auxiliary machine control device, and the communication line and the communication port that are blocked to allow data communication between the CPUs have a, and connection means for connecting the door,
The vehicular auxiliary machine control device has a plate-like plug in which a connection electrode having the number of electrodes corresponding to the number of communication ports is formed and a socket to which the plate-like plug is connected, and the connection means includes: Plug the plug into the socket and connect the communication port to the communication line;
The vehicle auxiliary machine control device is provided with a switch button for blocking the communication line,
The plate-shaped plug is integrally formed with a protrusion,
When the plate plug is inserted into the socket, the blocking means opens the contact point in the middle of the communication line by pressing the switch button so that the communication line is blocked. An auxiliary equipment development support device for vehicles.   Diagnostic signal generating means for generating a diagnostic signal for diagnosing the operation of the communication partner CPU; transmitting the diagnosis signal to the communication partner CPU; and receiving a response of the communication partner CPU to the diagnosis signal The auxiliary device development support device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a communication unit configured to perform communication. A positioning means having a mounting arm extending in front of the plate-like plug, a pedestal on which the vehicle accessory control device is mounted, and a screw mechanism for fixing the mounting arm;
The auxiliary device development support device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the socket can be fitted into the plate-like plug by moving the pedestal by operating the screw mechanism . 4. A development support device for a control device for an electric power steering device for assisting a steering force of a steering of a vehicle or a control device for a variable transmission ratio steering device for changing a transmission ratio of a rotation angle of the steering . The auxiliary machine development support apparatus for a vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims.

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