JP2003114254A - Inspection method and inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inspection for confirming the executing state of an inspection process. SOLUTION: This inspection device writes inspection executing information in a FLASH ROM 17 in a process of manufacturing and inspecting an electronic control device 15 with built-in FLASH ROM 17, and confirms an inspection executing state of a pre-process by reading out the information in the FLASH ROM 17 in a post-process thereafter. Thus, even if a certain inspection process is not executed, a warning can be issued by identifying the fact in the post- process, and the executing state of the inspection process is confirmed to contribute to maintaining quality of a product.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection method and an inspection apparatus capable of identifying a certain inspection process and issuing a warning in a subsequent process when the inspection process is not performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a manufacturing line has a plurality of inspection processes, each of which carries out different inspections.

A product that has passed all the inspection processes and passed the inspection is guaranteed as a good product.

[0004]

However, such a conventional inspection does not have a means for confirming whether or not each inspection process has been carried out, and therefore it is determined whether or not each inspection has been passed. There was a problem that it could not be confirmed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inspection method and an inspection apparatus capable of confirming the implementation status of an inspection process.

[0006]

According to the inspection method of the present invention, the inspection completed information is written in the nonvolatile memory in the step of manufacturing and inspecting an electronic control unit having a built-in nonvolatile memory, and in the subsequent step. It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the inspection execution status of the previous process is confirmed by reading the information in the nonvolatile memory, and the inspection history information is used as the inspection execution completion information.

The inspection apparatus of the present invention comprises means for writing inspection completed information in the built-in non-volatile memory of the electronic control unit,
It is preferable to employ a configuration including a unit that reads out the inspection performed information in the nonvolatile memory, and to employ a configuration that uses inspection history information as the inspection performed information.

With such a structure, in the subsequent process,
The inspection execution status of the previous process can be confirmed by reading the inspection execution completion information in the non-volatile memory, and the inspection execution date and time and the inspection history information of the inspection device used can be used as the inspection execution completion information. The inspection history can be easily investigated as well as whether or not the inspection is performed. Therefore, even if a certain inspection process is not carried out, it can be identified and a warning can be issued in the subsequent process, and even if a problem occurs in the electronic control device as a product,
It can be useful for analyzing the cause.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an embodiment of an inspection method and an inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

First, the structure of the inspection apparatus will be described. In FIG. 1, an inspection apparatus 10 includes a personal computer (hereinafter, PC) 11 and an inspection apparatus main body (hereinafter, main body) 12
And the pseudo load device 13, the PC 1
1 executes an inspection program, and controls a main body 12 and a pseudo load device 13 connected to an electronic control unit (hereinafter, ECU) 15 to be inspected via a cable 14.

The ECU 15 has an input interface 16
And a CPU 18 having a built-in FLASH ROM (non-volatile memory) 17, and an output interface 19. The FLASH ROM 17 stores programs and data rewritably from the outside (inspection device or the like).

Next, an inspection method using the inspection device 10 will be described.
The operation and action will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in the inspection process, the PC 11 executes the inspection program (step S1), and, for example, the power supply voltage, the pulse signal, and the like set by the inspection program,
When the analog signal, the SW signal, and the serial signal are supplied from the main body 12 to the ECU 15 via the cable 14 (steps S2 and S3), the ECU 15 operates and the output signal is transmitted to the main body 12 and the pseudo load device 13. (Step S4).

Next, the PC 11 measures this signal (step S5), and if the measurement result conforms to the standard, it is judged as OK, and if not, it is judged as NG (step S6). The measurement result and the judgment result are saved.

If it is determined to be NG in step S6, the inspection program is re-executed, while if it is OK, the current date and time (that is, the inspection execution date and time) and the inspection device ID.
The inspection execution information (inspection history information) such as (for identifying the used inspection device) is transmitted to the ECU 15, and the ECU 15 shifts to the user program mode upon receiving the data, and uses the received data to store the data in the FLASH ROM 17. The prescribed area is rewritten (step S7). Before rewriting, "00" or "FF" is written.

The series of inspections are completed up to this point, and the next post-inspection step is performed. There, first, the information in the FLASH ROM 17 of the area rewritten in the previous step is read (step S8), and if this area is "00" or "FF", the previous step has not been performed, so it is judged as NG. While the subsequent inspection is not performed, the warning is displayed and the inspection is stopped, but in other cases, since the previous process is being performed, it is determined to be OK and the inspection is continued (step S9).

As described above, in the present embodiment, by writing the inspection execution information in the FLASH ROM 17, it is possible to judge whether or not the inspection is executed in the previous process in the subsequent process, which contributes to maintaining the quality of the product.

Further, even when a problem occurs in the electronic control unit 15, the inspection history information such as the inspection execution date and time and the inspection device ID in the FLASH ROM 17 can be used for the analysis of the cause.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In the subsequent process, the inspection execution status of the previous process can be confirmed by reading the inspection completion information in the non-volatile memory, so even if some inspection process was not executed, it will be identified and warned in the subsequent process. Can be issued. Therefore, it is possible to provide an inspection method having an excellent effect of being able to confirm the implementation status of the inspection process and contribute to maintaining the quality of the product.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of an inspection method according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Inspection device 11 personal computer 12 Inspection device body 13 Pseudo load device 14 cables 15 Electronic control unit 16 input interface 17 FLASH ROM 18 CPU 19 Output interface

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An electronic control device having a built-in non-volatile memory is manufactured and inspected, and inspection completed information is written in the non-volatile memory, and then information is read from the non-volatile memory in a subsequent process. An inspection method characterized by confirming the inspection implementation status of a process. 2. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein inspection history information is used as the inspection completion information. 3. An inspection apparatus comprising: means for writing inspection completed information in a built-in non-volatile memory of the electronic control unit; and means for reading out the inspection completed information in the non-volatile memory. 4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein inspection history information is used as the inspection completion information.