JP2009288953A - Electronic control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic control device capable of preventing delay in a control process other than an initializing process even if a communication module is applied with the initializing process. <P>SOLUTION: An ECU10 executes initializing processing on a communication module 30 by splitting it into a plurality of rounds using communication software 20 when starting an engine or when restarting the ECU10 after occurrence of abnormality. The ECU10, for example, initializes a transmission reception queue 62 of a communication driver 60, a message box 52 of a controller 50, and a register 54 of the controller 50 by writing an initial value and also initializes a terminal 42 of a transceiver 40. Further, ECU10 writes predetermined data in the register 54 of the controller 50, and executes an operation confirmation process for determining whether a value of predetermined data that has been written agrees with a value read from the register 54. When each of a round of initializing processes finishes, the ECU10 executes vehicle control other than the initializing process. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to initialization of a communication module of an electronic control device that performs communication via a communication line.

  Conventionally, an electronic control unit (ECU) is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) such as a CAN (Controller Area Network), and processing is performed in the ECU by a control program that operates for each ECU, and a communication module. It is known to transmit / receive data to / from another ECU via a communication line.

  The ECU connected to the LAN as described above needs to initialize the hardware of each unit such as the memory and the register of the communication module when the power is turned on or restarted when an abnormality occurs. However, during the initialization process of the communication module, control processing other than the initialization process that can be performed without using the communication module cannot be performed. Implementation of control processing without using a communication module is delayed.

  For example, in the ECU connected to the in-vehicle LAN, if the time required for the initialization process for the communication module becomes long, a delay occurs in the control process for performing the vehicle control that can be performed without using the communication module. There is a risk that the vehicle control that is required will be hindered.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, an attempt is made to shorten the time required for initialization by omitting unnecessary initialization processing in accordance with the timing of initialization.
JP-A-7-302137

  However, in Patent Document 1, since essential initialization processing that cannot be omitted is performed, control processing other than initialization processing cannot be performed until the essential initialization processing is completed. In order to ensure the communication quality of the ECU, the initialization of the communication module of the ECU is an indispensable process, and therefore a part of the initialization process for the communication module cannot be omitted.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic control device that prevents delays in control processing other than initialization processing even when initialization processing is performed on a communication module. To do.

According to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the initialization unit performs the initialization process for the communication module that transmits and receives data to and from the communication line in a plurality of times.
Since the initialization processing for the communication module is not performed all at once, but is performed in a plurality of times, the time required for the initialization processing per time divided into a plurality of times is shortened. Thereby, it is not necessary to wait for the execution of the control process that does not use the communication module until all the initialization processes for the communication module are completed, and when each initialization process is completed, control processes other than the initialization process can be performed. As a result, even when the initialization process for the communication module is performed, delays in other control processes can be prevented. If the initialization process for the communication module divided into a plurality of times is completed, the control process using the communication module can be performed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the initialization means further comprises a rewritable nonvolatile division number storage means for storing a division number for performing the initialization process in a plurality of times, and the initialization means includes the division number. The initialization process is performed in a plurality of times based on the number of divisions stored in the storage means.

Thereby, the division number stored in the division number storage means can be appropriately set according to the performance of the electronic control unit, the time required for the initialization process for the communication module, and the like.
By the way, if there is an abnormality in a register for storing received data and transmitted data in the communication module, there is a possibility that data cannot be normally transmitted to and received from the communication line.

  Therefore, according to the invention described in claim 3, the initialization means writes the predetermined data to the register of the communication module that stores the reception data received from the communication line and the transmission data transmitted to the communication line. An operation check process is performed to determine whether the value of the written predetermined data matches the value read from the register.

  If the value of the predetermined data written to the register matches the value read from the register, it can be determined that the register is normal. Then, data can be normally transmitted to and received from the communication line using a normal register.

  Furthermore, in the operation confirmation process for writing predetermined data to a plurality of registers for storing transmission / reception data, and determining whether the value of the predetermined data written in the register matches the value read from the register, the other initialization process Takes a long time. Therefore, by performing the initialization process including the operation confirmation process for the register in a plurality of times, delay of other control processes can be prevented even when the initialization process including the operation confirmation process for the register is performed. .

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the electronic control device is mounted on the vehicle and performs vehicle control.
Thereby, when the initialization process of each time is complete | finished, vehicle control other than the initialization process which does not use a communication module can be implemented. As a result, even when the initialization process for the communication module is performed, the delay of the vehicle control requiring real time can be reduced as much as possible, and the vehicle control can be performed promptly. And if all the initialization processes with respect to a communication module are complete | finished, the vehicle control which uses a communication module can be implemented.

  It should be noted that each function of the means provided in the present invention is realized by a hardware resource whose function is specified by the configuration itself, a hardware resource whose function is specified by a program, or a combination thereof. The functions of the plurality of means are not limited to those realized by hardware resources that are physically independent of each other.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 10 is connected to an in-vehicle LAN using a CAN bus 100 as a communication line. In addition to the ECU 10, a plurality of ECUs are connected to the CAN bus 100. The ECU 10 is a microcomputer including a CPU 12, a RAM 14, a ROM 16, a flash memory 18, various registers, a communication interface, and the like. The ECU 10 functions as an initialization unit and a division number storage unit described in the claims.

  The CPU 12 of the ECU 10 controls the communication module 30 by executing the communication software 20 and also controls the devices of the various parts of the vehicle by executing the vehicle control software. Communication software 20 and vehicle control software are stored in ROM 16 or flash memory 18. The ECU 10 transmits and receives data to and from other ECUs via the CAN bus 100 using the communication module 30. When the ECU 10 includes a plurality of communication channels, the communication module 30 is installed for each communication channel.

  The ECU 10 may perform vehicle control in cooperation with other ECUs by transmitting / receiving data to / from other ECUs via the CAN bus 100, or directly input detection signals from various sensors without passing through the CAN bus 100. However, the vehicle control may be performed independently.

(Communication software 20)
The ECU 10 executes the communication software 20 to control the communication module 30 in response to a request from the vehicle control software, and exchanges data with other ECUs via the CAN bus 100. In addition, the ECU 10 performs an initialization process for the communication module 30 using the communication software 20.

(Communication module 30)
The communication module 30 transmits the transmission data generated by the higher-level communication software 20 to the CAN bus 100 and passes the reception data received from the CAN bus 100 to the communication software 20.

The communication module 30 mainly includes a transceiver 40, a controller 50, and a communication driver 60.
The transceiver 40 receives the bus signal of the CAN bus 100 from the terminal 42, converts it into a received signal that can be handled by the controller 50, outputs the signal to the controller 50, and transmits the transmission signal transmitted by the controller 50 to the bus for the bus of the CAN bus 100. The signal is converted into a signal and transmitted to the CAN bus 100.

  The controller 50 has a message box 52 and a register 54. The message box 52 includes, for example, a transmission message box 52 and a reception message box 52, and exchanges data between the register 54 of the controller 50 and the transmission / reception queue 62 of the communication driver 60.

The plurality of registers 54 are used for storing transmission data received from the message box 52 or storing received data received by the transceiver 40.
The controller 50 sequentially stores transmission data from the transmission queue 62 of the communication driver 60 via the transmission message box 52 in a plurality of registers 54, frames the transmission data stored in the register 54, and outputs the frames to the transceiver 40. Transmission control, receiving a frame from the CAN bus 100 via the transceiver 40, extracting messages and the like, sequentially storing them in a plurality of registers 54, and outputting them from the reception message box 52 to the reception queue 62 of the communication driver 60 Receiving control and bus arbitration control when transmission frames collide on the CAN bus 100 are performed.

  The communication driver 60 stores the transmission data generated by the communication software 20 in the transmission queue 62 at the time of transmission. Then, the communication driver 60 specifies an ID code corresponding to the message from the content of the message, and outputs the message and the ID code to the message box 52 for transmission.

  When the communication driver 60 receives a notification from the controller 50 that the frame has been received by an interrupt, a flag display, or the like, the communication driver 60 reads the message box 52 for reception and stores it in the reception queue 62.

(Initialization process)
The CPU 12 of the ECU 10 performs initialization processing for the communication software and communication hardware including the communication module 30 with the communication software 20 when the engine is started and when the ECU 10 is restarted when an abnormality occurs. This initialization process includes an operation confirmation process for the register 54 of the communication module 30.

2 to 5 show flowcharts of initialization processing related to communication. 2 to 5, “S” represents a step.
In S300 of FIG. 2, the ECU 10 writes an initial value in a use area of the RAM 14 used by the upper communication software 20, and initializes the communication module 30 in S302. S310 to S318 are flowcharts showing an overview of the initialization process of the communication module 30 performed in S302.

(Communication module 30 initialization process 1)
In S310, S312, and S314, the ECU 10 writes and initializes initial values in the transmission / reception queue 62 of the communication driver 60, the message box 52 of the controller 50, and the register 54 of the controller 50, respectively. Then, the ECU 10 initializes the terminal 42 of the transceiver 40 in S316, and performs an operation confirmation process on the register 54 of the controller 50 in S318.

  Here, if all the initialization processes for the communication module 30 shown in S310 to S318 in FIG. 2 are performed in one cycle, all the initialization of the communication module 30 is performed as shown in FIG. The processing time Ta may exceed the one-cycle processing time Tp that is the length of one processing cycle given to the ECU 10. In this case, not only processing 1 among processing 1 to processing 5 in which all initialization processing of the communication module 30 is classified for each processing cannot be performed within one cycle processing time Tp, but also control processing that does not use the communication module 30. It becomes impossible to carry out in one cycle.

Here, the processes 1 to 5 are classified as follows, for example.
(Process 1)
The terminal 42 of the transceiver 40 is initialized, and initial values are written in the message box 52 and the register 54 of the controller 50 and the transmission / reception queue 62 of the communication driver 60.

(Process 2)
Predetermined data is written to the register 54 of the controller 50.
(Process 3)
The value of the predetermined data written in the register 54 is read out.

(Process 4)
The value of the predetermined data written in the register write 54 is compared with the value read from the register 54.

(Process 5)
If the compared values match, the higher-level communication software 20 is notified that the initialization process for the communication module 30 has been completed normally. If the compared values do not match, the host communication software 20 is notified that the initialization process for the communication module 30 has ended abnormally.

  As described above, when all the initialization processes for the communication module 30 are performed in one processing cycle, when the entire communication module initialization processing time Ta exceeds the one-cycle processing time Tp, the processing 1 for initializing the communication module 30 It can be considered that the process 5 is performed in a plurality of times. For example, process 1 to process 5 are divided into process 1 and process 2 and process 3 to 5 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the total time of the maximum initialization processing time Ta1 of the initialization processing of the communication module 30 divided into a plurality of times and the control processing time Tb of the control processing not using the communication module 30 is shorter than the one-cycle processing time Tp. As a result, it is possible to implement a vehicle control process that does not use the communication module 30 after the end of each initialization process. After the final initialization process, a vehicle control process using the communication module 30 can be performed. As described above, by performing the initialization process for the communication module 30 in a plurality of times, it is possible to prevent a delay in the execution of vehicle control other than the initialization process, and to perform the vehicle control as quickly as possible.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, when the one-cycle processing time Tp1 is shorter, all the initialization processes of the communication module 30 are performed as the process 1, the process 2, the process 3, the process 4, the process 5, It may be divided into three times. Thereby, the total time of the maximum initialization process time Ta2 and the control process time Tb of the initialization process of the communication module 30 divided into a plurality of times becomes shorter than the one-cycle process time Tp2.

When the ECU 10 includes a plurality of communication channels, the initialization process for all the communication modules 30 corresponding to the plurality of communication channels is performed in a plurality of times.
If the sum of all communication module initialization processing times Ta and control processing time Tb when the initialization processing for the communication modules 30 is not divided is shorter than one cycle processing time Tp, the initialization processing for the communication modules 30 is performed. May be performed in one cycle without dividing.

(Initialization process 2 of the communication module 30)
FIGS. 3 to 5 are flowcharts in consideration of performing the initialization process of the communication module 30 in a plurality of cycles. 3 shows processing in the first execution cycle of the initialization processing of the divided communication module 30, FIG. 4 shows processing in the second and subsequent execution cycles of the initialization processing, and FIG. 5 shows the operation check processing. The process according to a result is shown.

(First implementation cycle)
In S320 of FIG. 3, the ECU 10 acquires the division number of the initialization process of the communication module 30 from the flash memory 18 as a rewritable nonvolatile division number storage unit, and stores it in the RAM 14 in S322. In S324, the ECU 10 determines whether the number of divisions in the initialization process is less than 2, that is, whether the number of divisions is 1 and division is not necessary.

  The number of divisions stored in the flash memory 18 is appropriately set by the user of the communication software 20 from, for example, an external terminal device connected to the CAN bus 100 based on the performance of the ECU 10 and the time required for the initialization process for the communication module 30. It is desirable to be able to do it.

In addition to this, the user may set the division number as appropriate by compiling the communication software 20 by rewriting the division number of the initialization process set in the communication software 20.
When the number of divisions is smaller than 2 (S324: Yes), in S326 and S328, the ECU 10 performs the initialization process by performing all initialization processes in one execution cycle as shown in FIG. Perform the determination process.

  When the number of divisions is 2 or more (S324: No), the ECU 10 performs an initialization process according to the first cycle in which the initialization process is performed based on the number of divisions (S330), and the number of times the initialization process is performed. Is stored as one time (S332). In step S334, the ECU 10 notifies the host communication software 20 that the initialization process has not been completed. When the incomplete initialization process is notified to the upper communication software 20, the ECU 10 performs a vehicle control process that does not use the communication module 30 within the remaining time of the one-cycle processing time Tp. Thereby, vehicle control can be implemented if the initialization process with respect to the communication module 30 divided | segmented into multiple times including the 2nd period or more is complete | finished in each period.

(Period from the second time on)
In S340 of FIG. 4, the ECU 10 performs an unimplemented initialization process corresponding to the second and subsequent execution cycles, and increments the number of times of the initialization process by 1 (S342).

  In S344, the ECU 10 determines whether the number of times the initialization process has been performed matches the number of divisions and the initialization process for the communication module 30 has been completed. When the number of times the initialization process is performed matches the number of divisions (S344: Yes), in S346, the ECU 10 performs a determination process that is a result of performing the initialization process.

  If the number of times the initialization process has been performed does not match the number of divisions (S344: No), the ECU 10 notifies the host communication software 20 that the initialization process has not been completed in S348. When the incomplete initialization process is notified to the upper communication software 20, the ECU 10 performs a vehicle control process that does not use the communication module 30 within the remaining time of the one-cycle processing time Tp.

(Operation confirmation processing result)
The routine of FIG. 5 corresponds to the result determination process of the initialization process performed in S328 of FIG. 3 and S346 of FIG. In S350, the ECU 10 determines whether the result of the initialization process for the communication module 30, that is, the result of the operation confirmation process for the register 54 is normal or abnormal. If the result of the initialization process is normal (S350: OK), in S352, the ECU 10 notifies the upper communication software that the result of the initialization process is normal.

  When the result of the initialization process for the communication module 30 is abnormal (S350: NG), in S354, the ECU 10 notifies the upper communication software that the result of the initialization process is abnormal.

  In the above-described embodiment, by performing the initialization process for the communication module 30 in a plurality of times, when the initialization process for the communication module 30 is completed, the communication is performed within the range of one cycle processing time Tp. Vehicle control processing other than initialization processing that does not use the module 30 can be performed. As a result, even when the initialization process for the communication module 30 is performed, the vehicle control delay can be reduced as much as possible, and the vehicle control can be performed promptly.

[Other Embodiments]
In the above embodiment, the predetermined data is written to the register 54 of the controller 50, and it is determined whether or not the value of the written predetermined data matches the value read from the register 54. On the other hand, in the initialization process for the communication module 30, in addition to the register 54, predetermined data is written into the message box 52 of the controller 50 and the transmission / reception queue 62 of the communication driver 60, and the value of the written predetermined data and the value read out It may be determined whether or not and the operation confirmation process is performed.

  In the above embodiment, the number of divisions of the initialization process for the communication module 30 is appropriately set by the user and stored in the flash memory 18. On the other hand, the division number of the initialization process for the communication module 30 may be fixed.

  In the above embodiment, the CAN bus has been described as an example of the communication line mounted on the vehicle. The communication line mounted on the vehicle is not limited to the CAN bus, and may be a bus with other specifications.

  The present invention is applied to an ECU used for any purpose as long as it is an ECU that communicates via a communication line using a communication module in addition to an ECU that is connected to an in-vehicle LAN and performs vehicle control. May be.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the gist thereof.

The block diagram which shows the structure of ECU by this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the initialization process with respect to a communication module. The flowchart which shows the 1st initialization process with respect to a communication module. The flowchart which shows the initialization process after the 2nd with respect to a communication module. The flowchart which shows the result determination of the initialization process with respect to a communication module. Explanatory drawing which shows the division | segmentation state of an initialization process.

Explanation of symbols

10: ECU (electronic control unit, initialization means, division number storage means), 18: flash memory (division number storage means), 30: communication module, 50: controller, 54: register, 100: CAN bus (communication line)

Claims (4)

In an electronic control device that performs communication via a communication line,
A communication module for transmitting and receiving data to and from the communication line;
Initialization means for performing the initialization process for the communication module in a plurality of times;
An electronic control device comprising: The initialization means further comprises a rewritable nonvolatile division number storage means for storing a division number for performing the initialization process in a plurality of times,
2. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the initialization unit performs the initialization process in a plurality of times based on the division number stored in the division number storage unit. The communication module has a register for storing reception data received from the communication line and transmission data to be transmitted to the communication line;
The initialization unit performs an operation confirmation process for writing predetermined data to the register and determining whether the value of the written predetermined data matches the value read from the register. Item 3. The electronic control device according to Item 1 or 2.   The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electronic control device is mounted on a vehicle to perform vehicle control.

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