Electronic control unit for a vehicle with galvanically isolated supply voltage on a single printed circuit board

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle, comprising a 12V domain (20) and a 48V domain (30), the 12V domain (20) being designed to control an electrical load (50) supplied with a first supply voltage (V12), and the 48V domain (30) being designed to control an electrical load (40) supplied with a second supply voltage (V48). The two domains (20, 30) are arranged on a single printed circuit board PCB and are galvanically isolated from each other, and are connected to each other via a galvanically isolated data interface (11), the data interface (11) being designed to transmit data between the two domains (20, 30) according to a half-duplex or full-duplex communication protocol. The 48V domain (30) comprises a 48V microcontroller (32) and a 48V power supply (31) supplying the 48V microcontroller (32), wherein the 48V power supply (31) is powered by a first supply voltage (V12) from the 12V domain (20) via the galvanically isolated supply interface (12).

Description

Background Art

[0001] The electrical system of a hybrid vehicle is powered by a plurality of supply voltages, for example a first supply voltage of 12 V and a second supply voltage of 48 V. In order to control electrical loads supplied with different voltages, such as motors driving actuators, valves or heaters, and in order to verify and control each supply voltage, according to the prior art, a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) are provided for the hybrid vehicle, wherein each ECU is dedicated to a single supply voltage.

[0002] Furthermore, ECUs are known which comprise subsystems or domains dedicated to different supply voltages, wherein these subsystems are coupled to transfer digital and / or analog signals. Summary of the invention

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ECU for verifying and / or controlling different supply voltages and for verifying and / or controlling electrical loads powered by different supply voltages.

[0004] This object is achieved by the ECU according to the invention.

[0005] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are given below.

[0006] An electronic control unit (ECU) for a vehicle includes a 12V domain and a 48V domain.

[0007] The 12V domain is designed to control at least one electrical load which is supplied with the first supply voltage. Furthermore, the 12V domain itself is at least partially supplied with the first supply voltage.

[0008] The 48V domain is designed to control at least one electrical load which is supplied with the second supply voltage. Furthermore, the 48V domain itself is at least partially supplied with the second supply voltage.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the first supply voltage is selected to be 12 volts and the second supply voltage is selected to be 48 volts.

[0010] Both the 12V domain and the 48V domain are arranged on a single printed circuit board (PCB). The 12V domain and the 48V domain are galvanically isolated from each other. Preferably, the 12V domain and the 48V domain are galvanically isolated such that they can withstand a voltage difference of at least 1 kilovolt.

[0011] The two domains are connected via a data interface which is galvanically isolated and configured for data transmission according to a half-duplex or full-duplex communication protocol.

[0012] According to the invention, the 48V domain comprises a 48V microcontroller and a 48V power supply for supplying the 48V microcontroller. The 48V power supply is supplied by a first supply voltage from the 12V domain via a galvanically isolated supply interface.

[0013] In this way, the 48V microcontroller can operate even if the second supply voltage is turned off. Therefore, a diagnostic test can be performed on the 48V microcontroller before the second supply voltage is turned on to detect faults in the 48V domain, including faults of the 48V microcontroller itself.

[0014] In addition, the supply interface provides galvanic separation to extend to the 48V supply and the 48V microcontroller and protect these components.

[0015] Since the two domains are arranged on a single PCB, the occupied area and installation space can be reduced. In addition, the design, manufacturing and service costs can be reduced compared to the solution using multiple separate ECUs from the prior art.

[0016] In one embodiment, the 48V domain includes a 48V load control designed to verify the state of the second supply voltage and / or a 48V motor control designed to control at least one electrical load supplied by the second supply voltage. In this embodiment, the 48V microcontroller is arranged and configured to control the 48V load control and / or the 48V motor control.

[0017] An advantage of this embodiment is that a control loop for an electrical load supplied by the second supply voltage can be implemented with particularly low latency, since measurements and commands do not need to be transmitted between the 12 V domain and the 48 V domain. The same advantage also applies to a control loop for verifying and / or controlling the second supply voltage. In particular, this embodiment of the invention can implement a more stable control loop for an electrical load supplied by the second supply voltage.

[0018] In one embodiment, the data interface is configured to transmit digital data. In this embodiment, all analog signals obtained from or sent to the electrical load supplied by the second supply voltage are digitized by the 48V microcontroller. The digitized values ​​can then be processed by the 48V microcontroller and / or transmitted via the digital data interface between the 48V microcontroller and the 12V microcontroller.

[0019] Digital data can be transmitted via a serial bus or protocol that requires fewer wires or lines, thus reducing the technical burden of isolating the data interface. In addition, digital data is less sensitive to electromagnetic interference and does not require a precise reference voltage for analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). This improves the robustness and accuracy of data transmitted along the data interface and prevents data loss because no conversion to an analog signal is required.

[0020] In one embodiment, the data interface is configured to support the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol and / or the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol and / or the Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) protocol. Such protocols are well known and can be implemented with available components and circuits, thereby reducing the design and manufacturing burden.

[0021] In one embodiment, the supply interface comprises a flyback converter. A flyback converter is a well-known and readily available voltage-to-direct current (DC / DC) conversion component that provides good galvanic separation between input and output.

[0022] In one embodiment, the first supply voltage is 12 V and the second supply voltage is 48 V, wherein electrical loads with relatively high power consumption, such as heaters or high-power pump motors, are supplied with 48 V, and electrical loads with relatively low power consumption, such as valves or gear selection motors, are supplied with 12 V. In this way, the overall power consumption can be optimized.

[0023] In one embodiment, the 48V microcontroller is configured to perform a power-on test of the 48V domain when the first supply voltage is turned on. Through an external switch mechanism, the first supply voltage can be turned on before the second supply voltage is turned on. When the 48V microcontroller detects a fault during the power-on test, the second supply voltage can be prevented from being turned on, and the ECU can be put into a fault protection state. In this way, the safety and protection of the ECU and the components controlled by the ECU can be improved.

[0024] In one embodiment, the 12V domain includes a 12V microcontroller connected to a 48V microcontroller via a data interface, wherein the 12V microcontroller is configured as a master controller and the 48V microcontroller is configured as a slave controller. When the first supply voltage is turned on, the 12V microcontroller can perform a power-on test of the 12V domain. Since the 12V microcontroller operates as a master controller, the 12V microcontroller can be configured to enable the second supply voltage and / or pass control to the 48V microcontroller only when the power-on test of the 12V domain shows no faults. In this way, the safety and protection of the ECU and the components controlled by the ECU can be improved.

[0025] In one embodiment, the 12V domain includes a 12V load control designed to verify the state of the first supply voltage and / or a 12V motor control designed to control at least one electrical load supplied by the first supply voltage, wherein the 12V microcontroller is arranged and configured to control the 12V load control and / or the 48V motor control.

[0026] An advantage of this embodiment is that a control loop for an electrical load supplied by the first supply voltage can be implemented with particularly low latency, since measurements and commands do not need to be transmitted between the 12 V domain and the 48 V domain. The same advantage also applies to a control loop for verifying and / or controlling the first supply voltage. In particular, this embodiment of the invention can implement a more stable control loop for an electrical load supplied by the first supply voltage.

[0027] In one embodiment, the 12V domain includes a 12V-CAN controller, which is designed to transmit data via a CAN bus and is connected to a 12V microcontroller. In this way, the 12V domain can be controlled via the CAN bus, and the 12V domain can exchange data and commands with other control units of the vehicle connected to the CAN bus. In addition, via this data interface, the 48V domain can communicate via the CAN bus. Since the CAN bus is a commonly used communication standard in vehicles, this embodiment improves the compatibility of the ECU.

[0028] In one embodiment, the 12V microcontroller is configured to perform operations related to vehicle safety, and the 48V microcontroller is configured to perform operations not related to vehicle safety. In this way, the overall effort of risk control measures can be reduced and the reliability of the ECU can be improved.

[0029] Further applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given below. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, although indicating exemplary embodiments of the present invention, are given only as examples, because various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given herein and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only and thus do not limit the present invention, and in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic electronic design of a hybrid electronic control unit with isolated CAN nodes according to the prior art,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic electronic design of a hybrid electronic control unit with an isolated microcontroller according to the prior art, and Figure 3 A schematic electronic design of a hybrid electronic control unit is shown, wherein the 48 volt voltage domain is galvanically isolated from the 12 volt voltage domain and is partially powered by the 12 volt voltage domain.

[0033] In all the figures, corresponding parts are marked with the same reference symbols. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Fig. 1 shows a schematic electronic design of a hybrid electronic control unit (ECU) 10 for a hybrid vehicle according to the prior art. The ECU 10 is implemented on a single printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a 12V domain 20 and a 48V domain 30 that are galvanically isolated from each other.

[0035] The 12V domain 20 is powered by a 12V supply voltage V12 of 12 volts and a 12V ground line G12. The 48V domain 30 is powered by a 48V supply voltage V48 of 48 volts and a 48V ground line G48. According to the prior art, the 12V supply voltage V12 is turned on before the 48V supply voltage V48.

[0036] The 12V domain 20 is formed as a Controller Area Network (CAN) node. It provides a first CAN pin CANH and a second CAN pin CANL that can be connected to an external two-wire CAN bus. As is known to all, the CAN bus is used for data transmission between various control units of a vehicle.

[0037] ECU 10 comprises a data interface 11, which is designed to transmit data between CAN pins CANL and CANH of 12V domain 20 and 48V domain 30. Data interface 11 has a 12 volt side 11.12V connected to 12V domain 20 and a 48 volt side 11.48V connected to 48V domain 30. Both sides 11.12V and 11.48V of data interface 11 are galvanically isolated from each other. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, both sides 11.12V and 11.48V of data interface 11 are designed and configured to support CAN protocol, thereby forming a serial CAN interface between 12V domain 20 and 48V domain 30.

[0038] The 12V domain 20 includes a 12V power supply 21, which supplies power to the 12 volt side 11.12V of the data interface 11. The 12V power supply 21 is powered by a 12V supply voltage V12.

[0039] The 48V domain 30 includes a 48V power supply 31 which supplies power to the 48V side 11.48V of the data interface 11. The 48V power supply 31 is powered by a 48V supply voltage V48. The 48V power supply 31 has a 48V power supply status pin 31.S which indicates the status of the 48V power supply 31.

[0040] The power supplies 21 , 31 provide a voltage of 5 volts to power each side 11.12V, 11.48V of the data interface 11 .

[0041] The 48V domain 30 also includes a 48V microcontroller 32 , a 48V load control 33 , and a 48V motor control 34 .

[0042] The 48V load control 33 is powered by the 48V supply voltage V48 and is designed to control and / or verify the load state of the externally provided 48 volt voltage via the first and second detection pins V48H, V48L. The detection pins V48H, V48L are connected to the 48V supply voltage V48 and the 48V ground line G48 via external measuring resistors, respectively.

[0043] The 48V motor control 34 is powered by a 48V supply voltage V48 and is designed to control an external brushless direct current (BLDC) motor 40. The BLDC motor 40 may be formed as an actuator, such as a high power pump motor.

[0044] In one embodiment, the 48V domain 30 may also include a controller powered by the 48V supply voltage V48 and designed to control an external electrical load, such as a heater. Furthermore, controllers controlling more than one external electrical load are known from the prior art.

[0045] The 48V microcontroller 32 is powered by the 48V power supply 31. For example, the 48V microcontroller 32 is supplied with a 5V voltage provided by the 48V power supply 31.

[0046] The 48V microcontroller 32 is connected to the 48V side 11.48V of the data interface 11, to the 48V power supply status pin 31.S of the 48V power supply 31, to the 48V load control 33, and to the 48V motor control 34, so that the 48V microcontroller 32 can transmit data, such as status information, acquired measurement values ​​or control signals, with the data interface 11, the 48V power supply 31, the 48V load control 33 and the 48V motor control 34. The connection can be formed as a multi-wire connection.

[0047] Specifically, the 48V microcontroller 32 is configured to receive instructions via the data interface 11 and convert these instructions into control signals for controlling the 48V motor control 34. The 48V microcontroller 32 is also configured to retrieve diagnostic data, such as status data, from the 48V power supply 31, from the 48V load control 33 and / or from the 48V motor control 34, and transmit such diagnostic data to the CAN pins CANH, CANL via the data interface 11, and thus to the external CAN bus. The 48V microcontroller 32 can also be configured to run software that implements a control loop for controlling peripheral components, such as one or more BLDC motors 40, heaters, or other actuators supplied by the 48V supply voltage V48.

[0048] From the prior art, embodiments are known in which the 12V domain 20 comprises a CAN controller arranged between the CAN pins CANH, CANL and the 12V side 11.12V of the data interface 11 .

[0049] In addition, such embodiments are known in which the 12V domain 20 includes a 12V microcontroller 22, but in which the 48V domain 30 does not include a 48V microcontroller 32, as shown in FIG2. In such embodiments, data such as status information, acquired measurements or control signals are transmitted between the 12V microcontroller 22 and the components of the 48V domain 30 (such as the 48V power supply 31, the 48V load control 33 and the 48V motor control 34) via the data interface 11. In order to provide the 12V microcontroller 22 with access to the external CAN bus, such embodiments may also include a 12V-CAN controller 25 arranged between the CAN pins CANH, CANL and the 12V microcontroller 22.

[0050] Therefore, in those embodiments, it is not sufficient to form the data interface 11 as a serial interface such as a CAN interface. Instead, the data interface 11 is designed to transmit multiple digital and / or analog signals in parallel. Of course, in order to maintain the galvanic isolation of the domains 20, 30, each signal line of the data interface 11 must be designed to be galvanically separated.

[0051] In yet another embodiment known in the prior art, the 48V motor control 34 is replaced with a controller implemented in the 12V domain 20 and a power circuit including a power transistor implemented in the 48V domain 30. Such an embodiment requires an additional signal line along the data interface 11 to control the gate voltage of the power transistor. In such an embodiment, precise control of the gate voltage and compliance with electromagnetic compatibility add additional technical burdens.

[0052] Furthermore, embodiments are known from the prior art in which a 12V load control 23 is implemented in the 12V domain 20 , which is configured to control and / or verify the state of the 12V supply voltage V12 .

[0053] Figure 3 An ECU is schematically shown, wherein a 12V domain 20 and a 48V domain 30 are arranged on the same PCB.

[0054] The 12V domain 20 is powered by a 12V supply voltage V12 of 12 volts and a 12V ground line G12. The 48V domain 30 is powered by a 48V supply voltage V48 of 48 volts and a 48V ground line G48.

[0055] The 12V domain 20 is formed as a Controller Area Network (CAN) node and provides a first CAN pin CANH and a second CAN pin CANL which can be connected to an external two-wire CAN bus.

[0056] The ECU 10 includes a data interface 11 designed to transmit data between the 12V domain 20 and the 48V domain 30. The data interface 11 has a 12V side 11.12V connected to the 12V domain 20 and a 48V side 11.48V connected to the 48V domain 30. The two sides 11.12V, 11.48V of the data interface 11 are galvanically isolated from each other such that the isolation can withstand a voltage of at least 1 kV.

[0057] In one embodiment, the data interface 11 is configured according to a standardized full-duplex or half-duplex communication protocol for digital data, such as CAN or a serial peripheral interface (SPI). In one embodiment, the data interface 11 and the domains 20, 30 are configured such that the 12V domain 20 acts as a master domain and the 48V domain 30 acts as a slave domain.

[0058] The data interface 11 includes a plurality of data lines designed to transmit digital data between the 12V domain 20 and the 48V domain 30. Each data line is galvanically isolated to maintain galvanic separation between the two sides 11.12V, 11.48V of the data interface 11.

[0059] The 12V domain 20 includes a 12V power supply 21, which supplies power to the 12 volt side 11.12V of the data interface 11. The 12V power supply 21 is powered by a 12V supply voltage V12.

[0060] The 48V domain 30 comprises a 48V power supply 31 which supplies power to the 48 volt side 11.48V of the data interface 11. According to the invention, the 48V power supply 31 is supplied via a supply interface 12 arranged between the 12V domain 20 and the 48V domain 30.

[0061] The supply interface 12 has a 12 volt side 12.12V connected to the 12V domain 20 and a 48 volt side 12.48V connected to the 48V domain 30. The two sides 12.12V, 12.48V of the supply interface 12 are galvanically isolated from each other.

[0062] On its 12 volt side 12.12 V, the supply interface 12 is connected to the 12 volt supply line and thus to a 12 V supply voltage of 12 volts.

[0063] On its 48 volt side 12.48 V, the supply interface 12 is connected to a 48 V power source 31 and supplies it.

[0064] In one embodiment, the supply interface 12 may be formed as a flyback converter. However, other embodiments of DC / DC converters known in the art providing galvanic separation of input and output may also be used.

[0065] The 48V power supply 31 has a 48V power supply status pin 31 .S, which indicates the status of the 48V power supply 31 .

[0066] The power supplies 21 , 31 provide a voltage of 5 volts to power each side 11.12V, 11.48V of the data interface 11 .

[0067] The 48V domain 30 also includes a 48V microcontroller 32 , a 48V load control 33 , and a 48V motor control 34 .

[0068] The 48V load control 33 is powered by the 48V supply voltage V48 and is designed to control and / or verify the load state of the externally provided 48 volt voltage via the first and second detection pins V48H, V48L. The detection pins V48H, V48L are connected to the 48V supply voltage V48 and the 48V ground line G48 via external measuring resistors, respectively.

[0069] The 48V motor control 34 is powered by a 48V supply voltage V48 and is designed to control an external brushless direct current (BLDC) motor 40. The BLDC motor 40 may be formed as an actuator, such as a high power pump motor.

[0070] In one embodiment, the 48V domain 30 may also include a controller powered by the 48V supply voltage V48 and designed to control an external electrical load such as a heater. In addition, controllers that control more than one external electrical load are known in the art.

[0071] The 48V microcontroller 32 is powered by the 48V power supply 31. For example, the 48V microcontroller 32 is supplied with a 5V voltage provided by the 48V power supply 31.

[0072] The 48V microcontroller 32 is connected to the 48V side 11.48V of the data interface 11, to the 48V power supply status pin 31.S of the 48V power supply 31, to the 48V load control 33, and to the 48V motor control 34, so that the 48V microcontroller 32 can transmit data, such as status information, acquired measurement values ​​or control signals, with the data interface 11, the 48V power supply 31, the 48V load control 33 and the 48V motor control 34. The connection can be formed as a multi-wire connection and can be designed to carry digital and / or analog signals.

[0073] Specifically, the 48V microcontroller 32 is configured to receive instructions via the data interface 11 and convert these instructions into control signals for controlling the 48V motor control 34. The 48V microcontroller 32 is also configured to retrieve diagnostic data, such as status data, from the 48V power supply 31, from the 48V load control 33 and / or from the 48V motor control 34, and transmit such diagnostic data to the 12V domain 20 via the data interface 11. The 48V microcontroller 32 may also be configured to run software that implements control loops for controlling peripheral components, such as one or more BLDC motors 40, heaters, or other actuators supplied by the 48V supply voltage V48.

[0074] The 12V domain 20 comprises a 12V microcontroller 22 supplied by a 12V power supply 21 known in the art. Furthermore, the 12V domain 20 comprises a 12V load control 23, a 12V motor control 24 and a 12V-CAN controller 25.

[0075] The 12V-CAN controller 25 is supplied with the 5V output voltage of the 12V power supply 21 and is connected to the CAN pins CANH, CANL. The 12V-CAN controller 25 is also connected to the 12V microcontroller 22. The 12V-CAN controller 25 is configured to drive an external CAN bus (if connected to the CAN pins CANH, CANL) and transmit data between the CAN bus and the 12V microcontroller 22.

[0076] The 12V load control 23 is powered by the 12V supply voltage V12 and is designed to control and / or verify the load state of the externally provided 12 volt voltage via the first and second detection pins V12H and V12L. The detection pins V12H and V12L are connected to the 12V supply voltage V12 and the 12V ground line G12 via external measuring resistors, respectively.

[0077] The 12V motor control 24 is powered by a 12V supply voltage V12 and is designed to control an external load, such as a low power brushless direct current (BLDC) motor 50. The low power BLDC motor 50 may be formed as an actuator, such as a gear selection motor or a valve.

[0078] Generally speaking, a first load having relatively low power consumption is driven by the 12V domain 20 , while an actuator having relatively high power consumption (compared to the first load) is driven by the 48V domain 30 in order to optimize power consumption.

[0079] In one embodiment, the 12V domain 20 may include a further controller powered by the 12V supply voltage V12 and designed to control an external electrical load, such as a heater. Furthermore, controllers controlling more than one external electrical load are known from the prior art.

[0080] The 12V microcontroller 22 is connected to the 12 volt side 11.12V of the data interface 11, to the 48V power supply status pin 31.S of the 12V power supply 21, to the 12V load control 23 and to the 12V motor control 24, so that the 12V microcontroller 22 can transmit data, such as status information, acquired measured values ​​or control signals, with the data interface 11, the 12V power supply 21, the 12V load control 23 and the 12V motor control 24. The connection can be formed as a multi-wire connection and can be designed to carry digital and / or analog signals.

[0081] Specifically, the 12V microcontroller 22 is configured to receive instructions from an external CAN bus (if connected) via a 12V-CAN controller 25 and convert such instructions into control signals that control the 12V motor control 24 .

[0082] The 12V microcontroller 22 is also configured to convert the instructions received from the 12V-CAN controller 25 into signals, preferably digital signals, which are transferred to the data interface 11 and further transferred to the 48V microcontroller 32. Therefore, the 48V microcontroller 32 can be controlled from an external CAN bus connected to the CAN pins CANH, CANL via the 12V-CAN controller 25, the 12V microcontroller 22 and the data interface 11.

[0083] The 12V microcontroller 22 is also configured to receive signals, preferably digital signals, sent from the 48V microcontroller 32 via the data interface 11. Thus, a software program can be run on the 48V microcontroller 32, which retrieves data, such as diagnostic load control data or diagnostic motor control data, from the controls 33, 34 of the 48V domain 30, preprocesses and evaluates these data, and transmits the results of such preprocessing or evaluation to the 12V microcontroller 22 via the data interface 11 and further to the external CAN bus.

[0084] As an advantage, control loops controlling the controls 33, 34 and other peripherals of the 48V domain 30 can be implemented with tight timing constraints in software running on the 48V microcontroller 32, while less time-sensitive operations can be programmed into software running on the 12V microcontroller 22 or on an external processing device connected via the CAN bus to the ECU 10. This enables control loops controlling the peripherals of the 48V domain 30 to have lower latency and therefore improved stability.

[0085] Although in general software functions can be assigned arbitrarily to either of the microcontrollers 22, 32, in a preferred embodiment all safety-related functions are assigned to the 12V microcontroller 22 and the microcontrollers 22, 32 are configured such that the 12V microcontroller 22 acts as the leading system (master system) and the 48V microcontroller 32 acts as the following system (slave system) in the communication along the data interface 11.

[0086] As a further advantage, data such as measurement data in the 48V domain 30, for example the voltage detected by the 48V load control 33, can be digitized by the 48V microcontroller 32. Additionally or alternatively, the digital data transmitted via the data interface 11 can be converted into analog values ​​by the 48V microcontroller 32. In this way, the data interface 11 can be exempted from the requirement to transmit analog signals. This improves the accuracy and robustness of the value transmission between the domains 20, 30. This can also improve the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the ECU 10 or exempt technical measures to meet EMC requirements.

[0087] The 12V microcontroller 22 is also configured to retrieve diagnostic data, such as status data from the 12V power supply 21, from the 12V load control 23 and / or the 12V motor control 24, and transmit such diagnostic data to the external CAN bus via the 12V-CAN controller 25. The 12V microcontroller 22 may also be configured to run software that implements control loops that control peripheral components, such as one or more low-power BLDC motors 50 or other actuators supplied by the 12V supply voltage V12.

[0088] As a basis Figure 3 Another advantage of the ECU 10 is that the 48V power supply 31 and the 48V microcontroller 32 are turned on as soon as the 12V supply voltage V12 is available. In this way, diagnostic tests such as the power-on self-test (POST) of the 48V microcontroller 32 can be run before the 48V supply voltage V48 is turned on, and in the event that a fault is detected by the test, the connection of the 48V supply voltage V48 can be prevented, and the entire ECU 10 can be put into a fault protection state. This improves the reliability of the ECU 10.

[0089] Reference Symbols List

[0090] 10 Electronic Control Unit (ECU)

[0091] 11 Data Interface

[0092] 11.12V 12 volt side

[0093] 11.48V 48V side

[0094] 12 Supply interface

[0095] 12.12V 12 volt side

[0096] 12.48V 48 volt side

[0097] 20 12V domain

[0098] 21 12V power supply

[0099] 22 12V Microcontroller

[0100] 23 12V load control

[0101] 24 12V Motor Control

[0102] 25 12V-CAN controller

[0103] 30 48V domain

[0104] 31 48V power supply

[0105] 31.S 48V power status pin

[0106] 32 48V Microcontroller

[0107] 33 48V load control

[0108] 34 48V Motor Control

[0109] 40 Brushless DC (BLDC) motor

[0110] 50 Low Power BLDC Motor

[0111] CANH First CAN pin

[0112] CANL Second CAN pin

[0113] G12 12V ground wire

[0114] G48 48V ground wire

[0115] V12 12V supply voltage, first supply voltage

[0116] V48 48V supply voltage, second supply voltage

[0117] V48H First detection pin

[0118] V48L Second detection pin

[0119] V12H First detection pin

[0120] V12L Second detection pin

Claims

1. An electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle, comprising a 12V domain (20) and a 48V domain (30), the 12V domain (20) being designed to control an electrical load (50) supplied with a first supply voltage (V12), and the 48V domain (30) being designed to control an electrical load (40) supplied with a second supply voltage (V48), wherein: The two domains (20, 30) are arranged on a single printed circuit board PCB and are galvanically isolated from each other and are connected to each other via a galvanically isolated data interface (11), which is designed to transmit data between the two domains (20, 30) according to a half-duplex or full-duplex communication protocol. The 48V domain (30) includes a 48V microcontroller (32) and a 48V power supply (31) for supplying the 48V microcontroller (32), wherein the 48V power supply (31) is powered by a first supply voltage (V12) from the 12V domain (20) via a galvanically isolated supply interface (12), wherein the 48V domain (30) further comprises a 48V load control (33) and a 48V motor control (34), wherein the 48V microcontroller (32) is arranged and configured to control the 48V load control (33) and the 48V motor control (34), The 48V microcontroller (32) is configured to perform a diagnostic test before switching on the second supply voltage (V48) to detect a fault in the 48V domain (30) and to prevent switching on of the second supply voltage (V48) if a fault is detected.

2. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The 48V domain (30) includes a 48V load control (33) designed to verify the state of the second supply voltage (V48) and / or a 48V motor control (34) designed to control at least one electrical load supplied by the second supply voltage (V48), wherein the 48V microcontroller (32) is arranged and configured to control the 48V load control (33) and / or the 48V motor control (34).

3. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The data interface (11) is configured to transmit digital data.

4. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The data interface (11) is configured to support the CAN protocol and / or the SPI protocol and / or the IC protocol. 2 C protocol.

5. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The supply interface (12) comprises a flyback converter.

6. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The first supply voltage (V12) is 12 volts and the second supply voltage (V48) is 48 volts.

7. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The 48V microcontroller (32) is configured to perform a power-on test of the 48V domain (30) when the first supply voltage (V12) is turned on.

8. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The 12V domain (20) includes a 12V microcontroller (22) connected to a 48V microcontroller (32) via a data interface (11), wherein the 12V microcontroller (22) is configured as a master controller and the 48V microcontroller (32) is configured as a slave controller.

9. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 8, It is characterized in that The 12V domain (20) comprises a 12V load control (23) designed to verify the state of the first supply voltage (V12) and / or a 12V motor control (24) designed to control at least one electrical load supplied by the first supply voltage (V12), wherein the 12V microcontroller (22) is arranged and configured to control the 12V load control (23) and / or the 48V motor control (34).

10. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The 12V domain (20) includes a 12V-CAN controller (25) connected to a 12V microcontroller (22).

11. The electronic control unit ECU (10) for a vehicle according to claim 9 or 10, It is characterized in that The 12V microcontroller (22) is configured to perform operations related to vehicle safety, and the 48V microcontroller (32) is configured to perform operations not related to vehicle safety.

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