Fault detection method, signal simulator, and fault detection system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of electronic control system fault detection, and particularly relates to a fault detection method, a signal simulator and a fault detection system. The embodiment of the present application can determine the analog waveform of the output signal of the to-be-detected sensor through the signal simulator, and output the analog waveform signal of the to-be-detected sensor according to the analog waveform of the to-be-detected sensor, so that the first controller can generate the control instruction according to the analog waveform signal, and control the actuator according to the control instruction. Since the signal simulator can output the analog waveform signal of the to-be-detected sensor, the signal simulator can replace the to-be-detected sensor to work in the to-be-detected device, and it is not necessary to replace the to-be-detected sensor with a fault-free sensor, thereby improving the fault detection efficiency of the to-be-detected device. When the signal simulator replaces each to-be-detected sensor to work in the to-be-detected device, the fault of the to-be-detected sensor can be detected by determining whether the to-be-detected device can work normally.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fault detection technology for electronic control systems, and in particular to a fault detection method, a signal simulator, and a fault detection system. Background Technology

[0002] The equipment's electrical control system mainly consists of sensors, an electronic control unit (ECU), and actuators. Sensors, as input components, measure physical signals (such as temperature or pressure) and convert them into electrical signals. The ECU receives the input signals from the sensors, processes them according to a pre-set program, and outputs processing control signals. The actuators then drive the actuator mechanism to work based on the control signals output by the ECU.

[0003] Most faults in electronic control systems are caused by sensor malfunctions. Technicians typically use a substitution method to troubleshoot these problems: if a faulty sensor is suspected, it is replaced with a known faulty sensor; if the fault disappears, the suspected sensor is indeed faulty. Otherwise, other suspected sensors are replaced sequentially, and the fault is observed to disappear. Using the substitution method for sensor troubleshooting is time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring the availability of various spare parts, resulting in very low efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To improve the fault diagnosis efficiency of the device under test, this invention provides a fault detection method, a signal simulator, and a fault detection system, which can replace the sensor under test of the device under test with a signal simulator, thereby improving the fault detection efficiency of the sensor under test.

[0005] In a first aspect of the invention, a fault detection method is provided. In this method, a simulated waveform of the output signal of a sensor under test in a device under test (DUT) is determined using a signal simulator. The simulated waveform includes a standard waveform and / or a fault waveform. The DUT further includes a first controller and an actuator. The first controller is communicatively connected to the signal simulator, the sensor under test, and the actuator. The signal simulator outputs a simulated waveform signal from the sensor under test based on the simulated waveform. The first controller acquires the simulated waveform signal, generates control commands based on the simulated waveform signal, and controls the actuator using the control commands.

[0006] In some implementations, in order to determine the analog waveform of the sensor under test based on the sensor's identity information, the signal simulator acquires the sensor's identity information and determines the analog waveform of the sensor's output signal in the waveform database according to the identity information and the mapping relationship; wherein, the waveform database includes at least two analog waveforms, the analog waveforms and the identity information have a mapping relationship, and the identity information includes at least the type of the sensor under test.

[0007] In some implementations, in order to more accurately determine the analog waveform of the sensor under test, the identification information of the sensor under test also includes at least one of the following: the brand, model, and manufacturer of the sensor under test.

[0008] In some implementations, in order to determine the fault waveform, the signal simulator determines characteristic parameters of a standard waveform of the output signal of the sensor under test, wherein the characteristic parameters include at least one of amplitude, frequency, shape, pulse width, and array; the signal simulator receives modification operations for the characteristic parameters and determines the fault waveform of the sensor under test based on the modified characteristic parameters.

[0009] In a second aspect of the invention, a signal simulator is provided. The signal simulator includes a second controller and a signal generator communicatively connected to the second controller. The second controller is used to determine an analog waveform of the output signal of a sensor under test in a device under test, wherein the analog waveform includes a standard waveform and / or a fault waveform; the device under test further includes a first controller and an actuator, the first controller being communicatively connected to the signal simulator, the sensor under test, and the actuator; the signal generator is used to output an analog waveform signal of the sensor under test based on the analog waveform, so that the first controller generates control commands based on the analog waveform signal and controls the actuator through the control commands.

[0010] In some implementations, in order to determine the analog waveform of the sensor under test based on the sensor's identity information, the second controller is specifically configured to: acquire the sensor's identity information, and determine the analog waveform of the sensor's output signal in the waveform database according to the identity information and the mapping relationship; wherein, the waveform database includes at least two analog waveforms, the analog waveforms and the identity information have a mapping relationship, and the identity information includes at least the type of the sensor under test.

[0011] In some implementations, in order to determine the fault waveform, the second controller is specifically configured to: determine characteristic parameters of a standard waveform of the output signal of the sensor under test, wherein the characteristic parameters include at least one of amplitude, frequency, shape, pulse width, and array; the signal simulator receives modification operations for the characteristic parameters and determines the fault waveform of the sensor under test based on the modified characteristic parameters.

[0012] In some embodiments, in order to display the waveform of the analog waveform signal, the signal simulator further includes a display unit communicatively connected to a second controller, the display unit being used to display the waveform of the analog waveform signal.

[0013] In a third aspect of the invention, a fault detection system is provided. The system includes a device under test (DUT) and a signal simulator provided in the second aspect; wherein the DUT includes a first controller, a sensor under test (SUT), and an actuator, and the first controller is communicatively connected to the signal simulator, the SUT, and the actuator.

[0014] It should be understood that the description in the Summary Section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the invention, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fault detection system provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first controller provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second controller provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a fault detection method provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The principles and spirit of this disclosure will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these specific embodiments are described merely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0021] As used herein, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "an embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects and are used only to distinguish the objects referred to, without implying a particular spatial order, temporal order, order of importance, etc., of the objects referred to.

[0022] As used herein, the term "determine" can encompass a wide variety of actions. For example, "determine" can include operations, calculations, processing, deriving, investigation, searching (e.g., looking in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, etc. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Moreover, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, choosing, building, etc.

[0023] This invention provides a fault detection system for detecting sensor faults in a device under test (DUT). The DUT can be any suitable electronic device, such as a car or medical device; this embodiment uses a car as an example. The fault detection system includes the DUT and a signal simulator. The DUT includes a first controller, a sensor, and an actuator. The signal simulator can be integrated into the DUT, or the signal simulator and the DUT can be set up independently. The DUT and the signal simulator are connected via communication, such as a wired connection or a wireless connection using technologies like Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth (BT), frequency modulation (FM), near-field communication (NFC), infrared (IR), or mobile communication technologies such as 3G, 4G, or 5G. Figure 1 The structure of the fault detection system is illustrated schematically, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the fault detection system 100 includes a first controller 101, a sensor under test 102 and an actuator 103 that are communicatively connected to the first controller 101, and a signal simulator 104 that is communicatively connected to the first controller 101 and the sensor under test 102.

[0024] A sensor is a signal conversion device that converts non-electrical signals into electrical signals. Sensors are used to monitor various physical property values, such as position, speed, pressure, and temperature, and convert these values ​​into electrical signals that are transmitted to a first controller. The first controller then generates control commands based on the electrical signals from the sensor to control actuators. A sensor typically consists of a sensing element, a conversion element, and a measurement circuit. The sensing element is the part that directly senses the measured quantity. The conversion element is the part that converts non-electrical quantities into electrical quantities. The measurement circuit processes the electrical quantity input from the conversion element for display, recording, and control.

[0025] Depending on the physical quantity being measured, sensors can be categorized into displacement sensors, velocity sensors, acceleration sensors, angular displacement sensors, angular velocity sensors, force sensors, torque sensors, pressure sensors, vacuum sensors, temperature sensors (e.g., coolant temperature sensors or intake air temperature sensors), current sensors, gas composition sensors, concentration sensors, and flow sensors (e.g., air flow sensors, fuel flow sensors). Based on their working principle, sensors can be classified into resistive, capacitive, strain gauge, inductive, photoelectric, photosensitive, piezoelectric, or thermoelectric sensors. Specific sensors used in vehicles include: accelerator pedal, air flow meter, camshaft, crankshaft, knock sensor, oxygen sensor, intake air pressure sensor, and throttle body sensor.

[0026] An actuator is an energy conversion component that, under the control of a primary controller, converts various forms of input energy into mechanical motion. The function of an actuator is to receive control commands from the primary controller, change the magnitude of the controlled medium, and thus maintain the controlled variable at the required value or within a certain range. For example, an actuator can be an electric motor, clutch valve, valve mechanism, solenoid valve, or electromagnetic diaphragm. Specific examples include: carbon canister solenoid valves, oilfield rig glow plugs, EGR solenoid valves, electronic fuel pumps, idle speed control valves, pressure regulators, flow control valves, throttle servo motors, or cooling fans.

[0027] Figure 2 An exemplary hardware structure of the first controller 20 is shown, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the first controller 20 includes one or more first processors 21 and a first memory 22. Figure 2 Taking a first processor 21 as an example, the first processor 21 and the first memory 22 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 2 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0028] The first memory 22, as a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules. The first processor 21 executes various functional applications and data processing of the first controller by running the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the first memory 22, that is, generating control instructions based on analog waveform signals and controlling the actuator based on the control instructions.

[0029] The first memory 22 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the fault detection device, etc. Furthermore, the first memory 22 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the first memory 22 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to the first processor 21, and these remote memories may be connected to the first controller via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0030] In some embodiments, the signal simulator includes a second controller and a signal generator and a display unit communicatively connected to the second controller. The signal generator is capable of generating analog waveform signals of any suitable waveform, such as triangular waves, sawtooth waves, rectangular waves, or sine waves. The display unit is used to display the waveform of the analog waveform signal generated by the signal generator. Specifically, the display unit may include an oscilloscope.

[0031] Figure 3 An exemplary hardware structure of the second controller 10 is shown, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the second controller 10 includes one or more second processors 11 and a second memory 12. Figure 3 Taking a second processor 11 as an example, the second processor 11 and the second memory 12 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 3 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0032] The second memory 12, as a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules. The second processor 11 executes various functional applications and data processing of the second controller by running the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the second memory 12, such as implementing the method steps of determining the analog waveform of the output signal of the sensor under test in the device under test involved in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] The second memory 12 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the fault detection device, etc. Furthermore, the second memory 12 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the second memory 12 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to the second processor 11, and these remote memories can be connected to the second controller via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0034] When the device under test (DUT) is in normal operation, the electrical signal provided by the sensor is transmitted to the first controller. The first controller then generates control commands based on the sensor's electrical signals and sends these commands to each actuator to control their operation, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the DUT. Therefore, the accuracy and reliability of the sensor's electrical signal output are crucial. When the electronic control system of the DUT malfunctions, it is necessary to quickly troubleshoot the problem for subsequent maintenance. In this embodiment of the invention, a signal simulator can be used to replace the sensor under test in the electronic control system, allowing for rapid detection of faulty sensors by determining whether the fault in the electronic control system has been eliminated under these circumstances. To facilitate the reader's understanding of this invention, specific embodiments are described below.

[0035] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the fault detection method is shown, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the fault detection method includes the following steps:

[0036] S41. The signal simulator determines the analog waveform of the output signal of the sensor under test in the device under test, wherein the analog waveform includes a standard waveform and / or a fault waveform, and the device under test further includes a first controller and an actuator, wherein the first controller is communicatively connected to the signal simulator, the sensor under test and the actuator;

[0037] The standard waveform in this embodiment is the waveform of the standard signal of the sensor under test, that is, the signal waveform output by the sensor under test when it is not faulty. The sensor under test is the sensor that needs to be fault detected. The standard waveform can be any suitable waveform, such as a voltage waveform, frequency waveform, or duty cycle waveform. There are many types of sensors, and different sensors correspond to different standard waveforms. For example, temperature sensors in automobiles mainly include water temperature sensors, intake air temperature sensors, oil temperature sensors, etc. The standard waveform of a temperature sensor is a voltage waveform. In some embodiments, the signal simulator may also include a human-machine interface, through which the second controller can acquire the standard waveform input by the user.

[0038] To facilitate the retrieval of analog waveforms corresponding to different sensors under test, in some embodiments, the second controller can also establish a waveform database for each sensor, storing the analog waveforms of different sensors. The second controller can pre-acquire the identification information and analog waveforms of each sensor in the device under test, and establish a mapping relationship between the sensor's identification information and the analog waveform. When the second controller acquires the identification information of the sensor under test, it can search for the analog waveform of the sensor under test in the waveform database based on the identification information and the mapping relationship. For example, the sensor under test can pre-store its own identification information, and the second controller can establish a communication connection with the sensor under test and acquire the sensor's identification information.

[0039] In some embodiments, the waveform database includes a standard waveform database, where the identification information of the sensor under test (SUT) and the standard waveforms have a first mapping relationship. The second controller can search for the standard waveform of the SUT in the standard waveform database based on the SUT's identification information and the first mapping relationship. In other embodiments, the fault waveform is the signal waveform output by the SUT when a fault occurs. The waveform database also includes a fault waveform database, where the SUT's identification information and the fault waveforms have a second mapping relationship. The second controller can search for the fault waveform of the SUT in the fault waveform database based on the SUT's identification information and the second mapping relationship.

[0040] In some embodiments, the identification information of the sensor under test includes at least the type of the sensor. For example, speed sensors in automobiles mainly include two types: electromagnetic sensors and Hall effect sensors. Electromagnetic sensors generate sinusoidal signals, the frequency and amplitude of which are related to the rotational speed. Hall effect sensors generate square wave signals, the frequency of which is related to the rotational speed, while the duty cycle and amplitude remain constant. When the second controller determines that the type of the sensor under test is a speed-type electromagnetic sensor, it determines that the standard waveform of the sensor under test is a sinusoidal waveform using a standard waveform database; when the second controller determines that the type of the sensor under test is a speed-type Hall effect sensor, it can determine that the standard waveform of the sensor under test is a square wave using a standard waveform database.

[0041] Since the brand, model, manufacturer, and production batch of the sensor under test (SUT) and / or the device under test (DUT) can all affect the analog waveform of the SUT, in order to obtain the analog waveform of the SUT's output signal more accurately, in some embodiments, the SUT's identification information may also include at least one of the sensor's brand, model, manufacturer, and production batch. In other embodiments, the SUT's identification information may also include at least one of the device under test's brand, model, manufacturer, and production batch.

[0042] In some embodiments, to allow users to customize fault waveforms, the second controller can also determine characteristic parameters of a standard waveform of the sensor under test, and receive modification operations on the characteristic parameters of the standard waveform, determining the fault waveform of the sensor under test based on the modified characteristic parameters. The characteristic parameters specifically include at least one of amplitude, frequency, shape, pulse width, and array; wherein, amplitude represents the highest voltage of the signal; frequency represents the cycle time of the signal; shape represents the external shape of the signal; pulse width represents the duty cycle or duration of the signal; and array represents the repetition characteristics of the signal.

[0043] S42. The signal simulator outputs the analog waveform signal of the sensor under test according to the analog waveform;

[0044] In this embodiment, when the simulated waveform is a standard waveform, the simulated waveform signal is used to simulate the output signal of the sensor under test when no fault has occurred. When the simulated waveform is a fault waveform, the simulated waveform signal is used to simulate the output signal of the sensor under test when a fault has occurred. The second controller can control the signal generator to output the corresponding simulated waveform signal according to the standard waveform or the fault waveform.

[0045] S43. The first controller acquires the analog waveform signal, generates a control command based on the analog waveform signal, and controls the actuator through the control command.

[0046] When the device under test is in normal working condition, the sensor is used to measure physical signals and convert them into electrical signals; the first controller receives the electrical signals output by the sensor, performs calculations according to the set program, and outputs control commands; the actuator drives the actuator mechanism to work according to the control signals output by the first controller.

[0047] In this embodiment of the invention, a signal simulator replaces the sensor in the device under test (DUT). That is, an analog waveform signal replaces the electrical signal output by the sensor, enabling a first controller to generate control commands based on the analog waveform signal and control the actuator accordingly. With the signal simulator replacing the sensor in the DUT, technicians can determine whether the sensor is faulty by observing the operation of the DUT.

[0048] On the one hand, when the simulated waveform signal is used to simulate the output signal of the sensor under test (SUT) when it is not faulty, if the fault in the SUT disappears, it indicates that the SUT is faulty; if the fault in the SUT has not disappeared, it indicates that there are other faulty SUTs in the SUT. In this case, it is necessary to use a signal simulator to replace the function of other SUTs in the SUT and to test the other SUTs until the faulty sensor is found. This invention enables the accurate and rapid repair of sensor faults in the SUT (e.g., a car engine) using a signal simulator; it eliminates the need for replacement parts, thus improving the efficiency of equipment fault repair.

[0049] On the other hand, when the simulated waveform signal is used to simulate the output signal when the sensor under test malfunctions, the actuator cannot function properly according to the control command sent by the first controller, and the device under test will malfunction. The malfunction of the device under test at this time can achieve the effect of fault reproduction. For example, some faults occur during vehicle repair, some of which are occasional or difficult to reproduce; these are called intermittent faults. The occurrence of intermittent faults is completely random and without any discernible pattern, making it difficult for repair technicians to identify the problem. Even if an intermittent fault recurs, it is difficult to pay attention to, causing the fault to persist in the vehicle. Therefore, the process of reproducing and repairing intermittent faults is more difficult and time-consuming. Reproducing intermittent faults in vehicles has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. The embodiments of this invention can achieve the purpose of reproducing intermittent faults in equipment.

[0050] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0051] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented using software and a general-purpose hardware platform, or of course, using hardware. Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. The storage medium can be a magnetic disk, optical disk, read-only memory (ROM), or random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; under the concept of the present invention, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the present invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fault detection method, characterized in that, The method includes: The identity information of the sensor under test in the device under test is determined by a signal simulator. The identity information includes at least the type of the sensor under test. The device under test also includes a first controller and an actuator. The first controller is communicatively connected to the signal simulator, the sensor under test, and the actuator. The signal simulator determines the standard waveform of the output signal of the sensor under test in a standard waveform database based on the identity information and the first mapping relationship, determines the characteristic parameters of the standard waveform, receives modification operations for the characteristic parameters, and determines the fault waveform of the sensor under test based on the modified characteristic parameters. The characteristic parameters include at least one of amplitude, frequency, shape, pulse width, and array. The standard waveform is used to represent the signal wave output by the sensor under test when no fault occurs. The standard waveform and the identity information have the first mapping relationship. The signal simulator outputs a simulated waveform signal of the sensor under test based on the fault waveform and displays the waveform of the simulated waveform signal. The simulated waveform signal is used to simulate the output signal of the sensor under test when a fault occurs. The first controller acquires the analog waveform signal, generates control commands based on the analog waveform signal, and controls the actuator to work through the control commands, so as to cause the device under test to malfunction.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identification information of the sensor under test also includes at least one of the following: brand, model, and manufacturer.

3. A signal simulator, characterized in that, The signal simulator includes: The second controller is used to determine the identity information of the sensor under test in the device under test. The identity information includes at least the type of the sensor under test. The device under test also includes a first controller and an actuator. The first controller is communicatively connected to the signal simulator, the sensor under test, and the actuator. The second controller is further configured to: determine a standard waveform of the output signal of the sensor under test in a standard waveform database according to the identity information and the first mapping relationship; determine the characteristic parameters of the standard waveform; receive a modification operation for the characteristic parameters; and determine a fault waveform of the sensor under test based on the modified characteristic parameters, wherein the characteristic parameters include at least one of amplitude, frequency, shape, pulse width and array; the standard waveform is used to represent the signal wave output by the sensor under test when no fault occurs; and the standard waveform and the identity information have the first mapping relationship. The display unit is communicatively connected to the second controller, and the display unit is used to display the waveform of the analog waveform signal; A signal generator is communicatively connected to the second controller. The signal generator is used to output an analog waveform signal of the sensor under test based on the fault waveform, so that the first controller generates a control command based on the analog waveform signal and controls the actuator to work through the control command, so that the device under test malfunctions. The analog waveform signal is used to simulate the output signal when the sensor under test malfunctions.

4. A fault detection system, characterized in that, The system includes the device under test and the signal simulator as described in claim 3; The device under test includes a first controller, a sensor under test, and an actuator. The first controller is communicatively connected to the signal simulator, the sensor under test, and the actuator.

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