Communication module and air conditioning equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication module and air conditioning equipment, and relates to the technical field of air conditioners. A first signal interface of the communication module is used for transmitting a first PWM wave, and a second signal interface of the communication module is used for transmitting a second PWM wave. The duty ratio of the first PWM wave represents the data type, the duty ratio of the second PWM wave represents the data value, the data type and the data value can be sent or received only through two paths of PWM signals, transmission of various data types can be expanded, simple discrete signals such as on or off and continuous signals such as temperature values can be transmitted, and the transmission efficiency is improved. The interaction function between devices is expanded, and wiring and maintenance are simple due to the fact that the number of interfaces is small.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a communication module and air conditioning equipment. Background Art

[0002] As air treatment equipment, central air conditioners are becoming more and more commonly used in both home and commercial settings, such as homes, hotels, shopping malls, supermarkets and other places. Commercial air conditioners are crossing over to home scenarios, and the trend of consumption upgrading is becoming increasingly popular.

[0003] With the development of the times, central air-conditioning has developed into various forms, such as multi-split units, unit units, modular units, etc. Users' functional requirements for air-conditioning are becoming more and more diversified. In particular, the free combination of equipment from different manufacturers is becoming more and more popular with users. For example, the air-conditioning outdoor unit of manufacturer A + the air-conditioning indoor unit of manufacturer B + the wire controller or thermostat of manufacturer C + the third-party PLC control device. This free combination air-conditioning system not only meets the diverse needs of users, but also can minimize costs.

[0004] In view of the requirements of the above-mentioned free combination air conditioning system of air conditioning equipment of different manufacturers, different devices are generally connected and communicated through 24V switch signal, as follows:

[0005] 1. Each device circuit board hardware reserves 0 to 10 24V signal ports. Each 24V signal has two working states, 0V and 24V correspond to 0 (off) and 1 (on);

[0006] 2. The manual of each device defines the specific functions of the 24V port, such as setting the power on / off / mode / wind gear, compressor / defrost / four-way valve status, etc.

[0007] The above method has the following disadvantages:

[0008] 1. Hardware limitations: As the interactive functions between devices increase, the hardware 24V circuit is also upgraded, increasing costs and development cycles;

[0009] 2. Functional limitations. The 24V signal of mainstream air-conditioning equipment in the current market can only transmit simple discrete signals, such as compressor on or off, mode setting cooling or heating, and cannot transmit continuous signals, such as set temperature, indoor / outdoor ambient temperature, etc.;

[0010] 3. The installation and debugging are complicated. As the amount of 24V signals between air-conditioning equipment gradually increases, the wiring complexity during project installation and debugging increases, and subsequent maintenance is also more complicated.

[0011] How to improve the communication function of the combined air conditioning system and simplify the hardware is the technical problem to be solved by this application. Summary of the invention

[0012] The purpose of the present application is to provide a communication module and an air-conditioning device to solve the technical problem of how to improve the communication function of a combined air-conditioning system and simplify the hardware in the prior art.

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions.

[0014] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication module, including a controller, a first signal interface, and a second signal interface; the controller is connected to the first signal interface and the second signal interface respectively;

[0015] The first signal interface is used to transmit a first PWM wave;

[0016] The second signal interface is used to transmit a second PWM wave;

[0017] The controller is used to generate the first PWM wave with different duty cycles according to different data types and send it on the first signal interface, or the controller is used to determine the data type according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received on the first signal interface;

[0018] The controller is further configured to generate the second PWM wave with different duty cycles according to different data values ​​and send it through the second signal interface, or the controller is further configured to determine the data value according to the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received through the second signal interface.

[0019] Optionally, the data type includes at least one of the following:

[0020] Power on / off, set temperature, ambient temperature, compressor frequency, compressor on / off status, valve opening, fault code, set wind speed.

[0021] Optionally, the communication module is a sender communication module, and the sender communication module is used to communicate with the receiver communication module;

[0022] The controller of the sending communication module is used to generate the first PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data type of the sent data according to the data type of the sent data, send the first PWM wave at the first signal interface, delay for a first set time, generate the second PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data value of the sent data according to the data value of the sent data, and send the second PWM wave at the second signal interface.

[0023] Optionally, the communication module is a receiving party communication module, and the sending party communication module is used to communicate with the receiving party communication module;

[0024] The controller of the receiving communication module is used to determine the data type of the received data according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface, and to determine the data value of the received data according to the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface.

[0025] Optionally, the controller is used to determine whether the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received by the first signal interface has changed. If so, delaying a second set time, and determining the data value based on the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface.

[0026] Optionally, the controller of the transmitting communication module is used to generate the first PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data type of the transmitted data according to the data type of the transmitted data, send the first PWM wave at the first signal interface, delay the first set time, generate the second PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data value of the transmitted data according to the data value of the transmitted data, and send the second PWM wave at the second signal interface;

[0027] The controller of the receiving communication module is used to determine the data type of the received data according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface, and then delay the second set time to determine the data value of the received data according to the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface;

[0028] The second set time is greater than the first set time.

[0029] Optionally, the controller of the receiving communication module is further configured to determine whether the cycle duration of the first PWM wave changes, and if so, use the new cycle duration of the first PWM wave to determine the duty cycle of the second PWM wave.

[0030] Optionally, the same duty cycle of the second PWM wave represents different data values ​​under two different data types.

[0031] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an air conditioning device, comprising the communication module of the first aspect.

[0032] Optionally, the air-conditioning equipment is an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a temperature controller or a PLC.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] The communication module provided in the embodiment of the present application can send or receive data types and data values ​​using only two PWM signals, and can expand the transmission of multiple data types. Whether it is a simple discrete signal such as on or off, or a continuous signal such as a temperature value, it can be transmitted, thereby expanding the interaction function between devices. In addition, due to the small number of interfaces, wiring and maintenance are simple. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a connection diagram of a current air conditioning device;

[0037] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a communication module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of air conditioning equipment connection provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 4 A PWM schematic diagram provided for an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. The described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0041] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0042] In the description of this application, it should be noted that relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. "Connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium.

[0043] like Figure 1 , Figure 1 The current connection diagram of an air conditioning device is shown. Multiple data types need to be transmitted between the outdoor unit, indoor unit and thermostat or PLC, and each data type requires at least one 24V signal port. Each 24V signal has two working states, 0V and 24V correspond to 0 (off) and 1 (on); for example, the indoor unit sends a mode signal and a start / stop signal to the outdoor unit, and the mode signal and the start / stop signal need to occupy two channels, and some signals such as the windshield signal need more than two channels.

[0044] With so many signal ports, installation and debugging are complicated, the wiring complexity during engineering installation and debugging is high, and the subsequent maintenance is complicated. Currently, the number of signals that can be transmitted is small (<10). If the interactive functions are increased, it may be necessary to add 24V signal ports, which is costly and has a long development cycle. In addition, in terms of function, the traditional 24V signal port setting can only send discrete signals such as on or off, cooling or heating, and cannot transmit continuous signals such as numerical values.

[0045] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication module, and two communication modules are connected for communication. The communication module can be installed in air-conditioning equipment such as an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a temperature controller or a PLC, and is used in signal transmission scenarios between air-conditioning equipment.

[0046] like Figure 2 The communication module includes a controller, a first signal interface and a second signal interface. The controller is connected to the first signal interface and the second signal interface respectively. The first signal interface is used for the first PWM wave; the second signal interface is used for transmitting the second PWM wave. Only two channels are needed to transmit data, one channel transmits the data type, and the other channel transmits the data value. The duty cycle of the first PWM wave represents the data type, and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave represents the data value, so that the data transmission can be completed.

[0047] The first signal interface and the second signal interface can be realized by the original two 24V hardware signals of the air-conditioning equipment. Only through the software mechanism upgrade, there is no need to add an additional 24V hardware circuit, to realize the function of intelligent communication of multiple signals between devices, especially the communication of continuous signals.

[0048] The data type can refer to the data type that the communication module needs to send, or the data type that the communication module needs to receive. The data value can refer to the data value that the communication module needs to send, or the data value that the communication module needs to receive.

[0049] Regarding the sending and receiving functions, there can be different configuration methods, for example:

[0050] (1) The first communication module, as a transmitting communication module, has a controller for generating a first PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data type of the transmitted data according to the data type of the transmitted data and transmitting it on the first signal interface. The controller is also used to generate a second PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data value of the transmitted data according to the data value of the transmitted data and transmit it on the first signal interface.

[0051] The second signal interface is sent.

[0052] (2) A second communication module, as a receiving communication module, wherein the controller is used to determine the data type of the received data according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface. The controller is also used to determine the data value of the received data according to the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface.

[0053] (3) In the third communication module, the controller is used to generate a first PWM wave with different duty cycles according to the data type of the data to be received and send it at the first signal interface. The controller is also used to determine the data value of the received data according to the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface. In this case, the communication module can obtain the data value of the data type it needs from another communication module.

[0054] (4) In the fourth communication module, the controller is used to determine the data type of the data to be sent according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface. The controller is also used to generate a second PWM wave with a different duty cycle according to the data value of the data to be sent and send it at the second signal interface. At this time, the communication module can provide the data value of the data type required by another communication module.

[0055] In the above examples, the first communication module can be connected to the second communication module through two signals, and the third communication module can be connected to the fourth communication module through two signals.

[0056] The transceiver functions of the above communication modules can also be combined with each other, and corresponding signal interfaces can be set according to the functions of the controller. For example, the controller is provided with four signal interfaces, two signal interfaces for sending, and two signal interfaces for receiving, and can realize the functions of mutual transceiver with another communication module. Specifically, the functions of the controller can be configured as follows:

[0057] (1) generating a first PWM wave having a first duty cycle according to the data type of the data to be sent and sending the first PWM wave through a first signal interface;

[0058] (2) generating a second PWM wave having a second duty cycle according to a data value of the data to be sent and sending the second PWM wave through the second signal interface;

[0059] (3) determining a data type of the received data according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the third signal interface;

[0060] (4) Determine the data value of the received data according to the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the fourth signal interface.

[0061] One communication module can also be connected to multiple communication modules and communicate with multiple communication modules at the same time. Only 4 communication channels are needed between each two communication modules to realize the functions of sending and receiving each other.

[0062] For air conditioning equipment, the data type may include one or more of the following: on / off, set temperature, ambient temperature, compressor frequency, compressor on / off status, valve opening, fault code, set wind speed, and defrost status.

[0063] Correspondingly, the data value may be power on, power off, set temperature value, ambient temperature value, compressor frequency value, compressor power on, compressor power off, valve opening value, specific fault code, set wind speed value, defrost or no defrost.

[0064] The duty cycle of the same second PWM wave represents different data values ​​under different data types. For example, when the data type is power on / off, a second PWM wave with a duty cycle of 30% represents power on; when the data type is cooling set temperature, a second PWM wave with a duty cycle of 30% represents 30 degrees Celsius; and when the data type is heating set temperature, a second PWM wave with a duty cycle of 30% represents 20 degrees Celsius.

[0065] During the sending or receiving process, determining the data type first and then the data value can prevent device misoperation.

[0066] Different air conditioning equipment has different data types. An example is given below.

[0067] The signals sent by the external unit are defined in the following table:

[0068]

[0069] The definition of the signal sent by the indoor unit is as follows:

[0070]

[0071] The signal sent by the thermostat is defined in the following table

[0072]

[0073] like Figure 3 , Figure 1 The connection method shown can be changed to a smaller number of connection paths. All data sent from the temperature controller or PLC to the indoor unit can be realized through two paths, and all data between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit can be realized through four paths.

[0074] In order to first determine the data type and then determine the data value, the controller of the sending communication module can be configured as follows: according to the data type of the data being sent, generate a first PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data type of the data being sent, send the first PWM wave at the first signal interface, then delay for a first set time, generate a second PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data value of the data being sent according to the data value of the data being sent, and send the second PWM wave at the second signal interface.

[0075] In order to first determine the data type and then determine the data value, the controller of the receiving communication module can be configured as follows: first determine the data type of the received data based on the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface, and then determine the data value of the received data based on the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface.

[0076] The controller of the receiving communication module can also be configured to have a function of delaying the received data value. The controller of the receiving communication module determines the data type of the received data according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface, and then delays the second set time to determine the data value of the received data according to the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface. The second set time is greater than the above-mentioned first set time, which can better ensure that the correct data value is matched to the correct data type to prevent malfunction.

[0077] In addition to the method of continuously sending data, when the data does not change, the two signals can be made idle. One implementation method is as follows. The functions configured in the communication module of the sender are:

[0078] 1) If all data remain unchanged, the first PWM wave and the second PWM wave are both sent at a PWM duty cycle of 0% (i.e., the bus is idle);

[0079] 2) When any data changes, the first signal interface first outputs the first PWM wave of the corresponding duty cycle according to the above table, and after a delay of T1 ms, the second signal interface outputs the second PWM wave of the corresponding duty cycle according to the specific data value;

[0080] At this time, the function configured by the receiving communication module can be: to determine in real time whether the duty cycle of the first PWM wave changes, and if it does, to analyze the duty cycle of the second PWM wave after a delay of T2 ms, where T2 ≥ T1 + △T. Regarding the value, for example, T1 can be 100ms, △T ≥ 100ms, that is, T2 ≥ 200ms.

[0081] Regarding the period of PWM wave, the time between two adjacent rising edges can be used as the period of PWM wave, or the time between two adjacent falling edges can be used as the period of PWM wave, which can be agreed to be 100ms or 1000ms. The duration of high level in one PWM period is the duty cycle. The high level time corresponding to 50% duty cycle is 50ms. Figure 4 .

[0082] The cycle duration of the first PWM wave may be different from the cycle duration of the second PWM wave.

[0083] The cycle duration of the first PWM wave can also be the same as the cycle duration of the second PWM wave, and further, the cycle durations of the PWM waves corresponding to different data types can be set to be different: for some data types, the cycle duration of the PWM wave is longer, and the second PWM wave can have more duty cycles, and more duty cycles represent more values, and the transmitted information is more accurate. For some data types, the cycle duration of the PWM wave is shorter, and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave can be determined in a shorter time, that is, the value is determined in a shorter time, the transmitted information is more timely, and it can adapt to the values ​​that change at any time.

[0084] The controller of the receiving communication module may also be configured to determine whether the cycle duration of the first PWM wave has changed, and if so, use the new cycle duration of the first PWM wave to determine the duty cycle of the second PWM wave.

[0085] In general, the present application proposes a communication module and air conditioning equipment, which can send or receive data types and data values ​​with only two PWM signals, and can expand the transmission of multiple data types, whether it is a simple discrete signal such as on or off, or a continuous signal such as a temperature value, which can be transmitted, expanding the interactive function between devices, and because of the small number of interfaces, wiring and maintenance are simple. At least 100 types of data signals can be transmitted, which greatly exceeds the number of signals that can be transmitted at present (<10). If the communication data accuracy of the equipment needs to be improved, the PWM duty cycle can be divided into smaller unit accuracy, for example, the minimum accuracy unit 1% is changed to 1‰, which can make the transmission signal value change from 100 to 1000, and the signal setting value / state value range is changed from 0 to 100 to 0 to 1000. The communication compatibility and scalability of different devices are better, and it is easy to upgrade through software.

[0086] The above-described device and system embodiments are merely illustrative, and some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment. A person skilled in the art may understand and implement the present embodiment without creative effort.

[0087] The above are only preferred specific implementations of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by any technician familiar with the technical field within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication module, characterized in that: It includes a controller, a first signal interface and a second signal interface; the controller is connected to the first signal interface and the second signal interface respectively; The first signal interface is used to transmit a first PWM wave; The second signal interface is used to transmit a second PWM wave; The controller is used to generate the first PWM wave with different duty cycles according to different data types and send it on the first signal interface, or the controller is used to determine the data type according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received on the first signal interface; The controller is further configured to generate the second PWM wave with different duty cycles according to different data values ​​and send it through the second signal interface, or the controller is further configured to determine the data value according to the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received through the second signal interface.

2. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data type includes at least one of the following: Power on / off, set temperature, ambient temperature, compressor frequency, compressor on / off status, valve opening, defrost status, fault code, set wind speed.

3. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module is a sender communication module, and the sender communication module is used to communicate with the receiver communication module; The controller of the sending communication module is used to generate the first PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data type of the sent data according to the data type of the sent data, send the first PWM wave at the first signal interface, delay for a first set time, generate the second PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data value of the sent data according to the data value of the sent data, and send the second PWM wave at the second signal interface.

4. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module is a receiving communication module, and the receiving communication module is used to communicate with the sending communication module; The controller of the receiving communication module is used to determine the data type of the received data according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface, and to determine the data value of the received data according to the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface.

5. The communication module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The controller is used to determine whether the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received by the first signal interface has changed. If so, it delays a second set time and determines the data value according to the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface.

6. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module is a sender communication module or a receiver communication module, and the sender communication module is used to communicate with the receiver communication module; The controller of the transmitting communication module is used to generate the first PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data type of the transmitted data according to the data type of the transmitted data, transmit the first PWM wave at the first signal interface, delay the first set time, generate the second PWM wave with a duty cycle corresponding to the data value of the transmitted data according to the data value of the transmitted data, and transmit the second PWM wave at the second signal interface; The controller of the receiving communication module is used to determine the data type of the received data according to the duty cycle of the first PWM wave received at the first signal interface, and then delay the second set time to determine the data value of the received data according to the data type of the received data and the duty cycle of the second PWM wave received at the second signal interface; The second set time is greater than the first set time.

7. The communication module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The controller of the receiving communication module is also used to determine whether the cycle length of the first PWM wave changes. If so, the duty cycle of the second PWM wave is determined using the new cycle length of the first PWM wave.

8. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The same duty cycle of the second PWM wave represents different data values ​​under two different data types.

9. An air conditioning device, characterized in that: A communication module comprising any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The air conditioning device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The air conditioning equipment is an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a temperature controller or a PLC.

Images