Electronic device for motor vehicle

Abstract

An electronic device (10) for a motor vehicle is provided. The electronic device (10) comprises a main connector (3), a first module (30), a first module connector (5) and a conductive part (8). The first module (30) comprises a first electronic circuit (4) mounted with an electronic component (9) and a ground connection. The first module connector (5) comprises a first terminal and a socket portion comprising a second terminal secured to the first electronic circuit (4). One of the first terminals is a first connector position assurance terminal (27), and one of the second terminals is a second connector position assurance terminal (20) configured to provide information about a connection state with the first connector position assurance terminal (27). The second connector position assurance terminal (20) is connected to the ground connection of the first electronic circuit by interposing the first connection impedance, and the second connector position assurance terminal (20) is connected to the conductive part (8).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automotive lighting devices, and more particularly to electrical connections between components included therein. Background Art

[0002] Card edge connections are used on a large scale in different electronic components. Motor vehicles also utilize these connections in their lighting devices, where multiple different channels require independent control electrical signals.

[0003] The connection operation of the card edge connector is easy, since it relies on the introduction of a flat portion inside a female housing. No separate pins are used in these connections, thus eliminating the risk of bending or breaking very thin components.

[0004] However, due to the ease of this connecting operation, the two parts may also be easily disconnected, and a reliable mechanism for detecting accidental disconnection is useful in these situations.

[0005] Connector position assurance pins are a good solution to this problem. One of the connector's pins provides information about the connection status of the entire connector: if the connector position assurance pin is connected, the rest of the pins must also be connected.

[0006] However, the main connector does not typically have this amount of spare pins dedicated to this function.

[0007] Therefore, a solution is sought to resolve this issue. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention provides a solution to this problem by an electronic device for a motor vehicle, the electronic device comprising a main connector, a first module, a first module connector and a conductive part, the conductive part comprising at least a portion accessible from the outside of the electronic device, wherein

[0009] The main connector includes at least a main power input terminal and a main grounding terminal;

[0010] The first module comprises a first electronic circuit mounted with electronic components and a ground connection electrically connected to the main ground connection;

[0011] The first module connector includes a wired portion and a socket portion, the wired portion including first terminals, the socket portion being fixed to the first electronic circuit and including second terminals, the second terminals being configured to mate with the first terminals to establish an electrical connection;

[0012] At least one of the second terminals is electrically connected to the electronic component;

[0013] One of the first terminals is a first connector position assurance terminal, and one of the second terminals is a second connector position assurance terminal configured to provide information about a connection state with the first connector position assurance terminal;

[0014] The second connector position ensures that the terminal is connected to a ground connection of the first electronic circuit by interposing a first connection impedance, and the first connection impedance includes at least a first resistor; and

[0015] The second connector position ensures that the terminal is connected to the conductive part.

[0016] By this arrangement, the connection state of the first lighting module can be obtained by impedance measurement between the conductive part and the main ground connection, because the information about the connection is transmitted to the element, which receives the equivalent resistance values ​​of the resistors involved in the connection of the connector position assurance terminals. The values ​​of these resistors provide reliable information about the connection of the connector position assurance terminals without the need for dedicated pins in the main connector.

[0017] In some embodiments there is a single main power input, but in other embodiments there is more than one main power input. This arrangement is common when more than one function needs to be supplied.

[0018] A conductive part is an element that is at least partially accessible from outside the lighting device (e.g., in a standard lighting device, from outside the area defined by the housing and the outer lens). A skilled person can easily understand what is meant by "outside" the lighting device.

[0019] The term "terminal" is used as a general term to refer to an element that makes electrical contact between a wired portion of a connector and a corresponding socket portion. In some cases, the connector is a pin connector, so the first terminal is a spring blade and the second terminal is a pin (or vice versa). In other embodiments, the connector is a card edge connector, so the socket portion is a trace of a circuit, and the wired portion includes a complementary trace to be connected to the trace of the circuit. Therefore, the term terminal can be extended to any type of male-female electrical connection, especially the male-female electrical connection used in automotive electrical connections.

[0020] The first connector position assurance terminal is usually connected to the conductive part by a retaining element (such as a screw), or by using a leaf spring, or a conductive paste, or by other means that do not require the use of physical wires. The connection can be performed using conductive elements that can be used for different functions at the same time, thereby saving materials and thus reducing the final cost of the device.

[0021] In some specific embodiments, the electronic device further includes a second module and a second module connector,

[0022] The second module includes a second electronic circuit having mounted electronic components and a ground connection;

[0023] The second module connector includes a wired portion and a socket portion, the wired portion including first terminals, the socket portion being fixed to the second electronic circuit and including second terminals, the second terminals being configured to mate with the first terminals to establish an electrical connection;

[0024] At least one of the second terminals is electrically connected to at least one light source;

[0025] One of the first terminals is a first connector position assurance terminal, and one of the second terminals is a second connector position assurance terminal configured to provide information about a connection state with the first connector position assurance terminal;

[0026] The second connector position ensures that the terminal is connected to the ground connection by interposing a second connection impedance, and the first connection impedance includes at least a second resistor; and

[0027] The first connector position assurance terminal of the second connector is connected to the first connector position assurance terminal of the first connector.

[0028] The invention is particularly advantageous when more than one module is involved, since all first connector positions ensure that the terminals (regardless of how many there are) are connected together and thus an equivalent impedance can be measured in the conductive element for the corresponding connector positions.

[0029] In some specific embodiments, the value of the second resistor is different from the value of the first resistor.

[0030] When there is more than one module, if each module is associated with a different resistor value, the resistor value measured at the conductive part provides information not only about how many connectors are connected, but also about which connector is connected or which connector is not connected: for a given faulty connection (i.e., when a first CPA terminal is not connected to a corresponding second CPA terminal), a specific measurement result provides information to determine which specific connector is not properly connected. This can be used for statistics on faulty connections and therefore for better quality control and assembly procedure adjustments.

[0031] In some specific embodiments, the electronic components of the first electronic circuit and / or the electronic components of the second electronic circuit are solid-state light sources or auxiliary electronic components configured to provide control or power supply to solid-state light sources.

[0032] The term "solid-state" refers to light emitted by solid-state electroluminescence, which uses semiconductors to convert electricity into light. Solid-state lighting produces visible light with reduced heat generation and less energy dissipation than incandescent lighting. The generally smaller mass of solid-state electronic lighting devices provides greater resistance to shock and vibration compared to fragile glass tubes / bulbs and long, thin filaments. Solid-state lighting also eliminates filament evaporation, potentially extending the life of the lighting device. Some examples of these lighting types include semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), or polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) as the source of illumination, rather than electrical filaments, plasmas, or gases.

[0033] The auxiliary electronics may be a microcontroller or a driver which is responsible for providing controlled power to the light source.

[0034] In some specific embodiments, the first connector position ensures that the terminals are connected only to each other.

[0035] These first connection position guarantee terminals have information about the connection status of these modules of the electronic device. Therefore, when there is more than one module, the first connection position guarantee terminals are interconnected with each other, which is sufficient to provide this information by means of the connection of the second connection position guarantee terminals of the first electronic circuit with the conductive element.

[0036] In some specific embodiments, at least one of the connection impedances further includes a capacitor arranged in parallel with the corresponding resistor.

[0037] The role of such a capacitor is to discharge very high voltage peaks caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) directly to ground without damaging other circuit elements. The parallel connection of the capacitor with the resistor allows the capacitor to be desaturated when no voltage is applied. On the other hand, the resistor (besides its main function of providing information about the connection) allows the current to be reduced in case it flows away from the heat sink (for example, in case there is contact with the power supply pins, which may occur during vehicle maintenance). The capacitor is saturated whenever a steady-state current (even a weak current such as that used for resistance measurement) is supplied to the capacitor, so that resistance measurements can be made without interference from the capacitor.

[0038] This parallel arrangement therefore provides two separate advantages: on the one hand it protects the heat sink from damage by ESD / unwanted power supply and on the other hand it allows CPA verification.

[0039] In some specific embodiments, the second connector position assurance terminal is configured to eventually make electrical contact with the corresponding first connector position assurance terminal.

[0040] One way to check the electrical connection between the wired portion and the socket portion is to perform the electrical connection between the first connector position assurance terminal and the second connector position assurance terminal only when the connection between the remaining terminals of the wired portion and the socket portion has occurred. A possible way to achieve this is that the second connector position assurance terminal terminates at a certain distance from the connection line, which is greater than the remaining terminals. Since the second connector position assurance terminal terminates "early", it is finally connected to its corresponding connector position assurance terminal. Therefore, if the connector position assurance terminal is connected, it is ensured that the remaining terminals are also connected. Other ways to achieve this goal are to position the first connector position assurance terminal at a different distance from the connection line than the remaining first terminals. This is an alternative based on the same principle: the second connector position assurance terminal is finally connected to its corresponding first connector position assurance terminal.

[0041] In some specific embodiments, the conductive feature is a metallization element.

[0042] Metallization processes are common in the manufacture of automotive lighting devices, so there are some metallization elements that can be used in this context.

[0043] In some specific embodiments, the conductive part is a metal element.

[0044] Instead of metallized parts, metal parts can also be used.

[0045] In some specific embodiments, the conductive part is a heat sink.

[0046] In any case, whether metallized or metallic, the heat sink is an element that is easily accessible to perform this measurement and is a conductive part, so it is particularly suitable for this task.

[0047] In some specific embodiments, the electronic device further includes a housing and an outer lens, wherein a junction between the housing and the outer lens is watertight, and wherein the housing includes a hole that is sealed in a watertight manner.

[0048] Such a watertight connection is required by some car manufacturers and the present invention is able to provide such a connection without compromising the solution to the main technical problem of detecting the correct connection of the connector without using dedicated pins in the main connector.

[0049] In some specific embodiments, the main connector is the only connector accessible from outside the area defined by the housing and the outer lens. Further, in some specific embodiments, the connection position ensures that the pin is not connected to the main connector.

[0050] The fact that the main connector is the only connector accessible from the outside improves and simplifies mechanical assembly within the motor vehicle. Further, this arrangement is useful insofar as the main connector typically does not have many spare pins. It is also advantageous to provide CPA information without using the pins of the main connector.

[0051] In some specific embodiments, the first module connector and / or the second module connector is a card edge connector.

[0052] This is one of the most representative embodiments, but not the only embodiment. In this case, the socket portion is the trace portion of the circuit that will be contacted by the corresponding matching trace of the wired portion of the connector.

[0053] In some specific embodiments, each electronic circuit is included in a corresponding printed circuit board, and at least one of the printed circuit boards has a retaining portion that forms a retaining element, such as a pair of elastic arms, which is configured to elastically receive the card edge connector and retain it after receiving it.

[0054] These retention features help prevent accidental disconnection of the connector.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this article should be interpreted according to the customary usage in the field. It will be further understood that the terms of common usage should also be interpreted according to the customary usage in the relevant field, and unless explicitly defined in this article, they will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0056] In this document, the term "comprises" and its derivatives (such as "comprising", etc.) should not be understood in an exclusive sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that the described and defined content may include other elements, steps, etc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] In order to complete the description and for a better understanding of the present invention, a set of drawings is provided. Said drawings constitute an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the present invention, which should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention, but only as examples of how the present invention may be implemented. These drawings include the following figures:

[0058] Figure 1 An overall perspective view of a motor vehicle including a vehicle lighting device according to the invention is shown.

[0059] Figure 2 A solution of a connecting assembly of a vehicle lighting device according to the present invention is shown.

[0060] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Two alternative arrangements in each connector are shown to provide each connector (and therefore each printed circuit board) with notification capabilities regarding connection position assurance.

[0061] Figure 5 A first example of a subcircuit connecting position assurance traces and corresponding electrical contacts in an automotive lighting device according to the present invention is shown.

[0062] Figure 6 The connection of all sub-circuits in the automotive lighting device according to the present invention is shown.

[0063] In the drawings, the following reference numerals have been used:

[0064] 1 Main PCB

[0065] 2 Drivers

[0066] 3 Main connector

[0067] 4. First secondary PCB

[0068] 5First secondary connector

[0069] 6 Secondary PCB

[0070] 7 Secondary connector

[0071] 8 Radiator

[0072] 9LED

[0073] 10 headlights

[0074] 11 Edge part of main PCB 12 Third secondary PCB

[0075] 13Third secondary connector

[0076] 14 The edge of the third secondary PCB

[0077] 15 Input terminal of the third secondary connector

[0078] 17 Electrical wiring 20 Second connector position to ensure wiring

[0079] 21 First Branch Road

[0080] 22 Second Branch Road

[0081] 23 Resistor 27 First connector position securing terminal

[0082] 28 Capacitor

[0083] 30 Lighting Module

[0084] 31 Electrical input of main connector

[0085] 32 Electrical output of main connector

[0086] 41 The edge of the first secondary PCB

[0087] 51 Electrical input terminal of the first secondary connector

[0088] 52 electrical output terminal of the first secondary connector

[0089] 61 The edge of the second secondary PCB

[0090] 71 Electrical input terminal of the second secondary connector

[0091] 72 electrical output terminal of second secondary connector 100 motor vehicle DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0092] The example embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement and realize the systems and processes described herein.It is important to understand that the embodiments may be provided in many alternative forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein.

[0093] Therefore, although the embodiments may be modified in various ways and take various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. It is not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Throughout the drawings and detailed description, the elements of the example embodiments are consistently represented by the same reference numerals where appropriate.

[0094] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a vehicle lighting device 10 according to the present invention.

[0095] The automotive lighting device 10 includes a plurality of lighting modules 30. Each lighting module 30 includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 9 arranged in a printed circuit board and a driver configured to control the operation of the LED groups.

[0096] The matrix configuration is a high-resolution module with a resolution greater than 2000 pixels. However, there is no restriction on the technology used to produce the projection module.

[0097] A first example of this matrix configuration includes a monolithic source. This monolithic source includes a matrix of monolithic electroluminescent elements arranged in several columns by several rows. In the monolithic matrix, the electroluminescent elements can be grown from a common substrate and electrically connected to selectively activate individually or by a subset of the electroluminescent elements. The substrate can be made primarily of semiconductor material. The substrate can include one or more other materials, such as non-semiconductors (metals and insulators). Therefore, each electroluminescent element / group can form a light pixel and can therefore emit light when its / their material is powered. Compared to conventional light-emitting diodes intended to be soldered to a printed circuit board, this monolithic matrix configuration allows the selectively activated pixels to be arranged very close to each other. The monolithic matrix can include electroluminescent elements whose main height dimension measured perpendicular to the common substrate is substantially equal to one micron.

[0098] The monolithic matrix is ​​coupled to a control centre to control the generation and / or projection of pixelated light beams by the matrix arrangement 6. The control centre is thus able to individually control the light emission of each pixel of the matrix arrangement.

[0099] As an alternative to what has been presented above, the matrix arrangement 6 may comprise a primary light source coupled to a matrix of mirrors. Thus, the pixelated light source is formed by an assembly of at least one primary light source, formed by at least one light-emitting diode emitting light, and an array of optoelectronic elements, for example a matrix of micromirrors, also called DMD (acronym for “Digital Micro-mirror Device”), which guides the light from the primary light source to the projection optics by reflection. Where appropriate, auxiliary optics may collect the light of the at least one light source to focus and guide them to the surface of the micromirror array.

[0100] Each micromirror can be pivoted between two fixed positions, a first position, in which the light is reflected towards the projection optical element, and a second position, in which the light is reflected in a direction different from the projection optical element. The two fixed positions are oriented in the same way for all micromirrors and form a characteristic angle of the micromirror matrix defined by its specifications relative to a reference plane supporting the micromirror matrix. This angle is typically less than 20° and can typically be about 12°. Thus, each micromirror that reflects a portion of a light beam incident on the micromirror matrix forms an elementary emitter of a pixelated light source. The actuation and control of the change of the mirror position for selectively activating this elementary emitter to emit or not emit an elementary light beam is controlled by a control center.

[0101] In various embodiments, the matrix arrangement may comprise a scanning laser system, wherein a laser source emits a laser beam to a scanning element configured to probe a surface of the wavelength converter with the laser beam. An image of this surface is captured by the projection optics.

[0102] The detection of the scanning element may be performed at a speed high enough that any displacement of the projected image is not noticeable to the human eye.

[0103] The synchronous control of the ignition of the laser source and the scanning movement of the light beam makes it possible to generate a matrix of elementary emitters which can be selectively activated at the surface of the wavelength converter element. The scanning device can be a mobile micromirror which is used to scan the surface of the wavelength converter element by reflection of the laser beam. The micromirrors mentioned as scanning devices are, for example, of the MEMS ("micro-electromechanical system") type. However, the invention is not limited to such scanning devices, but other types of scanning devices can be used, such as a series of mirrors arranged on a rotating element, the rotation of which causes the transmission surface to be scanned by the laser beam.

[0104] In another variant, the light source may be composite and comprise both at least one segment of a light element, such as a light emitting diode, and a surface portion of a monolithic light source.

[0105] Figure 2 A solution of a connecting assembly of a vehicle lighting device according to the present invention is shown.

[0106] The main printed circuit board 1 comprises an electronic circuit which starts in an edge portion 11 of the main printed circuit board 1 and puts this edge portion 11 in communication with a driver 2 intended to manage the lighting and signaling functions of the light sources situated in the lighting device.

[0107] The main connector 3 is coupled to an edge portion 11 of the main printed circuit board 1. The main connector 3 provides the main printed circuit board 1 with power supply and control signals from a body control module of the vehicle.

[0108] The main connector 3 includes five electrical input terminals 31 and five electrical output terminals 32. The electrical input terminals 31 are configured to transmit power supply and control signals to the main printed circuit board 1. To achieve this purpose, when the main connector 3 is inserted into the edge portion 11 of the main printed circuit board 1, the electrical input terminals are electrically connected to the electrical traces of the main substrate 1.

[0109] The electrical connections described in these figures are performed with the aid of a card edge connector, so each printed circuit board has traces as specific instances of terminals for the socket portion of the connector, while the card edge connector has traces corresponding to the wired portion of the connector. In different embodiments, the connection between the connector and the circuit can be performed with different types of connections.

[0110] The electrical output 32 is also connected to electrical traces on the opposite side of the main printed circuit board 1 .

[0111] There are also three secondary printed circuit boards 4, 6, 12. In different embodiments, there may be more secondary printed circuit boards, as the invention is not limited to a specific number thereof.

[0112] Each secondary printed circuit board 4 , 6 , 12 includes an LED 9 and electrical traces connecting an edge portion 41 , 61 , 14 of the corresponding secondary printed circuit board with the corresponding LED 9 .

[0113] The LEDs 9 of each secondary printed circuit board 4 , 6 , 12 are intended to be controlled by the driver 2 of the main printed circuit board 1 .

[0114] This control is achieved by daisy-chaining, such as Figure 1 As shown in .

[0115] The main connector 3 is coupled to the edge portion 11 of the main printed circuit board 1. Each electrical input terminal 31 is configured to receive power supply and control signals from the body control module and is electrically coupled to the electrical traces of the main printed circuit board 1. After feeding the circuits of the main printed circuit board 1, the electrical traces on the opposite side are coupled to the electrical output terminals 32 of the main connector 3.

[0116] The first secondary connector 5 is connected to an edge portion of the first secondary printed circuit board 4. The first secondary connector includes five input terminals 51, each of which is connected to one output terminal 32 of the main connector 3 through a wire. After feeding the circuit of the first secondary printed circuit board 4, the electrical traces on the opposite side are connected to the electrical output terminals 52 of the first secondary connector 5.

[0117] The second secondary connector 7 is connected to an edge portion of the second secondary printed circuit board 6. The second secondary connector 7 includes five input terminals 71, each of which is connected to one output terminal 52 of the first secondary connector 5 through a wire. After the circuit of the second secondary printed circuit board 6 is fed with electricity, the electrical traces on the opposite side are connected to the electrical output terminals 72 of the second secondary connector 7.

[0118] The third secondary connector 13 is connected to an edge portion of the third secondary printed circuit board 12. The third secondary connector 13 includes five input terminals 15, each of which is connected to one output terminal 72 of the second secondary connector 7 through a wire.

[0119] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Two alternative arrangements in each connector are shown to provide each connector with notification capabilities regarding connection location assurance.

[0120] Figure 3 A first alternative solution for achieving this purpose is shown, showing the arrangement of the second connector position assurance traces 20 and their corresponding first connector position assurance terminals 27 in plan view.

[0121] Each conductive trace 17 reaches its respective connector terminal and the second connector position ensures that the trace 20 is shorter than the remaining second traces 17 and therefore terminates at a distance from the edge 11 of the connector that is greater than the remaining second traces 17 .

[0122] With this arrangement, the second connector position assurance trace 20 is connected last to its corresponding first connector position assurance terminal 27, thereby ensuring that if this connection is made, the remaining electrical connections are made.

[0123] Figure 4 A second alternative to achieve this condition is shown. In this case, the relative position of the terminals 27 is ensured by the first connector position. Figure 3 For the same purpose of the embodiment of the present invention, the first connector position assurance terminal is intended to connect the second connector position assurance trace 20. The first connector position assurance terminal 27 is closer to the edge 11 of the connector than the remaining first terminals. By this position, it is ensured that when the second connector position assurance trace 20 reaches its first connector position assurance terminal 27, the remaining conductive traces have reached their terminals.

[0124] exist Figure 3 and Figure 4 In both figures, you can see how the second connector position-guaranteed trace is located in the outer fifth of the line of the conductive trace. In this case, since there are only five traces, this means that the connection position-guaranteed trace is located at the end (the more outer end) of the conductive trace.

[0125] Therefore, for Figure 3 or Figure 4 In any of the embodiments shown in (or any equivalent embodiment for providing the terminals with the possibility of transmitting information about connection position assurance), each printed circuit board has means for generating information about connection position assurance.

[0126] This connection between the second connector position assurance trace 20 and its corresponding first connector position assurance terminal feeds a sub-circuit independent of one of the light sources.

[0127] Figure 5 A first example of this subcircuit is shown. The components of this subcircuit do not actively participate in the lighting function performed by the LED. The main function of this subcircuit is to electrically cooperate with the contacts between the second connector position assurance trace 20 and its first connector position assurance terminal 27. The presence of current in this line of the circuit indicates that the connection has been successfully made, so all electrical traces have successfully connected with the corresponding terminals of the wired part of the connector.

[0128] The subcircuit has a first branch 21 and a second branch 22, the first branch including a first connector position assurance terminal 27, the second branch including an impedance including a resistor 23 and a capacitor 28 connected in parallel, the impedance being grounded. When the circuit is closed (i.e., when the second connector position assurance trace is connected to the first connector position assurance terminal 27), the first branch exhibits the impedance value.

[0129] The function of the capacitor 28 is to discharge very high voltage peaks caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) directly to ground without damaging other circuit elements. The parallel connection of the capacitor with the resistor allows the capacitor to be desaturated when no voltage is applied. On the other hand, the resistor (besides its main function of providing information about the connection) allows the current to be reduced in case of current flowing out of the heat sink (for example, in case there is contact with the power supply pins, which may occur during vehicle maintenance). The capacitor is saturated whenever a steady-state current (even a weak current such as that used for resistance measurement) is supplied to the capacitor, so that resistance measurements can be made without interference from the capacitor.

[0130] Figure 6 The connections of all sub-circuits according to an embodiment of the invention are shown. In this case, the first connector position ensures that the terminals are connected in parallel, and the second connector position ensures that the traces are in electrical contact with the heat sink 8. This last step can be performed by using conductive elements that can be used for different functions at the same time, such as screws, or by leaf springs, or conductive paste, or by other means that do not require the use of physical wires. The external resistance measurement of the heat sink 8 will provide the parallel value of the connected resistors, because the capacitor does not interfere with the resistance measurement.

[0131] Since each subcircuit has its own resistor value, the resistance value measured between the heat sink and the ground connection provides information about the connection state of each printed circuit board: if each connector is properly connected, the resistance value will show that all resistors are in parallel. However, if one of the connectors is not connected, the resistance value will show different values, depending on which resistor is not connected to the circuit. Therefore, the control of all printed circuit boards is performed by a single resistance measurement. If the value of the first resistor is 1Ω, the value of the second resistor is 2Ω, and the value of the third resistor is 3Ω, when the first resistor and the third resistor are connected, the measured value will be 0.75Ω. When the first resistor and the second resistor are connected, the equivalent value is 0.67Ω, when the second resistor and the third resistor are connected, the measured value is 1.2Ω, and when the resistors are all connected, 0.55Ω will be measured. Therefore, according to this value, the operator can know whether all items are connected, and in the case of unconnected modules, it can be known which module or modules are not connected.

[0132] As can be seen in this figure, the first connector position ensures that the terminals are only connected to each other between them. In different embodiments, this connection may be slightly different by inserting known elements that may have a known effect on the resistance measurement. These known elements may be predetermined impedances or circuit boards, but in any case, the CPA circuit including the first CPA terminal and these known elements is not mixed with the circuits responsible for providing lighting functions and / or signaling functions to the vehicle.

Claims

1. An electronic device (10) for a motor vehicle, the electronic device (10) comprising a main connector (3), a first module (30), a first module connector (5) and a conductive part (8), the conductive part comprising at least one portion accessible from the outside of the electronic device, wherein: The main connector (3) comprises at least a main power input terminal and a main grounding terminal; The first module (30) comprises a first electronic circuit (4) equipped with electronic components (9) and a ground connection electrically connected to the main ground connection; The first module connector (5) comprises a wired portion and a socket portion, the wired portion comprising a first terminal, the socket portion being fixedly connected to the first electronic circuit (4) and comprising a second terminal, the second terminal being configured to match the first terminal to establish an electrical connection; At least one of the second terminals is electrically connected to the electronic component (9); One of the first terminals is a first connector position assurance terminal (27), and one of the second terminals is a second connector position assurance terminal (20), the second connector position assurance terminal being configured to provide information about a connection status with the first connector position assurance terminal (27); The second connector position assurance terminal (20) is connected to the ground connection of the first electronic circuit by inserting a first connection impedance, and the first connection impedance includes at least a first resistor (23); and The second connector position assurance terminal (20) is connected to the conductive part (8). 2.-The electronic device (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a second module and a second module connector (7), The second module comprises a second electronic circuit (6) equipped with electronic components (9) and a ground connection; The second module connector (7) comprises a wired portion and a socket portion, the wired portion comprising a first terminal, the socket portion being fixedly connected to the second electronic circuit (6) and comprising a second terminal, the second terminal being configured to match the first terminal to establish an electrical connection; At least one of the second terminals is electrically connected to the electronic component (9); One of the first terminals is a first connector position assurance terminal (27), and one of the second terminals is a second connector position assurance terminal (20), the second connector position assurance terminal being configured to provide information about a connection status with the first connector position assurance terminal (27); The second connector position assurance terminal (20) is connected to the ground connection by inserting a second connection impedance, and the first connection impedance includes at least a second resistor; and The first connector position assurance terminal (27) of the second connector (7) is connected to the first connector position assurance terminal (27) of the first connector (5). 3.-The electronic device (10) according to claim 2, wherein The value of the second resistor is different from the value of the first resistor (23). 4.-The electronic device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The electronic components of the first electronic circuit and / or the electronic components of the second electronic circuit are solid-state light sources (9) or auxiliary electronic components configured to provide control or power supply to solid-state light sources (9). 5.-The electronic device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The first connector position ensures that the terminals (27) are connected only to each other. 6.-Electronic device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein At least one of the connection impedances further comprises a capacitor (28) arranged in parallel with the corresponding resistor (23). 7.- The electronic device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The second connector position assurance terminal (20) is configured to eventually make electrical contact with the corresponding first connector position assurance terminal (27). 8.-Electronic device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein The conductive part is a metallized element or a metal element. 9.-Electronic device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein The conductive part is a heat sink (8). 10.-The electronic device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a housing and an outer lens, wherein The junction between the housing and the outer lens is watertight, and wherein the housing comprises an aperture that is sealed in a watertight manner. 11.-The electronic device (10) according to claim 10, wherein The main connector (3) is the only connector accessible from outside the area defined by the housing and the outer lens. 12.- The electronic device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The first module connector and / or the second module connector is a card edge connector. 13.-The electronic device (10) according to claim 11, wherein Each electronic circuit is included in a corresponding printed circuit board, and at least one of the printed circuit boards has a retaining portion forming a retaining element, such as a pair of resilient arms, which is configured to elastically receive the card edge connector and retain it after receipt.

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