Communication control method of outdoor unit, controller, outdoor unit and multi-split air conditioning system

Abstract

The invention discloses a communication control method of an outdoor unit, a controller, the outdoor unit and a multi-split system. The communication control method comprises the steps that the outdoor unit is powered on and started, and multiple communication protocols are determined; selecting one communication protocol from the plurality of communication protocols in turn for starting, and addressing the slave so as to enable the slave with the same communication protocol as the currently started communication protocol to reply addressing information; after addressing of all the slaves is completed, one communication protocol is selected from the multiple communication protocols in turn to be started, and polling is conducted on the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently started communication protocol. According to the technical scheme, the host polls the slaves in sequence through different communication protocols, communication is carried out every time one slave is accessed, communication interaction among the multiple outdoor units is achieved, the multiple on-line system with the multiple outdoor units can be compatible with the outdoor units with new and old communication protocols, and the equipment upgrading and updating requirements of a user are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of air conditioner system communication, and particularly to a communication control method, a controller, an outdoor unit, and a multi-connected air conditioner system for an outdoor unit. Background Art

[0002] The architecture of a multi-connected air conditioner system can be that multiple outdoor units are connected to multiple indoor units, which can bear a larger load and cover a larger area of cooling or heating requirements compared to a one-to-many multi-connected air conditioner system. In practical applications, since outdoor units may be replaced or upgraded, or new and old models may be used in combination, there may be multiple different versions of communication protocols among multiple outdoor units. How to be compatible with the communication of devices with new and old communication protocols is a relatively complex problem. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide a communication control method, a controller, an outdoor unit, and a multi-connected air conditioner system for an outdoor unit, which can achieve compatible communication between new and old communication protocols.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a communication control method for an outdoor unit, which is applied to a host in a multi-connected air conditioner system including multiple outdoor units. The host is one of the multiple outdoor units, and the remaining outdoor units are slaves. The host and the slaves are connected in parallel; the communication control method includes:

[0005] Power on and start, and determine multiple communication protocols;

[0006] Select one communication protocol from multiple communication protocols in turn and enable it, and address the slaves so that the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled communication protocol reply with address information;

[0007] After addressing all the slaves is completed, select one communication protocol from multiple communication protocols in turn and enable it, and poll the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled communication protocol.

[0008] In some embodiments, the step of selecting one communication protocol from multiple communication protocols in turn and enabling it, and addressing the slaves so that the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled communication protocol reply with address information includes:

[0009] Select and enable a first communication protocol from multiple communication protocols;

[0010] Send first address information to the parallel communication bus based on the first communication protocol;

[0011] Receive the address information replied by the first slave. The first slave is a slave that communicates based on the first communication protocol, and the first slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol after power on and start.

[0012] In some embodiments, after receiving the addressing information replied by the first slave, the communication control method further includes:

[0013] Disable the first communication protocol and switch to enable the second communication protocol among multiple communication protocols;

[0014] Send second addressing information to the parallel communication bus based on the second communication protocol;

[0015] Receive the addressing information replied by the second slave, where the second slave is a slave that communicates based on the second communication protocol, and the second slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol after being powered on and started.

[0016] In some embodiments, taking turns to select and enable one communication protocol among multiple communication protocols and polling the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled communication protocol includes:

[0017] Select and enable the first communication protocol from multiple communication protocols;

[0018] Poll all the first slaves based on the first communication protocol and the address information of the first slaves;

[0019] After completing one round of polling all the first slaves, disable the first communication protocol and switch to enable the second communication protocol among multiple communication protocols;

[0020] Poll all the second slaves based on the second communication protocol and the address information of the second slaves.

[0021] In some embodiments, the polling all the first slaves based on the first communication protocol and the address information of the first slaves includes:

[0022] Access one of the first slaves each time according to the address order of the address information of the first slaves;

[0023] Send data to the currently accessed first slave and / or receive the uploaded data from the currently accessed first slave;

[0024] Switch to the first slave at the next address until all the first slaves are accessed.

[0025] In some embodiments, the polling all the second slaves based on the second communication protocol and the address information of the second slaves includes:

[0026] Access one of the second slaves each time according to the address order of the address information of the second slaves;

[0027] Send data to the currently accessed second slave and / or receive uploaded data from the currently accessed second slave;

[0028] Switch to the second slave at the next address until all the second slaves have been accessed.

[0029] In some embodiments, after power-on startup, the communication control method includes:

[0030] Determine that the local device is the host according to a preset condition;

[0031] The preset condition includes at least one of the following:

[0032] Detect a DIP switch signal defined as the host;

[0033] Detect that there is only one line controller in the multi-connected air conditioner system and the local device is connected to the line controller;

[0034] Detect that communication with the indoor device has been obtained.

[0035] In some embodiments, the multiple communication protocols of the outdoor unit are different versions of the RS485 communication protocol. The outdoor unit includes an RS485 communication port, and a bus topology structure is formed among multiple outdoor units through the RS485 communication port.

[0036] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a controller, including at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can execute the communication control method as described in the first aspect.

[0037] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an outdoor unit, including the controller of the second aspect.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-connected air conditioner system, including a plurality of outdoor units of the third aspect.

[0039] The communication control method, controller, outdoor unit, and multi-connected air conditioner system of the embodiments of the present application have at least the following beneficial effects: In the multi-connected air conditioner system, there is one outdoor unit main unit and multiple outdoor unit slave units. These slave units use different communication protocols. Therefore, the main unit needs to be compatible with multiple communication protocols. After the main unit is powered on and starts, it addresses the slave units in sequence through different communication protocols to determine the addresses of the slave units with different communication protocols. After completing the addressing of all slave units, the main unit polls the slave units in sequence through different communication protocols, accessing one slave unit at a time for communication, realizing the communication interaction between multiple outdoor units; through the above communication control method, a multi-connected air conditioner system with multiple outdoor units can be made to be compatible with outdoor units with new and old communication protocols, meeting the user's equipment upgrade requirements.

[0040] Other features and advantages of the present application will be described in the following specification, and, in part, will be obvious from the specification, or will be understood by implementing the present application. The objectives and other advantages of the present application can be realized and obtained by the structures specifically pointed out in the specification, claims, and drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0041] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a communication control method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 2 is a flowchart of an addressing method based on a first communication protocol provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an addressing method based on a second communication protocol provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for polling slave units provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another method for polling slave units provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another method for polling slave units provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 7 is a module diagram of a controller provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 is a module diagram of a multi-connected air conditioner system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a method for determining a main unit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 10 It is a schematic flow chart of a multi - protocol communication control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. Specific implementation manners

[0051] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application. Additionally, the features, operations or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be reordered or adjusted in an obvious manner by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and drawings are only for clearly describing a certain embodiment and do not mean that they are necessary sequences, unless it is stated that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0052] In the description of the present application, the meaning of several is one or more, the meaning of multiple is more than two, understand greater than, less than, exceeding, etc. as not including the number itself, and understand above, below, within, etc. as including the number. If there is a description of first and second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the sequence relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0053] The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any sequential or technical meaning. And the "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in the present application, unless otherwise specified, both include direct and indirect connection (coupling).

[0054] The multi - connected air - conditioning system is commonly known as "one - outdoor - unit - multiple - indoor - units", which means that one outdoor unit is connected to two or more indoor units through pipes. The traditional air - conditioning system usually uses a single outdoor unit connected to a single indoor unit. The central air - conditioning system of the multi - connected air - conditioning system solves the problem of all - on - when - one - is - on in the traditional central air - conditioning system, and has many advantages such as energy conservation, intelligent regulation and precise temperature control. Moreover, each indoor unit can be independently adjusted to meet the needs of different spaces and different air - conditioning loads.

[0055] The multi - connected air - conditioning system is a single refrigeration cycle system composed of one or a group of outdoor units containing variable - volume compressors connected to multiple indoor units. However, in actual applications, since the outdoor unit may be upgraded or new and old models may be used in combination, there may be multiple different versions of communication protocols among multiple outdoor units, and the old - protocol models cannot change the old - version communication protocols. Therefore, the multi - connected air - conditioning system cannot be compatible with the communication of new and old communication - protocol devices when new and old protocol communications coexist.

[0056] Based on this, the present application provides a communication control method, a controller, an outdoor unit, and a multi-connected air conditioner system for an outdoor unit, which solves the problem of coexistence of new and old protocol devices and enables simultaneous communication of new and old protocols when using the same physical connection line.

[0057] To facilitate the understanding of the present invention by users, some terms or nouns involved in each embodiment of the present invention are explained below:

[0058] A communication protocol, also known as a communication specification, refers to an agreement on data transfer control between communication parties. It provides communication support for interconnected networks that connect different operating systems and different hardware architectures. The RS485 communication protocol provided in the embodiments of the present application is a hardware communication protocol that stipulates rules such as the voltage range for data transmission, the transmission rate, and the data format. In the RS485 communication protocol, data transmission is carried out through differential signals, and the voltage difference between two lines is used to represent logical states to achieve bidirectional data transmission. It provides communication support for interconnected networks that connect different operating systems and different hardware architectures.

[0059] The following embodiments of the present invention can be applied to various multi-connected air conditioner units. The multi-connected air conditioner unit includes devices such as indoor units, outdoor units, and remote controllers. In the related art, when implementing the communication of the multi-connected air conditioner unit, generally only the same version of the communication protocol can be used, while the following embodiments of the present application can be compatible with new and old communication protocol devices of the multi-connected air conditioner unit to achieve simultaneous communication of new and old protocols.

[0060] The following describes a communication control method, a controller, an outdoor unit, and a multi-connected air conditioner system provided by the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0061] Referring to Figure 1 as shown, Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a communication control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication control method is applied to the host in a multi-connected air conditioner system including multiple outdoor units. The host is one of the multiple outdoor units, and the remaining outdoor units are slaves. The host and the slaves are connected in parallel. The communication control method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0062] Step S110: Power on and start, and determine multiple communication protocols;

[0063] In this step, the host (one of the outdoor units) starts after receiving power supply and determines all available communication protocols. There may be multiple communication protocols to choose from, and the specific protocol type will be determined according to the requirements of the system and the device.

[0064] Step S120: Rotate through a variety of communication protocols to select one for enabling, and address the slave devices so that the slave devices with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled one will reply with addressing information.

[0065] In this step, the master device will rotate through a variety of determined communication protocols to select one for enabling, and then address all slave devices. The master device will send an addressing instruction to the slave devices and request the slave devices to reply with addressing information. The slave devices will check the type of communication protocol they adopt. If it is the same as the communication protocol currently enabled by the master device, they will reply with addressing information.

[0066] Step S130: After addressing all slave devices, rotate through a variety of communication protocols to select one for enabling, and poll the slave devices with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled one.

[0067] After completing the addressing of all slave devices, rotate through a variety of determined communication protocols again to select one for enabling, and poll the slave devices with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled one one by one. Polling means that the master device sequentially queries the status of each slave device or requests data in a certain order. Through polling, the master device can communicate and interact with each slave device, obtain or send relevant data, so as to realize the monitoring, control or adjustment functions of the system.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, after the master device is powered on and starts up, it is first necessary to determine a variety of communication protocols supported by the system for subsequent communication control; the master device needs to rotate through and select one communication protocol for enabling, and address the slave devices through this communication protocol. Only when the communication protocol of the slave device is the same as the communication protocol currently enabled by the master device will the slave device reply with addressing information. This can ensure the consistency of the communication protocol between the master device and the slave device and improve communication efficiency; after completing the addressing of all slave devices, rotate through a variety of communication protocols to select one for enabling, and poll the slave devices with the same communication protocol as the currently enabled one. Similarly, only when the communication protocol of the slave device is the same as the communication protocol currently enabled by the master device will polling be carried out.

[0069] It can be understood that this method realizes the addressing and polling control of slave devices by determining a variety of communication protocols and rotating and switching between different communication protocols. This can improve the flexibility and adaptability of the system, ensure the consistency of the communication protocol between the master device and the slave device, and improve communication efficiency. At the same time, this method can also realize the centralized control and management of multiple outdoor units, facilitating system maintenance and operation.

[0070] Refer to Figure 2 as shown in Figure 2 is a flowchart of an addressing method based on the first communication protocol provided by an embodiment of the present application. The addressing method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0071] Step S210, select and enable a first communication protocol from multiple communication protocols;

[0072] It should be noted that the host will select a first communication protocol from multiple determined communication protocols and set it as the currently used communication protocol for subsequent addressing operations. Among them, the first communication protocol is a randomly selected protocol from multiple determined communication protocols.

[0073] Step S220, send first addressing information to the parallel communication bus based on the first communication protocol;

[0074] It should be noted that after the first communication protocol is enabled, the host sends first addressing information to the parallel communication bus based on the first communication protocol. This addressing information is encoded according to the specified format of the first communication protocol and may contain the address or identifier of the host to identify the identity of the host.

[0075] Step S230, receive the addressing information replied by the first slave. The first slave is a slave communicating based on the first communication protocol, and the first slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol after being powered on and started.

[0076] It should be noted that after sending the first addressing information, the host needs to wait for the reply of the first slave. The first slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol after being powered on and started. When there is a reply of the addressing information from the first slave, the host will receive and identify the information. According to the protocol type flag bit of this information, it can be determined that the slave is the first slave communicating based on the first communication protocol. This flag bit can be a binary bit or a specific register, used to indicate the communication protocol type used by the first slave. By setting the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol, the first slave can send and receive data conforming to this communication protocol to the host or other devices.

[0077] It can be understood that this method realizes the addressing of the slave by selecting and enabling the first communication protocol, then sending the first addressing information to the parallel communication bus, and receiving the addressing information replied by the first slave. This can facilitate the host to centrally control and manage multiple slaves, improve the flexibility and adaptability of the system. At the same time, by setting the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol, it can ensure the consistency of the communication protocol between the host and the slave and improve the communication efficiency.

[0078] Refer to Figure 3 as shown in Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of an addressing method based on a second communication protocol provided by an embodiment of the present application; this addressing method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0079] Step S310, deactivate the first communication protocol and switch to enable the second communication protocol among multiple communication protocols;

[0080] It should be noted that after the host receives the addressing information of the first slave, the first communication protocol is deactivated, and the second communication protocol among the determined multiple communication protocols is set as the currently used communication protocol. This means that the host will no longer use the first communication protocol for communication but instead use the second communication protocol. Among them, the second communication protocol is a random protocol among the determined multiple communication protocols except the first communication protocol.

[0081] Step S320, send second addressing information to the parallel communication bus based on the second communication protocol;

[0082] It should be noted that after switching to and enabling the second communication protocol, the host sends second addressing information to the parallel communication bus based on the second communication protocol. This addressing information is encoded according to the specified format of the second communication protocol and may contain the address or identifier of the host to identify the identity of the host.

[0083] Step S330, receive the addressing information replied by the second slave. The second slave is a slave that communicates based on the second communication protocol, and the second slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol after being powered on and started.

[0084] It should be noted that after sending the second addressing information, the host needs to wait for the reply of the second slave. The second slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol after being powered on and started. When there is a reply of the addressing information from the second slave, the host will receive and identify the information. According to the protocol type flag bit of this information, it can be determined that the slave is the second slave that communicates based on the second communication protocol. By setting the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol, the first slave can send and receive data conforming to this communication protocol to the host or other devices.

[0085] It can be understood that this method realizes the flexible control and management of multiple slaves through the switching and re-addressing of the communication protocol. In this way, it can switch between different communication protocols to adapt to different environments and requirements, improving the adaptability and flexibility of the system. At the same time, by setting the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol, the consistency of the communication protocol between the host and the slave can be ensured, improving the communication efficiency.

[0086] Refer to Figure 4 as shown in Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for polling slaves provided by an embodiment of the present application. This polling method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0087] Step S410, select and enable the first communication protocol from multiple communication protocols;

[0088] Step S420: Poll all the first slave devices based on the first communication protocol and the address information of the first slave devices.

[0089] Step S430: After completing one round of polling all the first slave devices, deactivate the first communication protocol and switch to enable the second communication protocol among multiple communication protocols.

[0090] Step S440: Poll all the second slave devices based on the second communication protocol and the address information of the second slave devices.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present application, the host selects the first communication protocol from multiple determined communication protocols and sets it as the currently used communication protocol. After the first communication protocol is enabled, the host communicates and interacts with each first slave device one by one according to the address information of each first slave device. The host sends instructions to all the first slave devices, obtains data, or performs corresponding control operations. When the host completes one round of polling all the first slave devices, it will deactivate the first communication protocol and switch to the second communication protocol among multiple communication protocols, and set the second communication protocol as the currently used communication protocol. After the second communication protocol is enabled, the host communicates and interacts with each first slave device one by one according to the address information of each second slave device. The host sends instructions to all the second slave devices, obtains data, or performs corresponding control operations.

[0092] It can be understood that this method enables the first communication protocol, then polls all the first slave devices once. After completing one round of polling, it deactivates the first communication protocol and switches to enable the second communication protocol, and then polls all the second slave devices once. This can achieve flexible control and management of multiple slave devices, ensure the consistency of the communication protocol between the host and the slave devices, improve the communication efficiency. At the same time, this method can also achieve centralized control and management of multiple outdoor units, facilitating system maintenance and operation.

[0093] Refer to Figure 5 as shown in Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of another method for polling slave devices provided by an embodiment of the present application. This polling method polls the first slave devices based on the first communication protocol. This polling method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0094] Step S510: Access one first slave device each time according to the address order of the address information of the first slave devices.

[0095] It should be noted that the host will access each first slave device one by one according to the address order of the address information of the first slave devices. The host accesses one first slave device at a time according to the preset address order to ensure that each slave device will be accessed.

[0096] Step S520: Send data to the currently accessed first slave device and / or receive the data uploaded by the currently accessed first slave device.

[0097] It should be noted that once the master device accesses the current first slave device, the master device can send data and instructions to the slave device, or receive the data uploaded by the slave device, so as to complete the data interaction between the master device and the currently accessed first slave device. The master device completes the process of the first communication protocol by sending data to the currently accessed first slave device or receiving the data uploaded by the currently accessed first slave device.

[0098] Step S530: Switch to the first slave device at the next address until all first slave devices have been accessed.

[0099] It should be noted that after completing the data interaction with the currently accessed first slave device, the master device will switch to the first slave device at the next address for access until all first slave devices have been accessed, so as to ensure that the master device has polled all first slave devices and completed the access to each slave device.

[0100] It can be understood that this process realizes the sequential access and data transmission of the master device to the first slave devices, ensuring the smooth progress of communication control and data interaction with each first slave device. Through the polling method, the master device can centrally control and manage multiple slave devices, improving the flexibility and adaptability of the system. At the same time, this process can also realize the real-time monitoring and management of the first slave devices, meeting the application requirements and scenarios of different needs.

[0101] Refer to Figure 6 as shown in Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of another method for polling slave devices provided by an embodiment of the present application. This polling method polls second slave devices based on the second communication protocol. The polling method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0102] Step S610: Access one second slave device each time according to the address order of the address information of the second slave devices.

[0103] It should be noted that the master device will access each second slave device one by one according to the address order of the address information of the second slave devices. The master device accesses one second slave device at a time according to the preset address order to ensure that each slave device will be accessed.

[0104] Step S620: Send data to the currently accessed second slave device and / or receive the data uploaded by the currently accessed second slave device.

[0105] It should be noted that once the host accesses the current second slave, the host can send data and instructions to the slave or receive data uploaded by the slave, so as to complete the data interaction between the host and the currently accessed second slave. The host completes the process of the second communication protocol by sending data to the currently accessed second slave or receiving the data uploaded by the currently accessed second slave.

[0106] Step S630: Switch to the second slave at the next address until all second slaves have been accessed.

[0107] It should be noted that after completing the data interaction with the currently accessed second slave, the host will switch to the second slave at the next address for access until all second slaves have been accessed, so as to ensure that the host has polled all second slaves and completed the access to each slave.

[0108] It can be understood that this process realizes the sequential access and data transmission of the host to the second slaves, ensuring the smooth progress of communication control and data interaction with each second slave. Through the polling method, the host can centrally control and manage multiple slaves, improving the flexibility and adaptability of the system. At the same time, this process can also realize the real-time monitoring and management of the second slaves, meeting the applications of different requirements and scenarios.

[0109] In some embodiments, after the multi-connected air-conditioning system is powered on and starts up, the current outdoor unit is determined to be the host according to the following preset conditions:

[0110] The dip switch signal defined as the host is detected;

[0111] Only one wired controller in the multi-connected air-conditioning system is detected and the local unit is connected to the wired controller;

[0112] The communication with the indoor equipment is detected.

[0113] It should be noted that if the current outdoor unit meets one or more of the three preset conditions, it can be determined that the current outdoor unit is the outdoor unit host.

[0114] It should be noted that the dip switch signal is an address switch operated by a dip switch and controlled by the 0 / 1 binary coding principle. The dip switch signal of the outdoor unit host can be set to 1, and the dip switch signal of the outdoor unit slave can be set to 0. In this way, by reading the status of the dip switch, it can be determined whether the local unit is set as the host. For example, the host is set through a physically connected switch or an instruction transmitted by a wireless signal.

[0115] It should be noted that a wired controller is a type of controller, usually used to control functions such as the start / stop, mode, temperature, dehumidification, and wind speed of a central air conditioner to achieve various functions of the air conditioner. In a multi-split system, the wired controller can control the start / stop of devices such as air conditioners and floor heating, as well as functions such as dehumidification and cleaning. The outdoor unit connected to the wired controller is the main outdoor unit. The wired controller controls the start / stop of all outdoor units and other devices by connecting to the main outdoor unit.

[0116] It should be noted that the communication between the main outdoor unit and the indoor unit is mainly carried out in a wired or wireless manner. Wired communication generally uses a serial communication method, such as RS485 or RS232 interfaces, and connects the indoor and outdoor units through data lines. Wireless communication often uses radio frequencies, such as infrared or radio frequency signals. The communication principle is to achieve data transmission and instruction interaction between the indoor and outdoor units through specified transmission protocols and communication protocols. The indoor unit acts as the main unit, sending instructions or requests, while the outdoor unit acts as the slave unit, receiving and executing the instructions, and then feeding back the results to the indoor unit. The communication function between the indoor and outdoor units is mainly used for data exchange and interactive control. Through communication, the indoor and outdoor units can achieve information transmission, such as sharing and transmitting data such as temperature and humidity, so that the indoor and outdoor units can work in coordination. At the same time, the communication also supports remote control and monitoring. Users can remotely operate and manage the air conditioner through a mobile phone or other intelligent devices. In addition, the communication function also supports the linkage control of multiple indoor and outdoor units, realizing unified adjustment and energy-saving control, and providing a more convenient and intelligent air-conditioning experience.

[0117] It can be understood that this method can automatically or manually determine a device as the main unit to achieve centralized control and management of the entire multi-split system. This setting method can adapt to different environments and requirements, improving the flexibility and adaptability of the system. At the same time, this method can also achieve centralized control and management of multiple outdoor units, facilitating system maintenance and operation.

[0118] In some embodiments, the multiple communication protocols of the outdoor unit are different versions of the RS485 communication protocol. The outdoor unit includes an RS485 communication port, and multiple outdoor units form a bus topology structure through the RS485 communication port.

[0119] It should be noted that the RS485 communication protocol has advantages such as strong anti-interference ability, long transmission distance, and high speed, so it is widely used in fields such as industrial control and smart home. In an air-conditioning system, the RS485 communication protocol is usually used for data transmission and control signal transfer between the main outdoor unit and the slave outdoor unit. Through the RS485 communication protocol, the slave outdoor unit can receive instructions from the main outdoor unit and execute corresponding operations. At the same time, it can also transmit the status and data of the slave outdoor unit to the main outdoor unit to achieve information interaction and control.

[0120] It should be noted that multiple outdoor units form a bus topology structure through RS485 communication ports, such as a daisy chain topology structure. It forms a hand-in-hand connection method by connecting the RS485 communication ports of multiple outdoor units. In this structure, each slave outdoor unit is connected to the next slave outdoor unit through the RS485 bus, and the master outdoor unit is connected to the first slave outdoor unit through the RS485 bus.

[0121] Referring to Figure 7 as shown, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the modules of a controller provided by an embodiment of the present application. The controller 700 includes:

[0122] A processor 710, which can be implemented by using a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits, etc., and is used to execute relevant instructions to implement the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0123] A memory 720, which can be implemented in the form of a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, or a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 720 can store an operating system and other application programs. When implementing the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this specification through software or firmware, the relevant program codes are stored in the memory 720 and are called by the processor 710 to execute the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application;

[0124] An input / output interface 730, which is used to implement information input and output;

[0125] A communication interface 740, which is used to implement communication interaction between this device and other devices, and can implement communication through a wired method (such as USB, network cable, etc.) or through a wireless method (such as mobile network, WIFI, Bluetooth, etc.);

[0126] A bus 750, which transmits information between various components of the device (such as the processor 710, the memory 720, the input / output interface 730, and the communication interface 740);

[0127] Among them, the processor 710, the memory 720, the input / output interface 730, and the communication interface 740 are communicatively connected to each other inside the device through the bus 750.

[0128] An embodiment of the present application further provides an outdoor unit, which includes the controller as described above.

[0129] An embodiment of the present application further provides a multi-connected air-conditioning system. Refer to Figure 8 as shown, Figure 8 which is a schematic block diagram of a multi-connected air-conditioning system provided by an embodiment of the present application. The multi-connected air-conditioning system includes multiple outdoor units as described above.

[0130] It should be noted that the multi-connected air-conditioning system includes multiple outdoor units, and one of them is set as the main unit, and the rest are slave units. The main unit is connected in parallel with other slave units, and a bus topology structure is formed through the RS485 communication port of the main control board of the hydraulic module. Through the daisy chain topology structure, the main unit of outdoor unit 1 is connected to outdoor unit 2 through the RS485 bus, and each slave outdoor unit is connected to the next slave outdoor unit through the RS485 bus. Each slave outdoor unit needs to receive the data packet sent by the previous device before it can continue to send its own data packet.

[0131] Refer to Figure 9 as shown, Figure 9 which is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining the main unit provided by an embodiment of the present application. This determination method is applied to the above multi-connected air-conditioning system, and this determination method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0132] Step S910, the multi-connected air-conditioning system is powered on and started;

[0133] Step S920, detect whether the dip switch signal of the outdoor unit is set as the main unit;

[0134] Step S930, detect whether the outdoor unit is connected to the wired controller;

[0135] Step S940, detect whether the outdoor unit communicates with the indoor device;

[0136] Step S950, determine the corresponding outdoor unit as the main unit and other outdoor units as slave units;

[0137] Step S960, determine all outdoor units as slave units.

[0138] In some embodiments of the present application, the multi-connected air-conditioning system is powered on and starts. The system will detect the dip-switch signals of all outdoor units. The dip-switch is usually used to set the identity of the master and slave units to determine whether the outdoor unit is set as the master unit. If the dip-switch signal of one of the outdoor units is set as the master unit, then the outdoor unit corresponding to the dip-switch signal is determined as the master unit, and all other outdoor units are determined as slave units. If the dip-switch signals of all outdoor units are not set as the master unit, then the system will detect whether there is a wired controller connected to the outdoor unit. If a certain outdoor unit is connected to a wired controller, this outdoor unit can be determined as the master unit to control the entire system, and all other outdoor units are determined as slave units. If there is no outdoor unit connected to a wired controller in the current multi-connected air-conditioning system, then it is detected through the communication protocol and interface whether each outdoor unit has established a communication connection with the indoor device. The outdoor unit corresponding to the communication with the indoor device can be determined as the outdoor unit master, and all other outdoor units are determined as slave units. When none of the above three situations conform to the current multi-connected air-conditioning system, it is determined that all outdoor units in the current multi-connected air-conditioning system are determined as slave units.

[0139] It can be understood that through a series of detections and judgments, this method finally determines which outdoor units are the master units and which are the slave units. This judgment method can improve the flexibility and adaptability of the system to meet the application of the multi-connected air-conditioning system under different environments and requirements.

[0140] Refer to Figure 10 as shown in Figure 10 FIG. is a schematic flowchart of a multi-protocol communication control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. This control method is applied to the above multi-connected air-conditioning system. This control method may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0141] Step S1001, the multi-connected air-conditioning system is powered on and starts, and determines multiple communication protocols;

[0142] Step S1002, select a first communication protocol from multiple communication protocols and enable it;

[0143] Step S1003, send first addressing information to the parallel communication bus based on the first communication protocol;

[0144] Step S1004, receive the addressing information replied by the first slave unit. The first slave unit is a slave unit communicating based on the first communication protocol. The first slave unit sets the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol after being powered on and starting;

[0145] Step S1005, after the master unit receives the addressing information of the first slave unit, disable the first communication protocol and switch to enable the second communication protocol among multiple communication protocols;

[0146] Step S1006, send second addressing information to the parallel communication bus based on the second communication protocol;

[0147] Step S1007: Receive the addressing information replied by the second slave. The second slave is a slave that communicates based on the second communication protocol. After being powered on and started, the second slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol.

[0148] Step S1008: Access one first slave each time according to the address sequence of the address information of the first slave.

[0149] Step S1009: Send data to the currently accessed first slave and / or receive the uploaded data from the currently accessed first slave.

[0150] Step S1010: Switch to the first slave at the next address until all first slaves have been accessed.

[0151] Step S1011: Access one second slave each time according to the address sequence of the address information of the second slave.

[0152] Step S1012: Send data to the currently accessed second slave and / or receive the uploaded data from the currently accessed second slave.

[0153] Step S1013: Switch to the second slave at the next address until all second slaves have been accessed.

[0154] In some embodiments of the present application, after the multi-connected air conditioner system is powered on, according to preset conditions or the priority of communication protocols, various communication protocols supported in the system are determined to prepare for subsequent selection of communication protocols. The multi-connected air conditioner system selects a first communication protocol from the various communication protocols according to the preset conditions or priority and enables it as the currently used communication protocol. The host uses the first communication protocol to send a first addressing message to the parallel communication bus to find an available first slave unit. After receiving the first addressing message sent by the host based on the first communication protocol, the first slave unit replies to the first addressing message of the host. The host receives the addressing message replied by the first slave unit and determines that the slave unit communicates based on the first communication protocol. Among them, the first slave unit sets the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol after being powered on and started for the host to judge. When the host receives the addressing messages replied by all the first slave units, it will disable the first communication protocol and switch to the second communication protocol among the various communication protocols to enable. The host uses the second communication protocol to send a second addressing message to the parallel communication bus to find an available second slave unit. After receiving the second addressing message sent by the host based on the second communication protocol, the second slave unit replies to the second addressing message of the host. The host receives the addressing message replied by the second slave unit and determines that the slave unit communicates based on the second communication protocol. Among them, the second slave unit sets the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol after being powered on and started for the host to judge. When the host receives the addressing messages replied by all the second slave units, it will disable the second communication protocol and switch back to the first communication protocol among the various communication protocols to enable. The host accesses each first slave unit one by one according to the address order of the address information of the first slave unit to ensure that each slave unit is accessed. Once the host accesses the current first slave unit, the host can send data and instructions to the slave unit or receive data uploaded by the slave unit to achieve data interaction. After completing the data interaction with the current first slave unit, the host will switch to the first slave unit at the next address for access until all the first slave units have been accessed. When the host completes the data interaction with all the first slave units, it will disable the first communication protocol and switch back to the second communication protocol among the various communication protocols to enable. The host accesses each second slave unit one by one according to the address order of the address information of the second slave unit to ensure that each slave unit is accessed. Once the host accesses the current second slave unit, the host can send data and instructions to the slave unit or receive data uploaded by the slave unit to achieve data interaction. After completing the data interaction with the current second slave unit, the host will switch to the second slave unit at the next address for access until all the second slave units have been accessed.

[0155] It can be understood that through this control method, the multi-connected air conditioner system can perform addressing and communication according to different communication protocols and access each slave unit one by one according to the address order, so that the multi-connected air conditioner system with multiple outdoor units can be compatible with outdoor units of old and new communication protocols.

[0156] In the present application, a multi-connected air conditioner system includes an outdoor main unit and multiple outdoor slave units. Since these slave units adopt different communication protocols, the main unit needs to be compatible with multiple communication protocols. After the main unit is powered on and starts up, it addresses the slave units in sequence through different communication protocols to determine the addresses of the slave units with different communication protocols. After completing the addressing of all slave units, the main unit polls the slave units in sequence through different communication protocols, accessing one slave unit at a time for communication, so as to realize the communication interaction between multiple outdoor units. Through the above communication control method, a multi-connected air conditioner system with multiple outdoor units can be made to be compatible with outdoor units with new and old communication protocols, meeting the needs of users for equipment upgrading and replacement.

[0157] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or some of the steps and systems in the methods disclosed above can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware and their appropriate combinations. Some physical components or all physical components can be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, a digital signal processor or a microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application specific integrated circuit. Such software can be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which can include a computer storage medium (or a non-transitory medium) and a communication medium (or a transitory medium). As is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the term computer storage medium includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. The computer storage medium includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, as is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, a communication medium generally includes computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transmission mechanism, and can include any information delivery medium.

[0158] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. "And / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist at the same time. Among them, A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after. "At least one (one) of the following" or its similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items (ones) or plural items (ones). For example, at least one (one) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0159] In several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there can be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed couplings or direct couplings or communication connections to each other can be through some interfaces, and the indirect couplings or communication connections of apparatuses or units can be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0160] It should also be understood that the various implementation manners provided in the embodiments of this application can be combined arbitrarily to achieve different technical effects.

[0161] The above is a specific description of the preferred embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited to the above implementation manners. Those skilled in the art can also make various equivalent deformations or substitutions without departing from the spirit of this application, and these equivalent deformations or substitutions are all included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A communication control method for an outdoor unit, characterized in that, it is applied to the host in a multi-connected air conditioner system including multiple outdoor units, the host is one of the multiple outdoor units, and the remaining outdoor units are slaves, and the host is connected in parallel with the slaves; the communication control method includes: Power on and start, and determine multiple communication protocols; Select one communication protocol from the multiple communication protocols in turn for activation, and address the slaves so that the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently activated communication protocol reply with address information; After addressing all the slaves, select one communication protocol from the multiple communication protocols in turn for activation, and poll the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently activated communication protocol.

2. The communication control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the step of selecting one communication protocol from the multiple communication protocols in turn for activation, and addressing the slaves so that the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently activated communication protocol reply with address information includes: Select the first communication protocol from the multiple communication protocols and activate it; Send the first address information to the parallel communication bus based on the first communication protocol; Receive the address information replied by the first slave, the first slave is the slave that communicates based on the first communication protocol, and the first slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the first communication protocol after power on and start.

3. The communication control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, after receiving the address information replied by the first slave, the communication control method further includes: Deactivate the first communication protocol and switch to the second communication protocol in the multiple communication protocols for activation; Send the second address information to the parallel communication bus based on the second communication protocol; Receive the address information replied by the second slave, the second slave is the slave that communicates based on the second communication protocol, and the second slave sets the protocol type flag bit of the second communication protocol after power on and start.

4. The communication control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, the step of selecting one communication protocol from the multiple communication protocols in turn for activation, and polling the slaves with the same communication protocol as the currently activated communication protocol includes: Select the first communication protocol from the multiple communication protocols and activate it; Poll all the first slaves based on the first communication protocol and the address information of the first slave; After polling all the first slaves once, deactivate the first communication protocol and switch to the second communication protocol in the multiple communication protocols for activation; Poll all the second slaves based on the second communication protocol and the address information of the second slave.

5. The communication control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, the step of polling all the first slaves based on the first communication protocol and the address information of the first slave includes: Access one of the first slaves each time according to the address order of the address information of the first slave; Send data to the currently accessed first slave and / or receive the uploaded data of the currently accessed first slave; Switch to the first slave at the next address until all the first slaves are accessed.

6. The communication control method according to claim 4, wherein, the polling of all the second slave devices based on the second communication protocol and the address information of the second slave devices includes: accessing one of the second slave devices each time according to the address sequence of the address information of the second slave devices; sending data to the currently accessed second slave device and / or receiving the uploaded data of the currently accessed second slave device; switching to the second slave device at the next address until all the second slave devices are accessed.

7. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein, after being powered on and started, the communication control method includes: determining that the local device is the master device according to a preset condition; the preset condition includes at least one of the following: detecting a dip switch signal defined as the master device; detecting that there is only one wired controller in the multi-connected air conditioner system and the local device is connected to the wired controller; detecting that communication with the indoor device is obtained.

8. The communication control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, the multiple communication protocols of the outdoor unit are different versions of the RS485 communication protocol, the outdoor unit includes an RS485 communication port, and a bus topology structure is formed among multiple outdoor units through the RS485 communication port.

9. A controller, wherein, it includes at least one processor and a memory for communicatively connecting with the at least one processor; the memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can execute the communication control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An outdoor unit, wherein, it includes the controller according to claim 9.

11. A multi-connected air conditioner system, wherein, it includes multiple outdoor units according to claim 10.

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