Dynamically configurable electric connector, cable assembly and dynamic configuration method of electric connector

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of electric connectors, in particular to an electric connector capable of being dynamically configured, a cable assembly and a dynamic configuration method of the electric connector. The substrate is provided with a conductive circuit and is connected to the shell; the control module comprises at least one programmable switch element and a driver of the programmable switch element, and the driver is used for controlling the on-off state of the programmable switch element; the first end of the first contact is connected to the substrate through the first side of the substrate. According to the invention, the conduction relation between the first contact element and the second contact element is dynamically adjusted through an external bus instruction or local logic, and the tedious operation that a traditional connector needs to be disassembled and reassembled is avoided. As the connector supports switching of current directions, conduction paths or priority distribution according to needs, the connector adapts to multi-scene requirements and is wide in application range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a dynamically configurable electrical connector, a cable assembly, and a method for dynamically configuring an electrical connector. Background Art

[0002] An electrical connector is a component used in electronic devices to connect different electronic components or devices. By providing a physical connection between circuits, the electrical connector enables the transmission of electrical signals between electronic components. It can connect different types of wires, conductors, components on circuit boards, etc. to form a complete circuit path.

[0003] Once the currently used electrical connector is assembled, the corresponding relationship between the wires and the connector holes is determined. If the corresponding relationship between the wires and the connector holes needs to be changed, the connector must be disassembled and reassembled as required. Disassembly of some connectors is very difficult once they are assembled. In this case, if the wiring relationship needs to be changed, the connector needs to be removed from the wire harness and a new connector needs to be assembled at the end of the wire harness.

[0004] The above disassembly or reassembly process of the electrical connector is time-consuming and prone to damage components. For complex wire harnesses or sealed connectors, the disassembly process is particularly difficult and may even require replacing the entire connector. Therefore, due to the inability to dynamically configure the electrical connector, its application in multi-scenario reuse and intelligent control systems is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the technical problems existing in electrical connectors in the prior art, a technical solution is proposed in the first aspect of the present invention. A dynamically configurable electrical connector includes:

[0006] A housing;

[0007] A substrate provided with conductive lines, connected to the housing;

[0008] A control module including at least one programmable switching element and a driver for the programmable switching element, the driver being used to control the on / off state of the programmable switching element;

[0009] At least one first contact, the first end of which is connected to the substrate from the first side of the substrate and is electrically connected to the programmable switching element through a conductive line, and the second end is used to connect to a first device;

[0010] At least one second contact, the first end of which is connected to the substrate from the second side of the substrate and is electrically connected to the programmable switching element through a conductive line, and the second end is used to connect to a second device;

[0011] Among them, the driver is configured to dynamically adjust the conduction state of the programmable switching element according to external instructions and / or local sensing data, so as to change the connection relationship between the first contact and the second contact.

[0012] Preferably, the programmable switching element includes a thyristor. The first contact is electrically connected to the first electrode of the thyristor, the second contact is electrically connected to the second electrode of the thyristor, and the driver is electrically connected to the third electrode of the thyristor. The driver controls the conduction state between the first electrode and the second electrode of the thyristor by outputting an electrical signal to the third electrode of any one thyristor.

[0013] Preferably, the first electrode of the thyristor is the anode or the cathode, and the third electrode of the thyristor is the gate.

[0014] Preferably, M first contacts and N second contacts are connected to the substrate. A plurality of the thyristors form a thyristor array of M*N. Each of the first contacts is connected to the first electrodes of N thyristors in the corresponding column, and each of the N second contacts in this column is connected to the corresponding second contact.

[0015] Preferably, the thyristor includes a unidirectional thyristor, a bidirectional thyristor, or a thyristor group composed of two unidirectional thyristors with opposite conduction directions connected in parallel.

[0016] Preferably, the external instructions received by the driver include remote configuration signals received through a communication interface. The communication interface supports multiple wired or wireless communication protocols and is used to interact with an external system for control instructions and status information;

[0017] The local sensing data received by the driver is the load status or environmental parameters obtained by a sensor integrated in the connector, and a decision-making unit generates a control strategy for the programmable switching element through a pre-stored algorithm, a machine learning model, or manually preset rules.

[0018] Preferably, a third contact and a fourth contact are connected to the substrate. The driver includes a drive circuit and a memory. The memory is used to store the on / off state information of the programmable switching element. The driver further includes a bus controller for communicating with the memory and the outside world. The bus controller is used to read and / or rewrite and / or erase the information in the memory;

[0019] The third contact is electrically connected to the drive circuit to provide a suitable operating voltage and current for the operation of the driver and the bus controller;

[0020] The fourth contact is connected to the bus controller to enable the bus controller to communicate with an external bus.

[0021] Preferably, the bus protocol adopted by the bus controller for external communication includes an internal bus, a serial peripheral interface, or a controller area network.

[0022] Preferably, the integrated circuit formed by the programmable switching element, the driver, and the bus controller is encapsulated on the substrate through a ball grid array.

[0023] Preferably, the third contact is connected to the substrate from the first side of the substrate or is connected from the first side of the substrate and extends through the substrate to the second side of the substrate.

[0024] In a second aspect of the present invention, a technical solution is proposed. A cable assembly includes the above-mentioned dynamically configurable electrical connector.

[0025] In a third aspect of the present invention, a technical solution is proposed. A dynamic configuration method for the above-mentioned dynamically configurable electrical connector includes the following control methods:

[0026] Remote control method: Receive a configuration instruction through an external communication interface and update the conduction relationship of the switching element;

[0027] Autonomous response mode: Adaptively adjust the on-off state of the switching element according to predefined rules or real-time sensed data.

[0028] Preferably, for a dynamic configuration method of the above-mentioned dynamically configurable electrical connector, using the fourth contact as a communication interface, the following steps are included:

[0029] Step A1, information reading and uploading: Receive an external instruction through the communication interface, the bus controller reads the current state information of the memory, and uploads the state information to an external terminal;

[0030] Step A2, difference comparison and update:

[0031] Step A21, the external terminal compares the received current state information with the target state information and filters out the difference information;

[0032] Step A22, send the difference information to the bus controller through the communication interface;

[0033] Step A23, the bus controller updates the corresponding part or all of the state information in the memory according to the difference information;

[0034] Step A3, drive control:

[0035] The drive circuit reads the updated state information in the memory, and controls the on-off state of the programmable switching element connected between the first contact and the second contact according to the information, so as to realize dynamic adjustment of the conduction relationship;

[0036] or

[0037] Step B1, information erasure: Receive an erasure instruction sent by an external terminal through the communication interface, and the bus controller erases all the status information stored in the memory.

[0038] Step B2, information rewriting: Receive the target status information sent by an external terminal through the communication interface, and the bus controller writes the target status information into the memory.

[0039] Step B3, drive control: The drive circuit reads the newly written target status information, and controls the on / off state of the programmable switch element according to the information to reset the conduction relationship.

[0040] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0041] In this application, the conduction relationship between the first contact and the second contact is dynamically adjusted through external bus instructions or local logic, avoiding the cumbersome operation of traditional connectors that need to be disassembled and reassembled. Since the connector supports switching the current direction, conduction path, or priority allocation on demand, it can adapt to multi-scenario requirements (such as debugging, multi-device reuse), and has a wide range of applications. At the same time, a single wire harness can be connected to multiple devices through dynamic configuration, reducing the number of cables and the system weight. Since there is no mechanical contact wear, the service life can be significantly extended, and the replacement frequency and maintenance cost can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in each figure may be represented by the same reference numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in each figure. Now, embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the drawings, wherein:

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a dynamically configurable electrical connector shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a dynamically configurable electrical connector shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of a dynamically configurable electrical connector shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 4 is a schematic circuit diagram of a dynamically configurable electrical connector shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 5This is the circuit schematic diagram of a dynamically configurable electrical connector shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the communication between multiple electrical connectors and a bus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0049] To better understand the technical content of the present invention, specific embodiments are given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings for illustration.

[0050] A technical solution is proposed in the first aspect of the present invention. A dynamically configurable electrical connector, as Figure 1 shown, includes a housing 101, a substrate 107, a control module 108, and at least one first contact 106 and a second contact 103.

[0051] Among them, the outer shape of the housing 101 of the connector can be configured as a rectangle, a circle or other shapes, and can be a plug or a socket.

[0052] Furthermore, the housing 101 has two ports. The substrate 107 is connected inside the housing 101. Conductive lines are provided on the surface of the substrate 107. Both the first contact 106 and the second contact 103 are connected to the substrate 107.

[0053] Furthermore, the control module 108 includes at least one programmable switching element and a driver 110 for the programmable switching element. The driver 110 is used to control the on / off state of the programmable switching element.

[0054] Among them, the first end of the first contact 106 is connected to the substrate 107 from the first side of the substrate 107 and is electrically connected to the programmable switching element through the conductive line on the surface of the substrate 107. The second end of the first contact 106 is used to connect to the first device.

[0055] In an alternative embodiment, the end of the first contact 106 exposed on one side is configured as a round crimp barrel or a U-shaped groove for crimping the conductor of the wire, or can also be a solder cup or a terminal for soldering the conductor of the wire, or can also be a rigid pin for realizing the connection with the printed circuit board on the device; the side of the first contact 106 connected to the substrate 107 can be a rigid pin and is electrically connected to the electrical connection structure on the substrate 107 by plugging or soldering, or can also be other structures for connecting to the electrical connection structure on the substrate 107.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment, the first device is a device for outputting or receiving electrical signals at both ends of the electrical connector.

[0057] Among them, the first end of the second contact 103 is connected to the substrate 107 by the second side of the substrate 107 and is electrically connected to the programmable switch element through the conductive circuit on the surface of the substrate 107. The second end of the second contact 103 is used to connect to the second device.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, the end of the second contact 103 on the exposed side can be a rigid jack or pin, or an elastic jack or pin to adapt to the connection structure of the docking end. One side of the second contact 103 and the substrate 107 can be similar to the first contact 106 and can be a rigid pin, which is electrically connected to the electrical connection structure on the substrate 107 by plugging or soldering, or can be other structures for connecting to the electrical connection structure on the substrate 107.

[0059] Among them, the outer wall of the second contact 103 is also provided with a protrusion to achieve axial fixation with the base 102.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment, the second device is a device for receiving or outputting electrical signals at both ends of the electrical connector.

[0061] Among them, the driver 110 is configured to dynamically adjust the conduction state of the programmable switch element according to external instructions and / or local sensing data to change the connection relationship between the first contact 106 and the second contact 103.

[0062] In this way, when the on-off state of the programmable switch element connected between the first contact 106 and the second contact 103 changes, the mutual connection relationship between the multiple first contacts 106 at the tail end of the connector and the second contact 107 at the docking end can be changed, that is, the electrical connection relationship between the first device and the second device connected at both ends of the connector can be changed without disassembling the connector, enabling the connector to have wide applicability in fields where rapid adjustment of the connection relationship, reduction of manual intervention, or improvement of system intelligence is required.

[0063] It should be understood that the two ports of the housing 101 are respectively the head end and the tail end of the connector. The first side of the substrate 107 corresponds to the tail end of the connector, and the second side of the substrate 107 corresponds to the head end of the connector, that is, the docking end.

[0064] As described above, the first contact 106 is located at the tail end of the connector, and the second contact 103 is located at the docking end of the connector.

[0065] In an alternative embodiment, the above-mentioned contact is made of metal. To prevent metal oxidation, the surface can be coated with an anti-oxidation coating, such as one of nickel plating, gold plating, tin plating, or other anti-oxidation alloy coatings.

[0066] Optionally, one end of the contact connected to the substrate 107 can be a solid metal, which is connected to the pad or via hole on the printed circuit board by welding, or it can be an elastic needle contacting and connecting with the pad or via hole on the printed circuit board. In the above embodiments, the number of the first contact 106 and the second contact 103 can be the same or different.

[0067] Further, an insulating base 102 is provided in the housing 101. Among them, the base 102 is an insulator with a certain strength, and can be made of plastic, ceramic or glass.

[0068] Optionally, the second contact 103 is fixed in the base 102 when the base 102 is injection-molded or sintered, or the second contact 103 can also be clamped in the base by two upper and lower bases. At the same time, there is a boss structure on the base 102 for positioning the base 102 in the outer shell 101.

[0069] In the above embodiments, the substrate 107 plays a role of physical support and electrical connection for the contact. The substrate 107 can be selected as a rigid or flexible board with conductive circuits such as a PCB board, a flexible circuit board, a ceramic substrate, etc.

[0070] Taking the printed circuit board (PCB) as an example below, the printed circuit board can be a single-layer board, a double-layer board or a multi-layer board. The printed circuit board 107 is provided with circuits, via holes / pads, etc., for connecting and fixing contacts and integrated circuits. The conductive circuits arranged on its surface can realize the signal and power transmission path planning.

[0071] Specifically, the contact is connected to the via hole / pad on the printed circuit board by welding or elastic contact, so as to realize the connection of the contact with the thyristor, driver and bus controller on the integrated circuit as required.

[0072] In the above embodiments, the programmable switching element is designed to realize the dynamic configuration of the electrical connection relationship between the first contact 106 and the second contact 103 in the connector by controlling its own on / off state.

[0073] It can be understood that the programmable switching element preferably has controllability, low power consumption performance, voltage / current withstand ability and the ability to realize bidirectional / unidirectional conduction.

[0074] In alternative embodiments, the programmable switching element includes but is not limited to thyristors, field effect transistors, insulated gate bipolar transistors, triacs, etc. Its selection depends on the voltage, current and switching frequency requirements of the specific application scenario.

[0075] Further, taking the thyristor as an example, the programmable switching element introduces the connection relationship between the first contact 106 and the second contact 103 and the process and principle of its dynamic change.

[0076] Among them, the first contact 106 is electrically connected to the first electrode of the thyristor, the second contact 103 is electrically connected to the second electrode of the thyristor, and the driver 110 is electrically connected to the third electrode of the thyristor. The driver 110 controls the conduction state between the first electrode and the second electrode of the thyristor by outputting an electrical signal to the third electrode of any one thyristor.

[0077] Among them, the first electrode of the thyristor is the anode or the cathode, and the third electrode of the thyristor is the gate.

[0078] Specifically, when the first electrode is the anode, the electrical signal is transmitted from the first contact 106 to the second contact 103. By controlling the gate voltage of the thyristor, it is possible to control whether the first contact 106 and the second contact 103 are conducting.

[0079] Specifically, when the first electrode is the cathode, the electrical signal is transmitted from the second contact 103 to the first contact 106. By controlling the gate voltage of the thyristor, it is possible to control whether the second contact 103 and the first contact 106 are conducting.

[0080] Combined with Figures 2 to 5 As shown, M first contacts and N second contacts are connected to the substrate. A plurality of thyristors form a thyristor array of M*N. Each first contact is connected to the first electrodes of N thyristors in the corresponding column, and each of the N second contacts in this column is connected to the corresponding second contact.

[0081] In this way, through the M*N thyristor array composed of a plurality of thyristors, based on the control of the on / off state of each thyristor, it is possible to realize the change of the connection relationship between any one first contact 106 and any one second contact 103.

[0082] In an alternative embodiment, the external instruction received by the driver 110 includes a remote configuration signal received through a communication interface.

[0083] Taking the communication interface receiving external configuration instructions in a wired manner as an example, a third contact 104 and a fourth contact 105 are connected to the substrate 107, and the driver 110 includes a drive circuit and a memory.

[0084] The memory is used to store the on / off state information of the programmable switching element.

[0085] Optionally, the memory can be a volatile memory or a flash memory in non-volatile memory.

[0086] The driver further includes a bus controller 111 connected to the memory and the outside world. The bus controller 111 is used to read and / or rewrite and / or erase the information in the memory.

[0087] Preferably, the integrated circuit formed by the programmable switch element, the driver 110, and the bus controller 111 is encapsulated on the substrate 107 through a ball grid array.

[0088] Specifically, when the driver operates, it turns on or off the corresponding thyristor according to the information in the memory. The memory in the driver is connected to the bus controller through leads integrated on the integrated circuit. The bus controller can read and / or rewrite and / or erase the information in the memory, and can also write information into the memory.

[0089] Optionally, the bus protocol adopted by the bus controller 111 for external communication includes but is not limited to one of I2C (Inter-IC, internal bus), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), CAN (Controller Area Network), or other protocols.

[0090] Among them, the third contact 104 is electrically connected to the drive circuit to provide appropriate operating voltage and current for the operation of the driver 110 and the bus controller 111. The fourth contact 105 is connected to the bus controller 111 to enable the bus controller 111 to communicate with the external bus.

[0091] In an alternative embodiment, the third contact 104 is connected to the substrate from the first side of the substrate 107 or is connected from the first side of the substrate and extends through the substrate to the second side of the substrate.

[0092] Optionally, if the third contact 104 only supplies power to the current connector, the third contact 104 can only retain the part welded to the printed circuit board and the part extending out of the docking end, or only retain the part welded to the printed circuit board and the part extending out of the connector tail end.

[0093] Optionally, if the third contact 104 needs to supply power to the docked connector, the third contact 104 is connected from the first side of the substrate and extends through the substrate to the second side of the substrate.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the fourth contact 105 serves as a communication interface to enable the bus controller 111 to communicate with the external bus.

[0095] In the above embodiment, if the fourth contact 105 only provides communication for the current connector, the fourth contact 105 can only retain the part welded to the printed circuit board and the part extending out of the docking end, or only retain the part welded to the printed circuit board and the part extending out of the connector tail end.

[0096] Optionally, if the fourth contact 105 needs to communicate with the mating connector, the fourth contact 105 is connected from the first side of the substrate and extends through the substrate to the second side of the substrate.

[0097] Specifically, the bus controller 111 includes an address memory for storing the address of the bus controller 111, and this address information can be modified. The bus controller leads out a power line and a signal line to the surface of the integrated circuit. The gate of the thyristor is connected to the lead-out wire of the driver, and the other two electrodes lead out wires to the surface of the integrated circuit.

[0098] All the above-mentioned leads led out to the surface of the integrated circuit are used to connect to the corresponding pads / holes on the printed circuit board to achieve electrical connection between the leads on the surface of the integrated circuit and the circuits laid on the printed circuit board.

[0099] In a specific embodiment, one end of the first contact 106 is connected to one electrode of the thyristor through the circuit on the printed circuit board, and one end of the second contact 103 is connected to the other electrode of the thyristor through the circuit on the printed circuit board.

[0100] The third contact 104 is connected to the driver and the bus controller on the integrated circuit through the circuit on the printed circuit board for supplying power to the driver and the bus controller; the fourth contact 105 is connected to the signal line of the bus controller on the integrated circuit through the circuit on the printed circuit board for communication between the bus controller and the external bus. The integrated circuit is packaged on the printed circuit board by the BGA method and achieves electrical connection in the above manner.

[0101] In an optional embodiment, the thyristor includes a unidirectional thyristor or a bidirectional thyristor or two unidirectional thyristors with opposite conduction directions connected in parallel.

[0102] Embodiment 1:

[0103] Combined with Figure 2 as shown, Figure 2 the circuit schematic diagram of a programmable electrical connector with 3 first contacts 106 and 4 second contacts 103 is shown.

[0104] The thyristor in this embodiment is a unidirectional thyristor, and a first thyristor array 109a is formed by a 3*4 thyristor array.

[0105] Each contact in the first contact member 106 is respectively connected to the anodes of 4 thyristors. Among the 4 connected thyristors, the cathode of each thyristor is respectively connected to one of the second contact members 103. The drive circuit leads out 12 control leads, and each lead is connected to the gate of one thyristor. The third contact member 104 is connected to the driver 110 and the bus controller 111 to provide power for the operation of the driver 110 and the bus controller 111. The fourth contact member 105 is connected to the bus controller 111 for communication with the bus controller 111. By controlling the on / off state of the thyristors, the drive circuit can achieve any conduction combination between the first contact member 106 and the second contact member 103, and the current can only flow from contact member 1 to contact member 2.

[0106] Embodiment 2:

[0107] Combined with Figure 3 as shown, Figure 3 The circuit schematic diagram of a programmable electrical connector with 4 first contact members 106 and 3 second contact members 103 is shown.

[0108] The thyristors in this embodiment are unidirectional thyristors, and a second thyristor array 109b is formed by a 3*4 thyristor array.

[0109] Each contact in the first contact member 106 is respectively connected to the anodes of 3 thyristors. Among the 3 connected thyristors, the cathode of each thyristor is respectively connected to a contact in the second contact member 103. The drive circuit leads out 12 control leads, and each lead is connected to the gate of one thyristor. The third contact member 104 is connected to the driver 110 and the bus controller 111 to provide power for the operation of the driver 110 and the bus controller 111. The fourth contact member 105 is connected to the bus controller 111 for communication with the bus controller 111. By controlling the on / off state of the thyristors, the drive circuit can achieve any conduction combination between the first contact member 106 and the second contact member 103, and the current can only flow from the second contact member 103 to the first contact member 106.

[0110] Embodiment 3:

[0111] Combined with Figure 4 as shown, Figure 4 The circuit schematic diagram of a programmable electrical connector with 3 first contact members 106 and 4 second contact members 103 is shown.

[0112] The thyristors in this embodiment are bidirectional thyristors, and a third thyristor array 109c is formed by a 3*4 thyristor array.

[0113] Each contact in the first contact member 106 is respectively connected to a main electrode of one of the four thyristors. Among the four connected thyristors, the other main electrode of each thyristor is respectively connected to a contact in the second contact member 103. The drive circuit leads out 12 control leads, and each lead is connected to the control electrode of one thyristor. The third contact member 104 is connected to the driver 110 and the bus controller 111 to provide power for the operation of the driver 110 and the bus controller 111. The fourth contact member 105 is connected to the bus controller 111 for communication with the bus controller 111. By controlling the on / off state of the thyristors, the drive circuit can achieve any conduction combination between the first contact member 106 and the second contact member 103, and can realize the bidirectional flow of current between the first contact member 106 and the second contact member 103.

[0114] Embodiment 4:

[0115] Combined with Figure 5 as shown, Figure 5 Fig. shows the circuit schematic diagram of a programmable electrical connector with 3 first contact members 106 and 4 second contact members 103.

[0116] The thyristors in this embodiment are two unidirectional thyristors with opposite conduction directions connected in parallel, and a fourth thyristor array 109 is formed by a 3*8 thyristor array.

[0117] Each contact in the first contact member 106 is respectively connected to 8 thyristors, among which 4 thyristors are connected to the anode and 4 thyristors are connected to the cathode. Among the 8 connected thyristors, the other main electrode of each thyristor is respectively connected to a contact in the second contact member 103. The drive circuit leads out 24 control leads, and each lead is connected to the gate of one thyristor. The third contact member 104 is connected to the driver 110 and the bus controller 111 to provide power for the operation of the driver 110 and the bus controller 111. The fourth contact member 105 is connected to the bus controller 111 for communication with the bus controller 111. By controlling the on / off state of the thyristors, the drive circuit can achieve any conduction combination between the first contact member 106 and the second contact member 103, and can realize the bidirectional flow or any unidirectional flow of current in the connected contacts.

[0118] In the above embodiment, the external bus can communicate with the bus controller through the fourth contact member 105, and its functions include but are not limited to the bus controller reading the information stored in the memory of the driver and uploading it to the external bus in a specified format; erasing the information stored in the memory of the driver according to the received instructions on the bus; changing the information stored in the memory of the driver according to the received instructions and information; writing information in the memory of the driver according to the received instructions and information, etc.

[0119] AsFigure 6 As shown, when multiple bus controllers are mounted on the external bus, different addresses need to be set for each bus controller in advance, and the external bus communicates with the required bus controller through addressing.

[0120] In other embodiments, the communication interface supports not only multiple wired communications but also multiple wireless communication protocols for interacting with the external system to control instructions and status information.

[0121] For example, the communication interface is connected to a wireless module, such as a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee module, and the on / off state of each thyristor can be controlled by remote control.

[0122] It should be understood that the on / off state of the thyristor is not limited to external command control. In other embodiments, the external instructions received by the driver 110 include the local sensing data received by the driver 110, the load status or environmental parameters obtained by the sensors integrated in the connector, and the decision-making unit generates the control strategy of the programmable switching element through pre-stored algorithms, machine learning models, or manually preset rules.

[0123] Taking the control scheme based on digital logic as an example, the logical control of the switch state can be realized by using a microcontroller (MCU) or a programmable logic device (such as an FPGA).

[0124] Specifically, the MCU can be used for control, directly controlling the on / off of the switching element through the GPIO pins, and dynamically adjusting the logic in combination with the firmware algorithm. It is applicable to applications that require high-precision timing or dynamic strategy adjustment scenarios.

[0125] In other embodiments, taking the adaptive control based on sensor feedback as an example, integrated sensors (such as current, voltage, and temperature sensors) are used to dynamically adjust the switch state according to real-time data.

[0126] Specifically, when an abnormal current is detected, the high-risk path can be automatically disconnected to achieve overload protection.

[0127] Specifically, the conduction path can be dynamically allocated according to the power demand of the device to achieve load optimization.

[0128]

Cable Assembly

[0129] A cable assembly includes the above-mentioned dynamically configurable electrical connector.

[0130] Among them, both ends of the cable assembly can be connected to the cabinet and the subsystem, or both ends of the cable assembly can be connected to the control system and the subsystems that do not work simultaneously.

[0131] For the application of the above-mentioned connector with an assignable connection relationship in different scenarios, it specifically includes:

[0132] Application Example 1: The electrical connector in the present invention and the cable assembly made of the electrical connector of the present invention can be used for the connection between each cabinet or each subsystem during the development or debugging stage. When it is necessary to change the connectivity relationship between systems or disconnect part of the connectivity relationship between cabinets or subsystems during the development or debugging stage, it can be achieved by controlling the on / off of specific switching elements in the electrical connector, saving the time consumed by using traditional electrical connectors and cable assemblies made of traditional electrical connectors to change the connectivity relationship by disassembling the electrical connector, and improving the efficiency of product development and joint debugging.

[0133] Application Example 2: The electrical connector in the present invention and the cable assembly made of the electrical connector of the present invention can be used for the connection between the control system and subsystems that do not work simultaneously. Subsystems that do not work simultaneously are connected to different hole positions of the same connector of the present invention, and the cable assembly between the control system and the subsystem connects the wires required for one subsystem. Controlling the on / off of specific switching elements in the electrical connector can enable different subsystems to be connected to the control system at different times, realizing the reuse of the same cable assembly and reducing the weight of the system.

[0134] In addition, the usage scenarios of the electrical connector in the present invention and the cable assembly made of the electrical connector of the present invention include but are not limited to:

[0135] Scientific research experiments and test systems: For example, in the rapid matching scenario of multi-parameter test equipment, the connection relationship between different sensors, signal sources, and acquisition devices is switched through software in the laboratory to adapt to complex experimental requirements;

[0136] Energy management and smart grid: For example, in the dynamic networking scenario of distributed energy systems, the power supply path is flexibly switched between photovoltaic, energy storage, and load to meet the requirements of peak shaving, valley filling, or fault isolation;

[0137] Aerospace and defense electronics: For example, redundant circuit management of spacecraft or military equipment: The backup circuit is switched through remote commands, and the redundant path is automatically enabled when part of the circuit fails to ensure the continuous operation of the system.

[0138]

Dynamic Configuration Method of Dynamically Configurable Electrical Connector

[0139] A dynamic configuration method for the above-mentioned dynamically configurable electrical connector, using the fourth contact as the communication interface, includes the following steps:

[0140] Step A1, Information Reading and Uploading: Receive external instructions through the communication interface, the bus controller reads the current status information of the memory, and uploads the status information to the external terminal;

[0141] Step A2, Difference Comparison and Update:

[0142] Step A21: The external terminal compares the received current status information with the target status information and filters out the difference information;

[0143] Step A22: Send the difference information to the bus controller through the communication interface;

[0144] Step A23: The bus controller updates the corresponding part or all of the status information in the memory according to the difference information;

[0145] Step A3: Drive control:

[0146] The drive circuit reads the updated status information in the memory and controls the on / off state of the programmable switch element connected between the first contact and the second contact to achieve dynamic adjustment of the conduction relationship;

[0147] Or

[0148] Step B1: Information erasure: Receive the erasure instruction sent by the external terminal through the communication interface, and the bus controller erases all the status information stored in the memory;

[0149] Step B2 Information rewriting: Receive the target status information sent by the external terminal through the communication interface, and the bus controller writes the target status information into the memory;

[0150] Step B3: Drive control: The drive circuit reads the newly written target status information and controls the on / off state of the programmable switch element according to the information to achieve reset of the conduction relationship.

[0151] In a specific embodiment, after the connector in the present invention is docked with the matching connector, first, the third contact 104 is connected to the external power supply to provide appropriate working voltage and current for the operation of the driver 110 and the bus controller 111; then, the external bus communicates with the bus controller 111 through the fourth contact 105 and changes / erases the information in the memory of the driver 110 or writes information into the memory of the driver 110.

[0152] The drive circuit of the driver 110 reads the information in the memory and controls the on / off state of each thyristor according to the read information to achieve conduction of the required conduction relationship between each contact in the first contact 106 and each contact in the second contact 103. When it is necessary to change the conduction relationship between the first contact 106 and the second contact 103, there are two ways to achieve it:

[0153] A: The external bus sends the information in the memory of the read driver 110 to the bus controller 111 through the fourth contact 105, and uploads it to the external bus. The external bus terminal receives the information and compares it with the changed information, filters out the different information, and transmits the filtering result to the bus controller 111 through the external bus. The bus controller 111 changes some or all of the information in the memory of the driver 110 according to the received information. The drive circuit of the driver 110 reads the information in the changed memory and controls the on / off state of each thyristor according to the read new information, so as to change the conduction relationship between the first contact 106 and the second contact 103;

[0154] B: The external terminal sends an instruction to erase the information stored in the memory of the driver 110 to the bus driver 110 through the external bus. After receiving the instruction, the bus controller 111 executes the operation. Then the external terminal sends new information to the bus controller 111 through the external bus. The bus controller 111 writes the new information into the memory of the driver 110 according to the received information. The drive circuit of the driver 110 reads the newly written information in the memory and controls the on / off state of each thyristor according to the read new information, so as to change the conduction relationship between the first contact 106 and the second contact 103.

[0155] In other embodiments, the dynamic configuration method of the above-mentioned dynamically configurable electrical connector includes the following control methods:

[0156] First, remote control method: Receive configuration instructions through an external communication interface and update the conduction relationship of the switching elements;

[0157] Second, autonomous response mode: Adaptively adjust the on / off state of the switching elements according to predefined rules or real-time sensed data.

[0158] Combined with the above embodiments, the present application dynamically adjusts the conduction relationship between the first contact and the second contact through external bus instructions or local logic, avoiding the cumbersome operation of traditional connectors that need to be disassembled and reassembled. Since the connector supports switching the current direction, conduction path or priority allocation on demand, it can adapt to multi-scenario requirements (such as debugging, multi-device reuse), and has a wide range of applications. At the same time, a single wire harness can be connected to multiple devices through dynamic configuration, reducing the number of cables and the system weight. Since there is no mechanical contact wear, the service life can be significantly extended, and the replacement frequency and maintenance cost can be reduced.

[0159] In the present application, remote configuration is realized through bus protocols (such as I2C, CAN), reducing manual intervention and improving the debugging and maintenance efficiency. At the same time, it can be adapted to different industrial standards and device interfaces. The conduction state is stored in the built-in memory of the driver (such as Flash), supporting power-off memory and quick recovery, and avoiding repeated configuration.

[0160] In this application, signal crosstalk is reduced through the modular packaging of integrated circuits and printed circuit boards, and the low power consumption characteristics of thyristors or alternative switching elements reduce the risk of overheating.

[0161] In summary, compared with traditional electrical connectors, the electrical connector proposed in this application has outstanding advantages in terms of configuration flexibility, maintenance efficiency, system complexity, lifespan and reliability, and intelligent transformation ability.

[0162] Although the present invention has been disclosed above in its preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to what is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A dynamically configurable electrical connector, characterized in that: include: case; A substrate provided with a conductive circuit connected to the housing; A control module, comprising at least one programmable switch element and a driver of the programmable switch element, wherein the driver is used to control the on / off state of the programmable switch element; at least one first contact, a first end of which is connected to the substrate by the first side of the substrate and is electrically connected to the programmable switch element through a conductive line, and a second end of which is used to connect to a first device; at least one second contact, a first end of which is connected to the substrate by the second side of the substrate and is electrically connected to the programmable switch element through a conductive line, and a second end of which is used to connect to a second device; The driver is configured to dynamically adjust the conduction state of the programmable switch element according to external instructions and / or local sensing data to change the connection relationship between the first contact and the second contact.

2. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The programmable switching element includes a thyristor, the first contact piece is electrically connected to a first electrode of the thyristor, the second contact piece is electrically connected to a second electrode of the thyristor, the driver is electrically connected to a third electrode of the thyristor, and the driver controls the conduction state between the first electrode and the second electrode of the thyristor by outputting an electrical signal to the third electrode of any one of the thyristors.

3. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first electrode of the thyristor is an anode or a cathode, and the third electrode of the thyristor is a gate.

4. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: M first contacts and N second contacts are connected to the substrate, and the multiple thyristors constitute an M*N thyristor array, each of the first contact is connected to the first electrodes of the N thyristors in a corresponding column, and each of the N second contacts in the column is connected to the corresponding second contact.

5. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: The thyristor comprises a unidirectional conducting thyristor or a bidirectional conducting thyristor or a thyristor group consisting of two parallel-connected unidirectional conducting thyristors with opposite conducting directions.

6. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external instructions received by the driver include remote configuration signals received through a communication interface, wherein the communication interface supports a variety of wired or wireless communication protocols for interacting with an external system to control instructions and status information; The local sensing data received by the driver is the load state or environmental parameters acquired by the sensor integrated in the connector, and the decision unit generates a control strategy for the programmable switching element through a pre-stored algorithm, a machine learning model or manually preset rules.

7. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate is connected to a third contact and a fourth contact. The driver includes a driving circuit and a memory. The memory is used to store on / off state information of the programmable switch element. The driver also includes a bus controller that communicates with the memory and the outside world. The bus controller is used to read and / or rewrite and / or erase information in the memory. The third contact is electrically connected to the drive circuit to provide a suitable operating voltage and current for the operation of the driver and the bus controller; The fourth contact is connected to the bus controller, allowing the bus controller to communicate with an external bus.

8. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The integrated circuit composed of the programmable switch element, the driver and the bus controller is packaged on the substrate through a ball grid array.

9. The dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The third contact and the fourth contact are connected to the substrate from the first side of the substrate or are connected from the first side of the substrate and extend through the substrate to the second side of the substrate.

10. A cable assembly, characterized in that: A dynamically configurable electrical connector comprising any one of claims 1-9.

11. The method for dynamically configuring a dynamically configurable electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following control methods are included: Remote control method: receiving configuration instructions through an external communication interface and updating the conduction relationship of the switch element; Autonomous response mode: Adaptively adjust the on / off state of the switching element according to predefined rules or real-time perception data.

12. The method for dynamically configuring a dynamically configurable electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: Using the fourth contact as a communication interface comprises the following steps: Step A1, information reading and uploading: receiving external instructions through the communication interface, the bus controller reads the current status information of the memory, and uploads the status information to the external terminal; Step A2: Difference comparison and update: Step A21, the external terminal compares the received current state information with the target state information, and screens out the difference information; Step A22, sending the difference information to the bus controller through the communication interface; Step A23, the bus controller updates the corresponding part or all of the status information in the memory according to the difference information; Step A3, drive control: The driving circuit reads the updated state information in the memory, and controls the on-off state of the programmable switch element connected between the first contact piece and the second contact piece according to the information, so as to realize dynamic adjustment of the conduction relationship; or Step B1, information erasure: receiving an erase instruction sent by an external terminal through a communication interface, and the bus controller erases all status information stored in the memory; Step B2: Information rewriting: receiving target state information sent by an external terminal through a communication interface, and the bus controller writes the target state information into a memory; Step B3, drive control: the drive circuit reads the newly written target state information, controls the on-off state of the programmable switch element according to the information, and realizes the resetting of the conduction relationship.

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