Modular domain controller and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a modular domain controller and a vehicle, and relates to the technical field of automobiles. The modular domain controller comprises a central processing unit module, a power supply module and a plurality of function auxiliary modules, a plurality of power supply connectors in the power supply module are respectively connected with power supply connectors in the central processing unit module and the plurality of function auxiliary modules, and the plurality of power supply connectors are respectively in one-to-one correspondence with design standards of the power supply connectors in the central processing unit module and the plurality of function auxiliary modules; a plurality of high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module are respectively connected with high-speed signal connectors in a plurality of function auxiliary modules, and the design standards of the plurality of high-speed signal connectors are in one-to-one correspondence with the design standards of the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of function auxiliary modules, so that the hardware functions of each module can be independently iterated and upgraded; and the power supply connector and the high-speed signal connector follow a unified design standard, so that the problem of mismatching caused by using connectors with different specifications and standards is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of automotive technologies, and particularly to a modular domain controller and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] A domain controller is a computing platform composed of multiple electronic control units (ECUs, Electronic Control Unit), and is one of the core components for realizing the intelligence and networking of automobiles. It can receive and process data, analyze and make decisions according to preset algorithms, and generate control instructions for actuators to achieve vehicle control.

[0003] However, components of domain controllers in related new energy vehicles or intelligent connected vehicles, such as head units (HU) and full self-driving controllers (FSD), lack the ability to upgrade hardware, and cannot meet the high requirements of intelligent vehicles for computing power, sensors, screens, etc.; and due to the long development cycle of domain controllers, the development cycle of domain controllers in related new energy vehicles or intelligent connected vehicles can no longer meet the needs of the market and users for the function updates of intelligent vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a modular domain controller and a vehicle.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a modular domain controller, which includes: a central processing unit module, a power supply module, and a plurality of functional auxiliary modules; the power supply module includes a plurality of power connectors, and the power supply module is respectively connected to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the plurality of power connectors. The design standards of the plurality of power connectors in the power supply module respectively correspond to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules one by one. The power supply module is used to supply power to the central processing unit module and the plurality of functional auxiliary modules; the central processing unit module includes a plurality of high-speed signal connectors, and the central processing unit module is respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the plurality of high-speed signal connectors. The design standards of the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules correspond to the plurality of high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module one by one. The central processing unit module is used to process and distribute data transmission signals generated by the interaction between the plurality of functional auxiliary modules.

[0006] In some embodiments, the power supply module, the central processing unit module, and multiple functional auxiliary modules all include input / output connection interfaces. Multiple power connectors are respectively connected to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules through the input / output connection interfaces. Multiple high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module are respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in multiple functional auxiliary modules through the input / output connection interfaces.

[0007] In some embodiments, the central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules all include energy connection interfaces. Multiple high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module are respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in multiple functional auxiliary modules through the energy connection interfaces.

[0008] In some embodiments, the multiple functional auxiliary modules include at least one of a display module, a sensing module, an audio module, a microcontroller unit module, and a communication module.

[0009] In some embodiments, some of the high-speed signal connectors connecting the central processing unit module to the display module and / or the sensing module support at least one of the high-speed audio / video transmission protocols of MIPI CPHY 4trio and DPHY 1*4 and / or the high-speed video transmission protocol of Display Port 4lanes. The data transmission rate of a single channel in some of the high-speed signal connectors is 10 gigabits per second.

[0010] In some embodiments, some of the high-speed signal connectors connecting the central processing unit module to the display module and / or the sensing module adopt a six-way differential pair wiring method.

[0011] In some embodiments, some of the high-speed signal connectors between the central processing unit module and the communication module support at least one of the high-speed signal transmission protocols of USB3.0, PCIE, and RGMII, and support at least one of the low-speed signal transmission protocols of USB2.0, UART, and I2C.

[0012] In some embodiments, some of the high-speed signal connectors between the central processing unit module and the audio module support at least one of the signal transmission protocols of RGMII, TDM, SPI, UART, and GPIO.

[0013] In some embodiments, some of the high-speed signal connectors between the central processing unit module and the microcontroller unit module support at least one of the signal transmission protocols of RGMII, TDM, SPI, UART, Clock, and GPIO.

[0014] In some embodiments, the power supply module further includes a protection circuit, a boost module, a buck module, and a backup battery.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, including the modular domain controller as described in the foregoing first aspect.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by modularizing the domain controller, the hardware functions of each module can be independently upgraded and replaced, without the need to redesign the entire domain controller. Thus, in practical applications, it can be quickly combined according to the configuration requirements of different products to meet the updated needs of the market and users. Moreover, a unified design standard is followed between multiple power connectors and multiple high-speed signal connectors in the domain controller, ensuring the compatibility and consistency of connectors and interfaces between different modules, and avoiding mismatch problems caused by using connectors of different specifications and standards. Thereby, material normalization is guaranteed, and development time and manufacturing costs are reduced.

[0017] It should be understood that the content described in this part is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present application, nor is it used to limit the scope of the present application. Other features of the present application will become easily understandable through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawings are used to better understand the solution and do not constitute a limitation to the present disclosure. Among them:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a modular domain controller provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a power module connected to a central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a central processing unit module connected to multiple functional auxiliary modules provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. Various details of the embodiments of the present disclosure are included to assist in understanding, and they should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Similarly, for clarity and conciseness, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0023] A modular domain controller and a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0024] To address the problems of the above related technologies, the present disclosure adopts a modular domain controller. The hardware in the domain controller is divided into several modules according to functions, and high-speed signal connectors and power connectors are set between the modules according to a unified design standard. Thus, according to the configurations and requirements of different products, the modules can be quickly combined together. At the same time, since each module is independently divided according to functions, the modules can be independently iterated and freely combined. Moreover, in the present disclosure, each module can reserve the expansion ability for future requirements to achieve the goal of both rapid iteration and better expansion ability.

[0025] The following will describe in detail a modular domain controller and a vehicle proposed by the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Referring to Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a modular domain controller provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 1 shown, the modular domain controller includes: a central processing unit module, a power supply module, and a plurality of functional auxiliary modules; the power supply module includes a plurality of power connectors, and the power supply module is respectively connected to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the plurality of power connectors. The design standards of the plurality of power connectors in the power supply module respectively correspond to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules one by one. The power supply module is used to supply power to the central processing unit module and the plurality of functional auxiliary modules; the central processing unit module includes a plurality of high-speed signal connectors, and the central processing unit module is respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the plurality of high-speed signal connectors. The design standards of the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules correspond to the plurality of high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module one by one. The central processing unit module is used to process and distribute the data transmission signals generated by the interaction between the plurality of functional auxiliary modules.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the central processing unit module refers to a CPU (Central Processing Unit) module in the present disclosure. The CPU module can be used as the core module of the modular design in the present disclosure to process and distribute the data transmission signals interacting between each functional auxiliary module to ensure smooth communication and collaborative work between the plurality of functional auxiliary modules. The data transmission signals can include high-speed data signals, communication signals, control signals, bus signals, and status signals, etc.

[0028] By taking the CPU module as the core module, the present disclosure can achieve efficient control and data processing of the entire domain controller. This centralized data processing and distribution method helps improve the stability and reliability of the domain controller, and reduce complexity and costs. In addition, the CPU module is also responsible for managing and coordinating the work of each functional auxiliary module. It can monitor the status of each functional auxiliary module to ensure their normal operation, and make corresponding adjustments and controls as needed, which helps simplify the system design and maintenance, and improve the scalability and maintainability of the domain controller.

[0029] The power supply module can be used as a basic module with a modular design in the present disclosure. The power supply module may also include a protection circuit, a boost module, a buck module, and a backup battery. After being protected or stepped down, the power supply module provides the main electrical energy required by the central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules, such as 12V, 5V, and 3.3V. For other types of voltages, such as 1.1V, 0.9V, etc., in the present disclosure, the central processing unit module and / or multiple functional auxiliary modules can generate the required low-voltage power supply by themselves, which not only ensures flexibility but also ensures that the noise and ripple of the power supply are small, improving the reliability of the domain controller.

[0030] Among them, the protection circuit is connected to the input end of the main circuit in the power supply module. When the input power supply has an abnormality, such as overvoltage, overcurrent, or surge, etc., the protection circuit can play a protective role to prevent damage to the electronic components inside the power supply module. At the same time, the protection circuit can also perform overcurrent protection on the output of the power supply module to ensure that the load will not be damaged due to overcurrent.

[0031] The boost module is a circuit that converts the input low voltage into a high voltage. It usually consists of a switching power supply circuit and a transformer. When the switching power supply circuit is turned on, the input voltage is applied to the switching tube through the transformer, causing the switching tube to conduct. At this time, the current is boosted through the transformer and then output. When the switching tube is turned off, the induced electromotive force on the secondary side of the transformer is output through the rectifier diode. By controlling the on-off time of the switching tube, different output voltages can be obtained.

[0032] The buck module is a circuit that converts the input high voltage into a low voltage. It usually consists of components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors. By changing the sizes of the resistors, capacitors, and inductors, the magnitude of the output voltage can be adjusted.

[0033] The boost module and the buck module are generally selected according to the output voltage requirements of the power supply module. If the power supply module requires a higher output voltage, the boost module can be used; if the power supply module requires a lower output voltage, the buck module can be used. The boost module and the buck module can be connected to the output end of the main circuit in the power supply module to adjust the output voltage.

[0034] The positive and negative electrodes of the backup battery can be respectively connected to the input end and the output end of the power supply module. The backup battery can provide emergency power supply when the main power supply in the main circuit of the power supply module is cut off, ensuring the safe operation of the device. When the main power supply is normal, the power supply module converts the electrical energy of the main power supply into the voltage required by the device; when the main power supply is cut off, the backup battery starts to supply power to ensure the normal operation of the device.

[0035] In the present disclosure, the multiple functional auxiliary modules refer to multiple sub-modules that are interconnected and cooperate with the central processing unit module to implement specific functions or process specific tasks. These functional auxiliary modules may include at least one of a display module, a sensing module, an audio module, a microcontroller unit module, and a communication module, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The specifically classified functional auxiliary modules can be added or deleted according to the functions of the controller. In the present disclosure, each functional auxiliary module can be selected and combined according to actual needs to achieve the functions of the required domain controller. Through the modular design method, the modules can be conveniently replaced, upgraded, and maintained, improving the flexibility and scalability of the domain controller.

[0036] The power connector in the power supply module is a connector that establishes power transmission between the power supply module and other modules. It can convert the electrical energy of the power supply module into the electrical energy required by each module and transmit it to the device. The power connector has the ability to withstand a certain degree of current and voltage, can stably transmit current, and prevent problems such as overcurrent and overheating. In the present disclosure, the design standards of the power connectors in the power supply module respectively correspond to those of the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules one by one. That is, they are mutually matched in terms of design, specifications, and performance, and have the same key characteristics such as interface specifications, electrical parameters, and transmission rates. Specifically, this means that the power connector in the power supply module can be correctly docked with the power connectors in the central processing unit module and each functional auxiliary module, and ensure the stable transmission of current and voltage. This one-to-one design standard ensures the compatibility and reliability between the power supply module and the central processing unit module and each functional auxiliary module, avoiding electrical failures or performance problems caused by mismatches.

[0037] In an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 shown is a schematic diagram of the connection between a power supply module, a central processing unit module, and multiple functional auxiliary modules provided by the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2, taking multiple functional auxiliary modules as an example of a display module, a sensing module, an audio module, a micro-control unit module (MCU module), and a communication module, the power supply module is respectively connected to the power connector in the CPU module (central processing unit module) and the power connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules through its own multiple power processors, ensuring that the power supply module provides stable and reliable power supply for the central processing unit module and the multiple functional auxiliary modules. Through its power processors, the power supply module can output power with different voltage values, such as 12V, 5V, or 3.3V, etc.

[0038] A high-speed signal connector is a connector used for high-speed data transmission, applied to the connection and transmission between various high-speed devices, with characteristics such as high transmission rate, high density, low crosstalk, low signal delay, and low friction, capable of achieving high-speed data transmission and reliable signal transmission. According to different application requirements, high-speed signal connectors can adopt different interface specifications and transmission media, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, USB, etc. In this disclosure, the high-speed signal connector can not only support high-speed differential audio and video data transmission, but also transmit analog and digital quantity signals. At the same time, it also has power pins with a certain current-carrying capacity for transmitting part of the small power supply, and can also achieve the transmission of signals such as clock and GPIO.

[0039] It should be noted that the design standards of the high-speed signal connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules in this disclosure corresponding one by one to the high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit means that the high-speed signal connectors in each functional auxiliary module follow the same design standards and specifications as the corresponding high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit. In other words, the connectors between each module are consistent in terms of physical size, interface protocol, transmission rate, electrical performance, etc., to ensure that they can be quickly, stably, and reliably connected and communicated with each other, thereby reducing the complexity of integration and testing, and at the same time being beneficial to later maintenance and upgrading.

[0040] In an alternative embodiment of this disclosure, as Figure 3 shown is a schematic diagram of the connection between a central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules provided by this disclosure. Taking multiple functional auxiliary modules as an example of a display module, a sensing module, an audio module, a micro-control unit module (MCU module), and a communication module, the central processing unit module and the power supply module are respectively connected through their own power connectors to stably receive the electrical energy provided by the power supply module. At the same time, the central processing unit module is respectively connected to the high-speed connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules through its own high-speed connectors (high-speed signal connectors). Among them, the high-speed signal connectors connecting the central processing unit module (CPU module) and each functional auxiliary module are wired in the form of 6 differential pairs (differential pair*6). Refer to Figure 3, the communication module may include a 5G sub-module, a BT sub-module, a WiFi sub-module, a Tuner (antenna tuner), etc.; the MCU module may include a CAN bus, an MCU integrated circuit, a LIN bus, a PMIC integrated circuit, etc.; the sensing module may include a PMIC integrated circuit, a Serdes (deserializer), etc.; the CPU module may include an SOC chip, a RAM memory, a PMIC integrated circuit, a uFS / SSD storage device, an ETH Switch device, etc.; the display module may include a PMIC integrated circuit, a Serdes (deserializer), etc.; the audio module may include a PMIC integrated circuit, a PA public address system, an ADSP analog-to-digital signal processor, etc.

[0041] It should be noted that in the present disclosure, the central processing unit module, the power supply module, and multiple functional auxiliary modules can all be implemented in the form of circuit boards. Each module is an independent circuit board with specific functions and interfaces. This design method enables the connection between modules in the form of board-to-board plug-in, thereby realizing data transmission, power supply, and interaction of control signals between modules. Since each module is an independent circuit board, it is convenient to replace, upgrade, or expand a certain module without making large-scale changes to the entire system. Secondly, this design method helps to reduce the complexity and cost of the system. By dividing the functions into different modules and implementing each module as an independent circuit board, the design and manufacturing process of the system can be simplified, and the production efficiency can be improved.

[0042] In addition, the board-to-board plug-in connection method also provides a stable and reliable connection. This connection method can ensure the stability and reliability of data transmission and power supply between modules, thereby improving the performance and stability of the entire domain controller.

[0043] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the modular domain controller of the present disclosure provides flexibility for future function expansion. The present disclosure realizes reserving an additional number of signal lines by setting multiple input / output interfaces in the power supply module, the central processing unit module, and multiple functional auxiliary modules, so as to better adapt to future function expansion and upgrade. That is, the reserved input / output connection interfaces can be used as interfaces for future expansion, providing convenience for adding or upgrading new functions. When new requirements arise, only the corresponding input / output connection interfaces need to be used for connection. Among them, the multiple input / output interfaces in the present disclosure can be GPIOs (General-Purpose Input / Output) connection interfaces, and the GPIOs connection interfaces can be configured as input or output modes to read or write signals according to actual requirements.

[0044] Refer to Figure 2, multiple power connectors can be respectively connected to the power connector in the central processing unit module and the power connectors of multiple functional auxiliary modules through the input / output connection interface. Refer to Figure 3 , multiple high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module can be respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in multiple functional auxiliary modules through the input / output connection interface. Since the power module, the central processing unit module, and multiple functional auxiliary modules all include input / output interfaces, there can be a data interaction function that can be realized using the input / output interfaces between the power module, the central processing unit module, and multiple functional auxiliary modules. For example, the input / output connection interface between the power connector and the central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules can specifically be used for the central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules to enable or disable the power supply, and can also be used to obtain the normal operating state indication of the power supply, and at the same time be used to transmit analog signals for voltage and current detection, etc. The input / output connection interface between the central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules can be used for data interaction, control and configuration, fault diagnosis, expansion, custom function implementation, debugging and testing, and power management, etc.

[0045] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, refer to Figure 3 , in the modular domain controller design of the present disclosure, in order to provide flexibility for future function expansion, in addition to reserving the number of signal lines by setting the input / output connection interface, the present disclosure can also reserve the current-carrying capacity by setting energy connection interfaces in the central processing unit module and multiple functional auxiliary modules. Through this design, when the electric energy provided by the power module is not sufficient to meet the functional requirements of multiple functional auxiliary modules, the central processing unit module can provide the required electric energy for multiple functional auxiliary modules through the energy connection interface. In this way, the electric energy in multiple functional modules can reach the demand, ensuring the stable operation of the domain controller. Among them, the energy connection interface in the present disclosure can specifically refer to the power connection interface.

[0046] Since multiple high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module of the present disclosure are respectively connected to high-speed signal connectors in multiple functional auxiliary modules through the energy connection interface. Therefore, this connection method not only provides data transmission and control signal interaction, but also realizes the effective distribution and management of electric energy. In this way, the modular domain controller design not only has high efficiency and flexibility in data transmission and processing, but also has sufficient scalability and reliability in electric energy management and supply.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, since the multiple functional auxiliary modules may include at least one of a display module, a sensing module, an audio module, a microcontroller unit module, and a communication module, when the display module and / or the sensing module are included in the multiple functional auxiliary modules, a part of the high-speed signal connectors connected between the central processing unit module and the display module and / or the sensing module in the present disclosure may be set to support at least one of the high-speed audio-video transmission protocols of MIPI CPHY 4trio and DPHY 1*4 and / or the high-speed video transmission protocol of Display Port 4lanes. Meanwhile, the data transmission rate of a single channel in a part of the high-speed signal connectors is ten gigabits per second of data volume.

[0048] MIPI CPHY 4trio is an interface protocol in the high-speed audio-video transmission protocol, which is used to connect the camera and the image sensor in high-speed mobile devices.

[0049] DPHY 1*4 is a configuration of an interface protocol in the high-speed audio-video transmission protocol, which represents the synchronization of using one data channel and four channels, and is usually used to connect single-panel display devices such as mobile phones and tablets.

[0050] Display Port 4lanes (DisplayPort 4 channels) is a digital display interface standard in the high-speed video transmission protocol. It uses four data channels to transmit image data. DisplayPort 4lanes supports a higher data transmission rate, can transmit more image data, and thus supports higher-resolution and higher-frame-rate video output. This interface standard is widely used in devices such as computer graphics cards, monitors, and TVs.

[0051] Among them, the high-speed video transmission protocol can also be updated and adjusted according to the actual situation and technological development, and is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0052] In the present disclosure, a part of the high-speed signal connectors connected between the central processing unit module and the display module and / or the sensing module supports at least one of the high-speed audio-video transmission protocols of the MIPI CPHY 4trio interface protocol and the DPHY 1*4 interface protocol and / or the high-speed video transmission protocol of the Display Port 4lanes digital display interface standard, so as to realize the audio-video data transmission between the central processing unit module and the display module and / or the sensing module.

[0053] According to the analysis of the actual scenarios mostly applied in the display module and the sensing module in the present disclosure, the display module and the sensing module are mostly used to process data such as videos. Therefore, in order to enable the domain controller to have the flexibility for future function expansion, the present disclosure sets the part of the high-speed signal connectors connecting the central processing unit module to the display module and / or the sensing module to adopt a wiring method of six differential pairs to reserve the high-speed data transmission capability to ensure future large bandwidth requirements.

[0054] It should be noted that the wiring method of six differential pairs is not limited to the part of the high-speed signal connectors connecting the central processing unit module to the display module and / or the sensing module. This wiring method can be applied to all high-speed signal connectors in the present disclosure. At the same time, the wiring method in the present disclosure can also be set to four differential pairs or two differential pairs, which can be specifically set according to actual requirements. The six differential pairs in the present disclosure are a wiring method with certain expandability obtained through comprehensive analysis based on the actual application scenarios.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when multiple functional auxiliary modules include a communication module, the part of the high-speed signal connectors between the central processing unit module and the communication module in the present disclosure can support at least one high-speed signal transmission protocol among USB3.0, PCIE, and RGMII, and support at least one low-speed signal transmission protocol among USB2.0, UART, and I2C.

[0056] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when multiple functional auxiliary modules include an audio module, the part of the high-speed signal connectors between the central processing unit module and the audio module in the present disclosure supports at least one signal transmission protocol among RGMII, TDM, SPI, UART, and GPIO.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when multiple functional auxiliary modules include a microcontroller unit module, the part of the high-speed signal connectors between the central processing unit module and the microcontroller unit module in the present disclosure supports at least one signal transmission protocol among RGMII, TDM, SPI, UART, Clock, and GPIO.

[0058] USB3.0 is the latest standard of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) in the high-speed signal transmission protocol, providing a higher data transmission rate, far higher than the 480Mbps of the early USB standard. Among them, USB3.0 in the present disclosure can be updated and adjusted to the latest standard according to the actual technical level, or a suitable type or size standard can be selected according to actual requirements, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0059] PCIE (PCI Express) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard in high-speed signal transmission protocols, used to replace the old PCI and PCI-X bus standards. Among them, the PCIE in this disclosure can be updated and adjusted to the latest standard according to the actual technical level, or a suitable type or size standard can be selected according to actual needs, which is not limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0060] RGMII (Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface) is a high-speed digital interface standard for Ethernet in high-speed signal transmission protocols. Among them, the RGMII in this disclosure can be updated and adjusted to the latest standard according to the actual technical level, or a suitable type or size standard can be selected according to actual needs, which is not limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0061] USB2.0 is a widely used serial bus standard in high-speed signal transmission protocols. It supports high-speed data transmission and also supports low-speed and full-speed modes.

[0062] UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) is a general asynchronous serial communication protocol in low-speed signal transmission protocols. It is used for serial data transmission between different devices, usually for communication between microcontrollers, sensors, and other embedded systems. UART does not require a clock signal for synchronization, and the transmitter and receiver communicate through a predetermined configuration.

[0063] I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) is a serial communication protocol in low-speed signal transmission protocols for connecting microcontrollers and other digital devices. I2C supports multiple devices connected to the same bus, and each device has a unique address, enabling communication and data exchange between multiple devices.

[0064] RGMII (Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface) is a simple and high-speed Ethernet media independent interface in signal transmission protocols, usually used to connect an Ethernet controller and a physical layer device.

[0065] TDM (Time Division Multiplexing), time division multiplexing, is a digital communication technology in signal transmission protocols, which transmits multiple signals or data streams by combining them into a single transmission line.

[0066] SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface): Serial Peripheral Interface, which is a standard four-wire synchronous bidirectional serial bus in signal transmission protocols. It is usually used to connect microcontrollers and their peripheral devices, such as EEPROM, FLASH, real-time clocks, etc.

[0067] UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter), Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter, is an asynchronous serial communication protocol in signal transmission protocols and is often used for communication between microcontrollers, sensors and other embedded systems.

[0068] GPIO (General Purpose Input / Output), General Purpose Input / Output port, is a general interface standard in signal transmission protocols. It can be used to expand the I / O ports of microcontrollers or chip sets and support remote serial communication or control.

[0069] Clock, a kind of clock in signal transmission protocols, usually refers to a device or system used to record and transmit time.

[0070] It should be noted that USB3.0, PCIC, and RGMII can support the highest bandwidth under the current technology. The specific bandwidth depends on the actual situation and is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0071] In summary, according to the modular domain controller in the present disclosure, the modular domain controller includes a central processing unit module, a power supply module, and multiple functional auxiliary modules; the power supply module includes multiple power connectors, and the power supply module is respectively connected to the power connector in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules through the multiple power connectors. The multiple power connectors in the power supply module respectively correspond to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules in terms of design standards. The power supply module is used to supply power to the central processing unit module and the multiple functional auxiliary modules; the central processing unit module includes multiple high-speed signal connectors, and the central processing unit module is respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules corresponding to the multiple high-speed connectors through the multiple high-speed signal connectors. The high-speed signal connectors in the multiple functional auxiliary modules respectively correspond to the multiple high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module in terms of design standards. The central processing unit module is used to process and distribute the data transmission signals generated by the interaction between the multiple functional auxiliary modules, so that the hardware functions of each module can be independently upgraded and replaced without re-designing the entire domain controller. Thus, in actual applications, they can be quickly combined according to the configuration requirements of different products to meet the update needs of the market and users. Moreover, the multiple power connectors and the multiple high-speed signal connectors in the domain controller follow a unified design standard, ensuring the compatibility and consistency of the connectors and interfaces between different modules, avoiding the mismatch problems caused by using connectors with different specifications and standards, thereby ensuring material normalization and reducing the development time and manufacturing cost.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a vehicle, and the foregoing modular domain controller method can be applied to the vehicle, and the foregoing modular domain controller device can be configured in the vehicle.

[0073] The vehicle provided by the embodiment of the present application has the same technical features as the modular domain controller provided by the above embodiment, so it can also solve the same technical problems and achieve the same technical effects.

[0074] In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "connection" shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

[0075] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0076] The controller in the embodiments of the present application may be in the form of a processor, and this processor may be an integrated circuit chip with the ability to process signals. During implementation, the above-mentioned various functions may be completed by the integrated logic circuit in the hardware of the processor or the instructions in the form of software. The above-mentioned processor may be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU for short), a network processor (NP for short), etc.; it may also be a digital signal processor (DSP for short), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC for short), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA for short), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the various functions and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may also be any conventional processor, etc. The devices, apparatuses, circuits, and systems, etc. disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application may be directly embodied as being executed and completed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed and completed by a combination of the hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module may be located in a mature storage medium in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. This storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and combines its hardware to implement the above functions.

[0077] In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices, systems, etc. can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation. For another 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, direct couplings, or communication connections to each other can be through some communication interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connections of devices or units can be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0078] For another example, the flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings show the possible architectures, functions, and operations of the devices and computer

[0079] program products according to multiple embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of code, and the module, program segment, or part of code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than marked in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system for performing the specified functions or actions, or can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0080] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown 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.

[0081] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments provided in the present application can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit.

[0082] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0083] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific embodiments of the present application, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limiting it. The protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or can easily think of changes, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features; and these modifications, changes or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. All should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A modular domain controller, characterized in that, The modular domain controller includes: a central processing unit module, a power supply module, and a plurality of functional auxiliary modules; The power supply module includes a plurality of power connectors. The power supply module is respectively connected to the power connector in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the plurality of power connectors. The design standards of the plurality of power connectors in the power supply module respectively correspond to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the power connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules. The power supply module is used to supply power to the central processing unit module and the plurality of functional auxiliary modules; The central processing unit module includes a plurality of high-speed signal connectors. The central processing unit module is respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the plurality of high-speed signal connectors. The design standards of the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules respectively correspond to the plurality of high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module. The central processing unit module is used to process and distribute the data transmission signals generated by the interaction between the plurality of functional auxiliary modules.

2. The modular domain controller according to claim 1, characterized in that The power supply module, the central processing unit module, and the plurality of functional auxiliary modules all include input / output connection interfaces. The plurality of power connectors are respectively connected to the power connectors in the central processing unit module and the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the input / output connection interfaces. The plurality of high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module are respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the input / output connection interfaces.

3. The modular domain controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central processing unit module and the plurality of functional auxiliary modules all include energy connection interfaces. The plurality of high-speed signal connectors in the central processing unit module are respectively connected to the high-speed signal connectors in the plurality of functional auxiliary modules through the energy connection interfaces.

4. The modular domain controller according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of functional auxiliary modules include at least one of a display module, a sensing module, an audio module, a microcontroller unit module, and a communication module.

5. The modular domain controller according to claim 4, characterized in that, Some of the high-speed signal connectors connecting the central processing unit module to the display module and / or the sensing module support at least one of the high-speed audio / video transmission protocols of MIPI CPHY 4trio and DPHY1*4 and / or the high-speed video transmission protocol of Display Port 4lanes. The data transmission rate of a single channel in some of the high-speed signal connectors is 10 gigabits per second.

6. The modular domain controller according to claim 5, characterized in that Some of the high-speed signal connectors connecting the central processing unit module to the display module and / or the sensing module adopt a six-way differential pair wiring method.

7. The modular domain controller according to claim 4, characterized in that, ​ 8. The modular domain controller according to claim 4, characterized in that At least one of the signal transmission protocols of RGMII, TDM, SPI, UART, and GPIO is supported by a partial high-speed signal connector between the central processing unit module and the audio module.

9. The modular domain controller according to claim 4, characterized in that At least one of the signal transmission protocols of RGMII, TDM, SPI, UART, Clock, and GPIO is supported by a partial high-speed signal connector between the central processing unit module and the microcontroller unit module.

10. The modular domain controller according to claim 1, wherein: The power supply module further includes a protection circuit, a boost module, a buck module, and a backup battery.

11. A vehicle, characterized in that, It includes the modular domain controller as claimed in claims 1-10.

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