Communication method of air conditioner centralized control system and multi-split air conditioner system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method of an air conditioner centralized control system and a multi-split air conditioner system, and relates to the technical field of air conditioners. According to the air conditioner centralized control system, the deployment problem of a large-scale air conditioner centralized control system can be solved with extremely low cost. The air conditioner centralized control system comprises at least one air conditioner system, terminal equipment, a communication concentrator and at least one communication bus. The terminal equipment is configured to receive information of the air conditioning system and send a command to the air conditioning system according to user operation; the communication concentrator is arranged between the terminal equipment and the air conditioning system; the communication hub is configured to obtain information of the air conditioning system and send the information to the terminal equipment; the first end of one communication bus is connected with the air conditioning system; the second end of one communication bus is connected with the communication hub; and the terminal equipment sends a command to the air conditioning system through the communication bus according to user operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and in particular to a communication method for an air conditioning centralized control system and a multi-connected air conditioning system. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, the application of electrical appliances has become more and more common, and the daily lives of more and more people are closely related to air conditioning.

[0003] In large public building projects, central air conditioning systems are massive and involve numerous devices. Commonly used communication buses for air conditioners, such as the Home Bus and 485 bus, are limited by bus performance. Bus communication lengths typically do not exceed 1000 meters, and the number of devices on a single bus typically does not exceed 200. Otherwise, bus communication quality will be significantly degraded, resulting in communication anomalies.

[0004] The current solution is to deploy a centralized control gateway on each bus to manage the air conditioners on each bus. Multiple air conditioner gateways are connected to the host control terminal via a router. However, the use of multiple centralized control gateways significantly increases the deployment and subsequent maintenance costs of the air conditioner centralized control system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention provide a communication method for an air conditioning centralized control system and a multi-connected air conditioning system. The air conditioning centralized control system can solve the deployment problem of large-scale air conditioning centralized control systems at an extremely low cost.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method for an air conditioning centralized control system, the air conditioning centralized control system comprising: at least one air conditioning system; Centralized control management software; the centralized control management software is configured to receive information from the air conditioning system and issue commands to the air conditioning system based on user operations; a communication hub disposed between the terminal device and the air conditioning system; the communication hub being configured to obtain information of the air conditioning system and send the information to the terminal device; The communication method comprises the following steps: The centralized control management software, the communication hub and the air conditioning system complete the communication connection; Determining whether a connection has been established between the communication hub and the centralized control management software; If the communication hub has not established a connection with the centralized control management software, the centralized control management software issues a connection instruction; If the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, the communication hub waits for the structure of the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message; The communication hub waits to receive the centralized control management software instruction and the air conditioning bus message; In some embodiments, before determining whether the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, the method further includes: The communication hub is powered on; The communication hub is initialized.

[0007] In some embodiments, if the communication hub has not established a connection with the centralized control management software, after the centralized control management software issues the connection instruction, the steps further include: determining whether the communication hub receives a connection instruction; If the communication hub receives the connection instruction, the search for the air conditioning system is completed; If the communication hub does not receive the connection instruction, the centralized control management software sends a connection instruction.

[0008] In some embodiments, if the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, then after the communication hub waits for the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message, the method further includes: The communication hub receives the centralized control management software instruction; The communication hub parses the command content, sends it to the communication bus, and transparently transmits it to the air conditioning system; The communication hub receives the communication bus message; The communication hub encapsulates the communication bus message into a TCP / IP message, sends it to the computer, and transparently transmits it to the centralized control management software.

[0009] In some embodiments, if the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, before the communication hub waits for the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message, the method further includes: The centralized control management software is started; The centralized control management software is initialized, and the UI displays information about the air conditioning system.

[0010] In some embodiments, if the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, then after the communication hub waits for the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message, the method further includes: The centralized control management software receives a user instruction; The centralized control management software generates air conditioning bus messages according to user instructions, encapsulates the communication bus messages into TCP / IP format messages, and sends them to the communication hub; The centralized control management software receives the TCP / IP network message from the communication hub; The centralized control management software parses the air-conditioning data content and performs corresponding logical operations and UI displays.

[0011] In some embodiments, further comprising: At least one communication bus, wherein a first end of the communication bus is connected to the air conditioning system; a second end of the communication bus is connected to the communication hub; and the centralized control management software issues commands to the air conditioning system via the communication bus according to user operations.

[0012] In some embodiments, the communication hub comprises: A main control chip, wherein the main control chip includes a plurality of pins; at least one bus interface circuit, wherein a first end of the bus interface circuit is electrically connected to a pin of the main control chip, and a second end of the bus interface circuit is electrically connected to the communication bus; The bus interface circuit is configured to receive information of the air-conditioning system transmitted on the communication bus and send information to the air-conditioning system connected to the communication bus.

[0013] In some embodiments, the communication hub further comprises: at least one photocoupler circuit, wherein a first end of the photocoupler is electrically connected to a pin of the main control chip, and a second end of the photocoupler circuit is electrically connected to a first end of the bus interface circuit; The optocoupler circuit is configured to electrically isolate the bus interface circuit from the remaining circuitry of the communication hub.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-split air-conditioning system, which includes: multiple air-conditioning systems and an air-conditioning centralized control system, and the air-conditioning centralized control system is electrically connected to the multiple air-conditioning systems.

[0015] The air conditioning centralized control system includes: at least one communication hub and a network hub, the first end of the network hub is electrically connected to the terminal device via a network cable, and the second end of the network hub is electrically connected to the communication hub; the network hub is configured to obtain information about the air conditioning system in the communication hub and send the information to the terminal device.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the multi-split air-conditioning system are the same as those of the above-mentioned air-conditioning centralized control system, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the technical solution of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the technical solution of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation to the technical solution of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 1 A structural diagram of an air conditioning centralized control system provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A structural diagram of another air conditioning centralized control system provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A structural diagram of an air conditioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 A basic working flow diagram of a communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 A basic workflow diagram of a computer-side centralized control management software provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A block diagram of a bus interface circuit in a communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 A structural block diagram of a photoelectric coupler circuit in a communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 A structural block diagram of a transmission chip circuit in a communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 9 A structural block diagram of another communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 10 A structural block diagram of another communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 11 A structural block diagram of a storage circuit in a communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 12 A structural block diagram of another communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 13 A structural block diagram of a multi-output isolated power supply circuit in a communication hub provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 14 This is a structural block diagram of a multi-split air conditioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0021] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0022] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connected" and "connect" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integral connections. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, when describing pipelines, the terms "connected" and "connected" in the present invention have the meaning of conducting electricity. Their specific meanings should be understood in the context.

[0023] In the embodiments of the present invention, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0024] As described in the background, with the advancement of science and technology, the use of electrical appliances has become increasingly widespread, and air conditioning has become an integral part of daily life for an increasing number of people. In large public buildings, central air conditioning systems are massive and require numerous devices. Commonly used communication buses for air conditioners, such as HomeBus and 485, are subject to performance limitations. Bus communication lengths typically do not exceed 1000 meters, and the number of devices on a single bus typically does not exceed 200. Otherwise, bus communication quality can be significantly degraded, leading to communication anomalies.

[0025] For example, the CAN bus supports full-duplex communication, and its application in air-conditioning systems supports up to 110 nodes, while the LON bus type application involves 11 UIs, 4 DOs, 2 UOs, etc.; the 485 bus is used to monitor the terminal in a communication manner.

[0026] For large public buildings, 200 air conditioning systems are far from sufficient. The current solution is to deploy a centralized control gateway on each bus to manage the air conditioning equipment on each bus. Multiple air conditioning gateways are connected to the host control terminal through a router. However, the use of multiple centralized control gateways significantly increases the deployment and subsequent maintenance costs of the air conditioning centralized control system.

[0027] The centralized control gateway is a device that integrates multiple functions and technologies, and is mainly used to achieve centralized control and management of equipment.

[0028] Based on this, the embodiment of the present application provides an air conditioning centralized control system. Figure 1 As shown, the above-mentioned air conditioning centralized control system 1000 includes: a terminal device 100, at least one air conditioning system 200, a communication hub 300 and at least one communication bus 400.

[0029] The communication hub 300 is provided between the terminal device 100 and the air conditioning system 200 ; the communication hub is configured to obtain information of the air conditioning system and send the information to the terminal device.

[0030] A first end of a communication bus 400 is connected to the air conditioning system 200 ; a second end of the communication bus 400 is connected to the communication hub 300 .

[0031] The terminal device 100 is configured to receive information of the air conditioning system 200 and issue commands to the air conditioning system 200 according to user operations. The terminal device 100 issues commands to the air conditioning system via a communication bus according to user operations.

[0032] The communication hub 300 is configured to transmit information of the air conditioning system 200 to the terminal device 100 , and transmit commands issued by the terminal device 100 to the air conditioning system 200 .

[0033] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The air conditioning system 200 includes an indoor unit 21 and an outdoor unit 22. The indoor unit 21 and the outdoor unit 22 are electrically connected via a communication bus.

[0034] It should be noted that the main function of an air conditioning communication hub is to act as a central node, regenerating, shaping, and amplifying received signals to extend the network's transmission distance and centralize all nodes around it. This function makes hubs very important in local area networks, especially in scenarios where centralized control and management of multiple devices are required. For example, a communication hub can be used to enable communication between indoor and outdoor units, ensuring effective signal transmission by regenerating, shaping, and amplifying received signals. In addition, a communication hub can also be used to isolate networks. When two nodes in the network are found to be in the same network segment, the hub will refuse to broadcast messages to that segment, thereby protecting the network security.

[0035] A communication hub can achieve centralized control of air conditioners by communicating with multiple air conditioning systems. This control is not limited to information exchange between indoor and outdoor units but also includes monitoring and management of the air conditioner's operating status. For example, in a centralized air conditioning control system, the communication hub may work with management computers, network centralized controllers, and other devices to achieve centralized monitoring and control of the air conditioning system.

[0036] In some embodiments, the terminal device is a computer-based centralized control management software. The centralized control management software is responsible for processing all control logic within the air conditioner and generating and receiving air conditioner messages. In this application, the operation and maintenance of the centralized control device is transformed into maintenance of the centralized control management software, i.e., pure software operation and maintenance. This eliminates the need for maintenance of the centralized control device, unlike traditional centralized air conditioner control systems, further reducing costs.

[0037] In other words, the communication hub 300 transmits and receives messages on multiple air conditioning bus lines, which are then connected to the centralized control management software on the computer through the network port on the communication hub 300. The communication hub 300 is only responsible for transparent transmission of messages between each communication bus 400 and the centralized control management software, and does not perform any control logic processing. All control logic and message parsing are handled by the computer-side centralized control management software. At the same time, the computer-side centralized control management software is responsible for generating air conditioning bus messages and transmitting them to each communication bus 400 via the communication hub 300. This can reduce the deployment difficulty and cost of the centralized control system equipment. The subsequent operation and maintenance of the air conditioning centralized control system will mainly focus on the centralized control management software on the computer, which will also greatly reduce operation and maintenance costs.

[0038] Compared to the centralized control gateway used in existing approaches, the communication hub 300 is simpler, thus reducing costs. Furthermore, the communication hub 300 only functions for transparent transmission of telegrams, lacking the complex logic functions of the centralized control gateway. All complex logic processing is handled by the centralized control management software on the computer. The communication hub 300 performs only simple telegram encapsulation and decapsulation, and sends the encapsulated and decapsulated telegrams to the communication bus interface or the computer network port that communicates with the centralized control management software.

[0039] From this, we can see that the communication hub can connect a large number of air-conditioning systems to the computer-side centralized control management software, and manage a large number of air-conditioning systems through a centralized control management software. Relying on the powerful computing power of the computer, it can efficiently realize the control and monitoring of large-scale air-conditioning centralized control systems and improve user experience.

[0040] In some embodiments, when the communication hub is working, it will monitor the communication telegrams of the newly online device, parse the device ID of the newly online air-conditioning system, and add the newly online device to the routing table of the corresponding communication bus interface. At the same time, the communication hub sends a message to the computer to notify the centralized control management software that a new device is online. In this way, the communication hub supports hot access to the air-conditioning system, and there is no need to power off the communication hub and then connect the new air-conditioning system. When the centralized control management software receives the new device online message reported by the communication hub, it starts to collect the operating information of the newly online device. After the collection is completed, the operating interface of the new air-conditioning system is automatically created on the display interface to show the operating status of the new air-conditioning system.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The following is a basic working diagram of the communication hub.

[0042] S101. Power on the communication hub.

[0043] S102: Initialize the communication hub.

[0044] S103: Check whether the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software.

[0045] If the communication hub has not established a connection with the centralized control management software, go to step S104; if the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, go to step S107.

[0046] S104. The centralized control management software issues a connection instruction.

[0047] S105: Whether a connection instruction is received.

[0048] If the communication hub receives the connection instruction, it goes to step S106. If the communication hub does not receive the connection instruction, it goes to step S104, and the centralized control management software sends the connection instruction again.

[0049] S106: Complete the air conditioning system search.

[0050] It is equivalent to completing the communication connection between the centralized control management software, communication hub and air conditioning system.

[0051] S107: The communication hub waits to receive instructions from the centralized control management software and air conditioning bus messages.

[0052] S108. The communication hub receives a command (TCP / IP message) from the centralized control management software.

[0053] If the communication hub does not receive the centralized control management software instruction, the process returns to step S107.

[0054] S109: The communication hub parses the instruction content and sends it to the communication bus.

[0055] The communication hub parses the data content (i.e., air conditioning control instructions), sends it to the communication bus, and then transparently transmits it to the air conditioning system.

[0056] S110. The communication hub receives a communication bus message.

[0057] If the communication hub does not receive the message from the communication bus, the process returns to step S107.

[0058] S111. The communication hub encapsulates the communication bus message into a TCP / IP message, sends it to the computer, and transparently transmits it to the centralized control management software.

[0059] The process is completed, and if there is still text to be transmitted, the process returns to step S107.

[0060] like Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is the basic workflow diagram of the computer-side centralized control management software.

[0061] S201, the centralized control management software is started.

[0062] S202: The centralized control management software is initialized and the UI displays the air conditioning system information.

[0063] S203: The centralized control management software waits to receive user instructions and communication hub network messages.

[0064] S204: The centralized control management software receives a user instruction.

[0065] If the centralized control management software does not receive the user instruction, it returns to step S203.

[0066] S205. The centralized control management software generates an air conditioning bus message according to the user's instruction, encapsulates the communication bus message into a TCP / IP format message, and sends it to the communication hub.

[0067] S206: The centralized control management software receives a TCP / IP network message from the communication hub.

[0068] If the centralized control management software does not receive the communication hub TCP / IP network message, the process returns to step S203.

[0069] S207. The centralized control management software parses the air-conditioning data content and performs corresponding logical operations and UI display.

[0070] Based on the above technical solution, some embodiments of the present application provide an air conditioning centralized control system. This air conditioning centralized control system uses a communication hub to solve the deployment challenges of large-scale air conditioning systems, further reducing costs and achieving good economic benefits. The communication hub can connect a large number of air conditioning systems to the centralized control management software on the computer side, enabling the management of a large number of air conditioning systems through a single centralized control management software. Relying on the powerful computing power of the computer, it can efficiently achieve control and monitoring of large-scale air conditioning centralized control systems and improve the user experience. In addition, the subsequent operation and maintenance of the air conditioning centralized control system is mainly concentrated on the centralized control management software on the computer side, which will also greatly reduce operation and maintenance costs.

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, the communication hub 300 includes: a main control chip 31 and at least one bus interface circuit 32. The main control chip 31 includes a plurality of pins.

[0072] The bus interface circuit 32 includes a first terminal 321 and a second terminal 322 .

[0073] A first end 321 of a bus interface circuit 32 is electrically connected to a pin of the main control chip 31 , and a second end 322 of a bus interface circuit 32 is electrically connected to a communication bus 400 .

[0074] The bus interface circuit is configured to receive information of the air-conditioning system transmitted on the communication bus and send information to the air-conditioning system connected to the communication bus.

[0075] That is to say, the main control chip 31 receives the telegrams on each communication bus (generally the air conditioner status information telegrams), uses the received bus telegrams as the data part of the TCP message, and adds the TCP header and IP header to form a standard TCP / IP message, and transmits the air conditioner telegrams to the computer-side centralized control management software through the network interface.

[0076] The main control chip 31 receives the TCP / IP message sent by the computer-side centralized control management software (the data part of the message is the control message sent to the air conditioner), parses the data part in the TCP / IP message, and sends it to the communication bus through the bus interface circuit.

[0077] The bus interface circuit 32 serves as the hardware interface of the communication bus. It is used to connect to the communication bus externally, receive telegrams sent by all air-conditioning systems on this communication bus, and send control telegrams to all air-conditioning systems on this communication bus. It also performs bidirectional conversion between single-ended signals and differential signals, converting the differential signals of the communication bus into serial port signals and inputting them into the main control chip 31, and converting the serial port signals of the main control chip 31 into differential signals and sending them to the communication bus.

[0078] like Figure 7 As shown, the communication hub 300 further includes at least one optocoupler circuit 33 .

[0079] The photocoupler circuit 33 includes a first terminal 331 and a second terminal 332 .

[0080] A first end 331 of a photocoupler circuit 33 is electrically connected to a pin of the main control chip 31 , and a second end 332 of a photocoupler circuit 33 is electrically connected to a first end 321 of a bus interface circuit 32 .

[0081] The optocoupler circuit is configured to electrically isolate the bus interface circuit from the rest of the communication hub circuit. The optocoupler circuit 33 includes an optocoupler.

[0082] For example, if a communication bus is struck by lightning or is mistakenly connected to strong electricity during installation, causing the bus interface on this communication bus to burn out, but due to the electrical isolation effect of the optocoupler, this electrical damage will not spread to other parts of the communication hub, and the remaining circuits can still operate normally, which can ensure the normal operation of devices on other communication buses and prevent the fault from spreading and affecting the normal operation of the entire air-conditioning control system.

[0083] It should be noted that a photocoupler is a device that uses light as a medium to transmit electrical signals. It primarily consists of a light source and a light receiver. When an electrical signal is applied to the input, the light source emits light whose intensity is proportional to the magnitude of the excitation current. When light strikes the light receiver, the photoelectric effect generates a photocurrent, which is then output from the light receiver's output, achieving electrical-to-optical-to-electrical conversion.1 Photocouplers can transmit not only electrical signals but also optical signals, achieving this through the photoelectric effect and the properties of the pn junction.

[0084] like Figure 8As shown, the main control chip 31 further includes: an independent interface 311; the independent interface 311 is electrically connected to the terminal device 100 via a network cable.

[0085] In some embodiments, the independent interface 311 is a network RMII interface.

[0086] RMII (Reduced Media Independent Interface) is a simplified media independent interface used for Ethernet communication. It is a simplified version of the MII interface and mainly achieves more efficient data transmission by reducing I / O transmission.

[0087] The RMII interface has fewer I / O transmission lines than the MII interface. MII requires 16 communication lines, while RMII only requires 7. This is very important for the design and optimization of network equipment, as fewer communication lines means greater flexibility and lower costs. In addition, the RMII interface only uses half-duplex mode, making it a more streamlined MII interface for reduced power consumption and improved efficiency.

[0088] like Figure 9 As shown, the communication hub 300 further includes a transmission chip circuit 34 .

[0089] The transmission chip circuit 34 includes a first terminal 341 and a second terminal 342 .

[0090] The first end 341 of the transmission chip circuit 34 is electrically connected to the network cable, and the second end 342 of the transmission chip circuit 34 is electrically connected to the independent interface 311 .

[0091] In some embodiments, the transmission chip circuit 34 is a PHY chip circuit.

[0092] The PHY chip circuit is responsible for implementing the physical layer functions of network data transmission. The PHY circuit converts digital signals from the independent interface on the main control chip 31 into analog signals and sends the signals to the network cable communication medium. At the same time, the PHY circuit recovers the digital signals from the analog signals received from the network and transmits them to the main control chip 31.

[0093] During network communication, the PHY chip also needs to perform read and write control, which is usually implemented through standard interfaces such as MDIO. This control allows upper-layer devices to read and write data to optimize network communication performance.

[0094] like Figure 10 As shown, the communication hub 300 further includes a connector 35 .

[0095] The connector 35 includes a first end 351 and a second end 352 .

[0096] The first end 351 of the connector 35 is electrically connected to the network cable, and the second end 352 of the connector 35 is electrically connected to the first end 341 of the transmission chip circuit 34 .

[0097] In some embodiments, connector 35 is an RJ-45 connector. The RJ-45 connector is a network interface specification, commonly known as a "crystal plug," primarily used to connect Ethernet cables to network devices. It has eight pins, can be inserted in a fixed orientation, and automatically prevents it from falling out. The RJ-45 connector is a standard physical connector widely used for network cabling and device connections. Its standardized interface design supports connections between a variety of network devices.

[0098] like Figure 11 As shown, the communication hub 300 further includes a storage circuit 36 ​​.

[0099] The storage circuit is configured to store routing table information of at least one air conditioning system connected to the communication bus interface.

[0100] In some embodiments, the storage circuit 36 ​​is an EEPROM storage circuit, which is used to store the air conditioning device routing table of each bus interface. Even if the communication hub loses power abnormally, the routing information of the unused device will not be lost, avoiding the need to re-establish the routing table every time the power is turned on.

[0101] like Figure 12 As shown, the communication hub 300 further includes at least one communication indicator light 37 .

[0102] A communication indicator light 37 is provided between the main control chip 31 and the photoelectric coupler circuit 33 ; the communication indicator light 37 is configured to flash when information is transmitted on the communication bus.

[0103] That is, each communication bus 400 is equipped with a communication indicator light 37 , and when there is communication on the corresponding communication bus 400 , the communication indicator light 37 flashes.

[0104] like Figure 13 As shown, the communication hub further includes a multi-channel output isolation power supply circuit 38. The multi-channel output isolation power supply circuit 38 is configured to supply power to the communication hub.

[0105] The multi-channel isolated power supply circuit 38 uses a power supply module with 12V input and multiple 5V outputs. The multiple 5V power supplies are isolated from each other and power the multiple communication bus interfaces and the rest of the circuits, achieving electrical isolation between the bus interfaces and the rest of the module circuits.

[0106] like Figure 14 As shown, the multi-split air conditioning system 2000 includes: multiple air conditioning systems 200 and an air conditioning centralized control system 1000.

[0107] The air conditioning centralized control system 1000 is electrically connected to a plurality of air conditioning systems 200. The air conditioning centralized control system includes: at least one communication hub 300 and a network hub 500.

[0108] The first end of the network hub is electrically connected to the terminal device via a network cable, and the second end of the network hub is electrically connected to the communication hub; the network hub is configured to obtain information of the air conditioning system in the communication hub and send the information to the terminal device.

[0109] It's important to note that a network hub is a fundamental physical device in data communication networks. Its primary function is to act as a multi-port repeater, with each port connected to a network device via Ethernet twisted-pair or fiber optic cables. When a network is centered around a hub, even if a single line fails, it won't affect the operation of other lines. A network hub is a purely hardware-based network device and lacks the intelligent memory and learning capabilities of a switch, nor does it have a MAC address table. Therefore, data sent by a hub is not targeted, but rather broadcast.

[0110] The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method for an air conditioning centralized control system, characterized in that: The air conditioning centralized control system includes: at least one air conditioning system; Centralized control management software; the centralized control management software is configured to receive information from the air conditioning system and issue commands to the air conditioning system based on user operations; a communication hub disposed between the terminal device and the air conditioning system; the communication hub being configured to obtain information of the air conditioning system and send the information to the terminal device; The communication method comprises the following steps: Step 1: Complete the communication connection between the centralized control management software, the communication hub and the air conditioning system; Determining whether a connection has been established between the communication hub and the centralized control management software; If the communication hub has not established a connection with the centralized control management software, the centralized control management software issues a connection instruction; If the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, the communication hub waits for the structure of the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message; The communication hub then waits to receive the centralized control management software instructions and the air conditioning bus telegram.

2. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before determining whether the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, the method further includes: The communication hub is powered on; The communication hub is initialized.

3. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: If the communication hub has not established a connection with the centralized control management software, after the centralized control management software issues the connection instruction, the method further includes: determining whether the communication hub receives a connection instruction; If the communication hub receives the connection instruction, the search for the air conditioning system is completed; If the communication hub does not receive the connection instruction, the centralized control management software sends a connection instruction.

4. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: If the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, then after the communication hub waits for the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message, the method further includes: The communication hub receives the centralized control management software instruction; The communication hub parses the command content, sends it to the communication bus, and transparently transmits it to the air conditioning system; The communication hub receives the communication bus message; The communication hub encapsulates the communication bus message into a TCP / IP message, sends it to the computer, and transparently transmits it to the centralized control management software.

5. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: If the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, the communication hub waits for the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message to be transmitted, and the method further includes: The centralized control management software is started; The centralized control management software is initialized, and the UI displays information about the air conditioning system.

6. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: If the communication hub has established a connection with the centralized control management software, then after the communication hub waits for the centralized control management software and the air conditioning bus message, the method further includes: The centralized control management software receives a user instruction; The centralized control management software generates air conditioning bus messages according to user instructions, encapsulates the communication bus messages into TCP / IP format messages, and sends them to the communication hub; The centralized control management software receives the TCP / IP network message from the communication hub; The centralized control management software parses the air-conditioning data content and performs corresponding logical operations and UI displays.

7. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: At least one communication bus, wherein a first end of the communication bus is connected to the air conditioning system; a second end of the communication bus is connected to the communication hub; The centralized control management software sends commands to the air conditioning system via the communication bus according to user operations.

8. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication hub comprises: A main control chip, wherein the main control chip includes a plurality of pins; at least one bus interface circuit, wherein a first end of the bus interface circuit is electrically connected to a pin of the main control chip, and a second end of the bus interface circuit is electrically connected to the communication bus; The bus interface circuit is configured to receive information of the air-conditioning system transmitted on the communication bus and send information to the air-conditioning system connected to the communication bus.

9. The communication method of the air conditioning centralized control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication hub further comprises: at least one photocoupler circuit, wherein a first end of the photocoupler is electrically connected to a pin of the main control chip, and a second end of the photocoupler circuit is electrically connected to a first end of the bus interface circuit; The optocoupler circuit is configured to electrically isolate the bus interface circuit from the rest of the communication hub circuitry.

10. A multi-split air conditioning system, characterized in that: The multi-split air conditioning system comprises: multiple air conditioning systems; An air conditioning centralized control system, the air conditioning centralized control system being electrically connected to the multiple air conditioning systems; the air conditioning centralized control system comprising: at least one communication hub, A network hub, wherein the first end of the network hub is electrically connected to the terminal device via a network cable, and the second end of the network hub is electrically connected to the communication hub; the network hub is configured to obtain information about the air-conditioning system in the communication hub and send the information to the terminal device.

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