Control panel and air conditioner outdoor unit

Abstract

The utility model discloses a control panel and an air conditioner outdoor unit, and belongs to the technical field of electronic circuits. The control panel comprises a microcontroller, a surge filtering unit connected in parallel with a pin of the microcontroller, and a surge suppression unit connected in series with the pin of the microcontroller; the surge filtering unit is configured to guide surge energy of the pin to a grounding node, and the surge suppression unit is configured to have an impedance effect on the surge energy flowing into the pin. The surge filtering unit and the surge suppression unit are directly arranged on the pins of the microcontroller, surge energy radiated and input into the microcontroller in the internal and external spaces of the main control board is absorbed and blocked, and the surge energy actually and really transmitted into the microcontroller is reduced, so that the purpose of protecting the microcontroller is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of electronic circuit technology, and in particular relates to a control panel and an air conditioner outdoor unit. Background Art

[0002] To ensure stable operation, most air conditioners incorporate surge protection measures to reduce the impact of inrush current on the equipment. However, in actual use, outdoor units are subject to complex and harsh conditions, especially in areas prone to thunderstorms. This can easily cause surges on the outdoor unit's main control board, causing the MCU (Microcontroller Unit) to reset. Current surge protection capabilities for outdoor units are insufficient. Utility Model Content

[0003] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application proposes a control board and an air conditioner outdoor unit that absorb and block surge energy actually input to a microcontroller from internal and external radiation of the main control board, thereby protecting the microcontroller.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a control board, the control board including a microcontroller, a surge filtering unit connected in parallel with a pin of the microcontroller, and a surge suppression unit connected in series with the pin of the microcontroller;

[0005] The surge filtering unit is configured to guide the surge energy of the pin to the ground node, and the surge suppression unit is configured to have an impedance effect on the surge energy flowing into the pin.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present application, the microcontroller has a power supply pin, a drive pin and a reset pin, the surge filter unit includes multiple capacitors, and the power supply pin, the drive pin and the reset pin are all connected in parallel with corresponding capacitors.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present application, the surge filtering unit includes a transient suppression diode, and the power supply pin is further connected in parallel with the transient suppression diode.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present application, the microcontroller has an external communication pin, and the external communication pin is connected in parallel with a transient suppression diode.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present application, the surge suppression unit includes an inductor, and the power supply pin is connected in series with the inductor.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present application, the surge suppression unit includes a resistor, and the driving pin is connected in series with the resistor.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present application, the control board is further provided with a ground unit arranged around the microcontroller, and the surge filter unit is connected to the ground unit.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present application, the ground line unit includes a plurality of metal lines arranged around the microcontroller, the surge filter unit is connected to the metal lines, and the plurality of metal lines surround the signal lines connected to at least some pins of the microcontroller.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present application, the control board includes a board body, a microcontroller is arranged on the board body, a window is provided in the area opposite to the board body and the microcontroller, a grounding pad is provided in the window, and the outer surface of the microcontroller is in contact with the grounding pad.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides an air-conditioning outdoor unit, comprising the control panel according to the aforementioned method.

[0015] According to the control board and air conditioner outdoor unit of the present application, by directly setting a surge filtering unit and a surge suppression unit on the pins of the microcontroller, the surge energy radiated from the internal and external spaces of the main control board and input into the microcontroller is absorbed and blocked, thereby reducing the surge energy actually transmitted to the inside of the microcontroller, thereby achieving the purpose of protecting the microcontroller.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become obvious from the description below, or will be learned through practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of the microcontroller and its peripheral circuits provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control board provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the microcontroller surge protection provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Reference numerals:

[0022] Microcontroller 100 , surge filter unit 200 , surge suppression unit 300 , board 400 , window 410 , window 410 , ground pad 420 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following describes in detail embodiments of the present application. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

[0024] In the following description, a "circuit" refers to a conductive loop consisting of at least one element or subcircuit connected electrically or electromagnetically. When an element or circuit is said to be "coupled to" or "connected to" another element, or when an element / circuit is said to be "coupled to" or "connected between" two nodes, it can be directly coupled or connected to the other element or there can be intervening elements. The connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Conversely, when an element is said to be "directly coupled to" or "directly connected to" another element, it means that there are no intervening elements between the two elements.

[0025] In the description, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used to distinguish similar objects, not to describe a particular order or precedence. It should be understood that the numerical descriptors used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein, and that the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc. are generally of a class and do not limit the number of objects; for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, the term "and / or" in the specification and claims refers to at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects connected are in an "or" relationship.

[0026] In addition, descriptions with reference to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the exemplary expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0027] Surges within electronic devices are typically violent pulses occurring in just a few millionths of a second, consisting of both surge voltage and surge current. Surge sources can be categorized as external (caused by lightning) or internal (caused by electrical equipment startup, shutdown, or failure). External sources, such as lightning surge overvoltage, include: induced lightning surge overvoltage, direct lightning surge overvoltage, lightning conduction surge overvoltage, and oscillation surge overvoltage. Internal sources, such as operational surge overvoltage, include: the switching on and off of large power loads, the switching on and off of inductive loads, the switching on and off of power factor compensation capacitors, and short-circuit faults. Indirect lightning strikes and internal surges are more likely to occur, and the vast majority of electrical equipment damage is related to them. Therefore, the focus of power supply surge protection is on absorbing and suppressing this surge energy.

[0028] In related technologies, the primary approach to preventing or addressing surge issues and improving surge resistance is to add protective devices to the circuit. Protective devices are generally categorized as follows: Switching devices operate by presenting high impedance when there is no transient overvoltage, but in response to a lightning transient overvoltage, their impedance suddenly drops to a low value, allowing the lightning current to pass. Voltage-limiting devices operate by presenting high impedance when there is no transient overvoltage, but their impedance decreases as the surge current and voltage increase, resulting in a highly nonlinear current-voltage characteristic. Shunt devices are connected in parallel with the protected device, presenting low impedance to lightning pulses but high impedance at normal operating frequencies. Choke devices are connected in series with the protected device, presenting high impedance to lightning pulses but low impedance at normal operating frequencies.

[0029] In related technologies, surge protection for air conditioners is primarily implemented by taking measures at the input end and discharge path of the entire unit to enhance the overall surge resistance. For example, surge protection devices such as those described above are installed in the power supply circuit and communication circuit to enhance surge resistance. However, in actual use, the use scenarios of air conditioner outdoor units are more severe and complex, especially in areas with frequent thunderstorms. Surges are prone to resetting the outdoor unit's main control board MCU (Microcontroller Unit), seriously affecting the overall reliability of the unit and the user experience.

[0030] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application proposes a control board and an air conditioner outdoor unit, which absorbs and blocks the surge energy radiated from the inside and outside space of the main control board to the microcontroller by directly setting a surge filtering unit and a surge suppression unit on the pins of the microcontroller, thereby reducing the surge energy actually transmitted to the inside of the microcontroller, thereby achieving the purpose of protecting the microcontroller.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 The structure of a microcontroller and its peripheral circuits on a control board is shown. One embodiment of the present application provides a control board. In this embodiment, the control board includes a microcontroller 100, a surge filter unit 200 connected in parallel with the pins of the microcontroller 100, and a surge suppression unit 300 connected in series with the pins of the microcontroller 100. The surge filter unit 200 is configured to direct surge energy from the pins to the ground node, while the surge suppression unit 300 is configured to provide impedance to surge energy flowing into the pins.

[0032] As an example, the control panel in this embodiment can be a core control panel installed in an air conditioner outdoor unit. Of course, the control panel in this embodiment can also be a control panel in other types of equipment, and this embodiment is not limited to this. The following description uses an air conditioner outdoor unit as an example.

[0033] In addition to the microcontroller 100, the control board also includes functional circuits. These circuits include various circuits required for the normal operation of the outdoor air conditioner, such as power supply circuits, communication circuits, PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuits, drive circuits, and detection circuits. The specific functional circuits depend on the specific function of the outdoor air conditioner.

[0034] The pins of the microcontroller 100 may include power supply pins, drive pins, reset pins and external communication pins, etc. Among them, the power supply pin refers to the pin that is connected to the working power supply of the microcontroller 100. The drive pin refers to the pin of the microcontroller 100 connected to the drive circuit, and the microcontroller 100 outputs a drive signal to the drive circuit through the drive pin. The reset pin refers to the pin of the microcontroller 100 used to indicate reset, and the microcontroller 100 receives a reset signal through the reset pin to reset. The external communication pin refers to the pin through which the microcontroller 100 communicates with the external circuit, and the microcontroller 100 sends information to the external circuit or receives information from the external circuit through the external communication pin.

[0035] The surge filter unit 200 can use devices such as capacitors to filter surge voltage or surge current. The surge suppression unit 300 can use impedance elements to share the surge energy when it arrives. Among the above-mentioned pins, each type of pin can be equipped with only the surge filter unit 200, only the surge suppression unit 300, or both the surge filter unit 200 and the surge suppression unit 300. The specific configuration can be based on needs.

[0036] The surge filter unit 200 and the surge suppression unit 300 act directly on the pins of the microcontroller 100. Whether the surge energy is radiated from inside the main control board or from the external space, it will be filtered or blocked when it reaches the pins of the microcontroller 100, thereby reducing the surge energy flowing into the microcontroller 100.

[0037] In some embodiments, the surge filter unit 200 may include multiple capacitors, and the power supply pin, the drive pin, and the reset pin are all connected in parallel with corresponding capacitors.

[0038] Connecting capacitors in parallel with power pins can filter the power supply and absorb surge energy from the microcontroller 100's power supply and the ground. Connecting capacitors in parallel with driver pins can absorb surge energy from crosstalk to the pins. Connecting capacitors in parallel with reset pins can absorb surge energy from the reset circuit.

[0039] Among them, the capacitance of the capacitor connected in parallel with the power supply pin can be greater than the capacitance connected in parallel with other pins, such as a uf-level capacitor can be used; the capacitance of the capacitor connected in parallel with the drive pin can be smaller than the capacitance connected in parallel with other pins, such as an nf-level capacitor can be used, and the capacitor connected in parallel with the power supply pin can be a uf-level or nf capacitor.

[0040] In some embodiments, the surge filter unit 200 may further include a transient suppression diode, and the power supply pin is further connected in parallel with the transient suppression diode.

[0041] Transient Voltage Suppressor (TVS) diodes have nonlinear voltage-current characteristics. Under normal operating voltage, the resistance of a TVS diode is very large and has almost no effect on the circuit. However, when an overvoltage occurs, the resistance of the TVS diode decreases rapidly, forming a low-impedance path.

[0042] In this embodiment, one end of the TVS diode is electrically connected to the power supply pin, and the other end is electrically connected to the ground node. When a surge voltage appears on the power supply pin, the TVS diode turns on and directs the energy of the surge voltage to the ground node, thereby protecting the microcontroller 100.

[0043] In some embodiments, the external communication pin is connected in parallel with a TVS diode.

[0044] In this embodiment, the external communication pin can also be connected to a TVS diode to discharge the surge energy on the external communication pin. The microcontroller 100 can have multiple power supply pins and multiple external communication pins, and each power supply pin and each external communication pin can be connected to a separate TVS diode.

[0045] In some embodiments, the surge suppression unit 300 includes an inductor, and the power supply pin is connected in series with the inductor.

[0046] One end of the power pin is electrically connected to one end of the inductor, and the other end of the inductor is electrically connected to the external circuit. When a surge occurs at the power pin, the current there is prone to sudden changes. When surge energy flows into the power pin, the inductor's inductive reactance can block the rapid rise of the surge current, thereby reducing its impact.

[0047] In some embodiments, the surge suppression unit 300 includes a resistor, and the driving pin is connected in series with the resistor.

[0048] One end of the driver pin is electrically connected to one end of a resistor, and the other end of the resistor is electrically connected to an external circuit. The driver pin is susceptible to surges due to crosstalk, which can cause signal fluctuations on the driver pin. When surge energy arrives, the resistor blocks and shares the surge energy, dissipating some of it through heat generation and maintaining signal stability.

[0049] In some embodiments, the control board is further provided with a ground unit arranged around the microcontroller 100 , and the surge filter unit 200 is connected to the ground unit.

[0050] The ground unit provides a ground node, creating a surge energy dissipation path for the surge filter unit 200. The ground unit surrounds the microcontroller 100 and shields external radiation, reducing interference radiated to the microcontroller 100. Interference radiated to the ground line can be absorbed by a capacitor, which can be a capacitor within the surge filter unit 200 or an additional capacitor. The ground unit can include at least one ground wire, which can be made of metal, such as copper or aluminum.

[0051] In some embodiments, the ground unit includes a plurality of metal lines arranged around the microcontroller, the surge filter unit 200 is connected to the metal lines, and the plurality of metal lines surround signal lines connected to at least some pins of the microcontroller 100 .

[0052] In this embodiment, the ground line unit may include multiple metal lines (i.e., multiple ground lines), which can facilitate routing and improve shielding effects. In addition, the multiple metal lines can surround the signal lines connected to the microcontroller 100, thereby also providing shielding against interference radiated onto the signal lines.

[0053] Components such as capacitors or TVS tubes in the surge filter unit 200 can be connected to the corresponding ground line to discharge the surge energy on the pin to the ground line, thereby reducing the surge energy on the pin of the microcontroller 100.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 The structure of a control board is shown. In some embodiments, the control board includes a board body 400, a microcontroller 100 is disposed on the board body 400, a window 410 is defined in the area of ​​the board body 400 facing the microcontroller 100, a ground pad 420 is defined within the window 410, and the outer surface of the microcontroller 100 contacts the ground pad 420.

[0055] The board 400 is used to support the microcontroller 100 and various electronic components. Electronic circuits are also laid on the board 400, and these electronic circuits connect to the electronic components to form various functional circuits. In this embodiment, taking the microcontroller 100 as an example, the area of ​​the board 400 facing the microcontroller 100 refers to the area of ​​the board 400 located below the microcontroller 100.

[0056] The ground pad 420 is used to provide a ground node, which can be connected to the ground line unit. By forming the window 410 in this area, it is convenient to set the ground pad 420 to provide a discharge path for surge energy.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 The figure shows a schematic diagram of surge energy resistance of a microcontroller 100. Surge sources of an MCU include power supply and ground input, signal line input, space radiation, and reset circuit input. In this embodiment, the technical solutions of the above embodiments are used to improve the surge resistance capability.

[0058] The power supply pins can be provided with transient suppression diodes, inductors and capacitors, so that the surge energy input from the power supply and the ground is suppressed by transient suppression diodes, blocked by inductors, and absorbed by capacitors to achieve resistance. External communication pins and drive pins can also be provided with resistors and capacitors, so that the surge energy input from the signal line is resisted by resistor impedance and capacitor absorption. The control board lays a ground unit and connects capacitors, so that the surge energy radiated from the space is absorbed by the capacitor and blocked by the ground. The reset pin is provided with a capacitor, so that the surge energy introduced by the reset circuit is absorbed by the capacitor to achieve resistance. In addition, by providing a window on the board 400 at the bottom of the microcontroller 100, a discharge path is formed in combination with the ground unit and the TVS tube to discharge surge energy, thereby providing the microcontroller 100 with surge resistance.

[0059] An embodiment of the present application further provides an air conditioner outdoor unit, comprising the control panel according to the above. The specific structure and principle of the control panel can be referred to the above embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0060] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and intent of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A control panel, characterized in that: The control board includes a microcontroller, a surge filter unit connected in parallel with the pins of the microcontroller, and a surge suppression unit connected in series with the pins of the microcontroller; The surge filtering unit is configured to guide the surge energy of the pin to the ground node, and the surge suppression unit is configured to have an impedance effect on the surge energy flowing into the pin.

2. The control panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microcontroller has a power supply pin, a drive pin and a reset pin. The surge filter unit includes a plurality of capacitors. The power supply pin, the drive pin and the reset pin are all connected in parallel with the corresponding capacitors.

3. The control panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The surge filter unit includes a transient suppression diode, and the power supply pin is further connected in parallel with the transient suppression diode.

4. The control panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The microcontroller has an external communication pin connected in parallel with the TVS diode.

5. The control panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The surge suppression unit includes an inductor, and the power supply pin is connected in series with the inductor.

6. The control panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The surge suppression unit includes a resistor, and the driving pin is connected in series with the resistor.

7. The control panel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control board is further provided with a ground line unit arranged around the microcontroller, and the surge filter unit is connected to the ground line unit.

8. The control panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ground line unit includes a plurality of metal lines arranged around the microcontroller, the surge filter unit is connected to the metal lines, and the plurality of metal lines surround signal lines connected to at least some pins of the microcontroller.

9. The control panel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control board includes a board body, the microcontroller is arranged on the board body, a window is provided in the area of ​​the board body opposite to the microcontroller, a grounding pad is provided in the window, and the outer surface of the microcontroller is in contact with the grounding pad.

10. An air conditioner outdoor unit, characterized in that: Comprising a control board according to any one of claims 1-9.

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