An electronic control device

Abstract

This utility model discloses an electronic control device, comprising: an electronic control circuit board, a protocol conversion circuit board, and an external line electrically connected to a software flashing device; the electronic control circuit board is provided with a JTAG interface, and the protocol conversion circuit board is electrically connected to the JTAG interface; the protocol conversion circuit board is provided with a protocol conversion chip, which can convert the first protocol signal corresponding to the JTAG interface to the second protocol signal corresponding to the software flashing device; the external line is electrically connected to the protocol conversion circuit board or the electronic control circuit board. This electronic control device, through its pre-installed JTAG interface and protocol conversion circuit board, integrates protocol conversion functionality, solving the problem of traditional reflashing processes relying on ECU disassembly and manual intervention, effectively addressing the complexity of operation in existing technologies, and possessing advantages such as ease of operation, high stability, and strong reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle electronic control technology, specifically to an electronic control device. Background Technology

[0002] In automotive electronic systems, operations such as software remapping, debugging, and fault diagnosis of the ECU are required. Protocol conversion devices play a crucial role in these operations, enabling the conversion between different communication protocols and thus facilitating effective communication between different devices.

[0003] However, existing technologies have the following drawbacks when using protocol conversion devices: It requires disassembling and reassembling parts of the ECU circuit board (e.g., the brake control unit) in mass-produced vehicles, and then soldering a JTAG interface onto this ECU circuit board to connect it to the protocol conversion device via the JTAG interface. This operation is not only complex and time-consuming, increasing labor costs and operational difficulty, but it may also damage the ECU circuit board during the disassembly and reassembly process, affecting the ECU's performance and reliability. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an electronic control device to solve the problems of complex operation, time consumption, and impact on ECU performance and reliability in existing mass-produced vehicles that involve soldering a JTAG interface to the ECU circuit board and connecting it to a protocol conversion device.

[0005] To solve or partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems, according to one aspect of this application, an electronic control device is provided, comprising: an electronic control circuit board, a protocol conversion circuit board, and an external line for electrical connection with a software flashing device; the electronic control circuit board is provided with a JTAG interface, and the protocol conversion circuit board is electrically connected to the JTAG interface; the protocol conversion circuit board is provided with a protocol conversion chip, which can convert a first protocol signal corresponding to the JTAG interface to a second protocol signal corresponding to the software flashing device; the external line is electrically connected to the protocol conversion circuit board or the electronic control circuit board.

[0006] In one embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit board is electrically connected to the JTAG interface, comprising:

[0007] The protocol conversion circuit board and the JTAG interface are electrically connected via a connecting line.

[0008] In one embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit board is fixedly mounted on the substrate of the electronic control circuit board.

[0009] In one embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit board is separately configured from the electronic control circuit board via a ribbon cable.

[0010] In one embodiment, the distance between the protocol conversion circuit board and the electronic control circuit board is less than a predetermined distance threshold.

[0011] In one embodiment, the electronic control circuit board is a brake control unit.

[0012] In one embodiment, the electronic control device further includes a housing, in which the electronic control circuit board and the protocol conversion circuit board are disposed, and the external wiring extends out of the housing.

[0013] In one embodiment, the end of the external line is provided with an external connector for electrical connection to a software flashing device.

[0014] In one embodiment, the software flashing device includes an adapter electrically connected to an external line and a software flashing terminal electrically connected to the adapter.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages:

[0016] The electronic control device provided in this application includes: an electronic control circuit board, a protocol conversion circuit board, and an external line for electrical connection with a software flashing device; the electronic control circuit board is provided with a JTAG interface, and the protocol conversion circuit board is electrically connected to the JTAG interface; the protocol conversion circuit board is provided with a protocol conversion chip, which can convert the first protocol signal corresponding to the JTAG interface to the second protocol signal corresponding to the software flashing device; the external line is electrically connected to the protocol conversion circuit board or the electronic control circuit board. This electronic control device, through its pre-installed JTAG interface and protocol conversion circuit board, can integrate protocol conversion functions, enabling in-situ firmware reflashing of ECUs during vehicle mass production without disassembly. This solves the problem of traditional reflashing processes relying on ECU disassembly and manual intervention, significantly improving production line efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. It effectively solves the problems of complex operation, time consumption, and impact on ECU performance and reliability caused by disassembling and assembling the ECU circuit board and soldering the JTAG interface during existing software reflashing operations. The electronic control device provided in this application has the advantages of simple operation, high stability, and strong reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic control device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0018] Attached image annotations:

[0019] 1. Electronic control circuit board; 2. Protocol conversion circuit board; 3. External wiring; 4. JTAG interface. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of this application; therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0021] The terminology used in one or more embodiments of this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the one or more embodiments of this specification. The singular forms “a,” “described,” and “the” as used in one or more embodiments of this specification and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in one or more embodiments of this specification refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0022] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used to describe various information in one or more embodiments of this specification, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first may also be referred to as second without departing from the scope of one or more embodiments of this specification, and similarly, second may also be referred to as first. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0023] ECU flashing specifically refers to software updates for a vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU).

[0024] The JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) interface provides low-level access to internal hardware and is an important tool for ECU circuit boards during development, production, and maintenance.

[0025] When flashing the software of the brake control unit in a mass-produced vehicle, if the flashing process fails, existing technology requires the use of external debugging equipment to re-flash the circuit board of the brake control unit due to limitations in the base station functionality on the production line. This process necessitates disassembling the brake control unit and connecting the external debugging equipment to the pre-installed JTAG interface on the brake control unit to re-flash the software. Specifically, in the software flashing process of onboard electronic control units (such as brake control units) during mass production, when the automated flashing program on the production line fails to burn firmware due to factors such as software compatibility, signal interference, or hardware batch differences, the diagnostic and repair functions of the programming equipment on the production line and the limitations of the base station functionality necessitate manual intervention to remove the faulty brake control unit from its onboard mounting location. An external debugging tool (such as a JTAG emulator) is then physically connected to the onboard debugging interface of the brake control unit to perform an offline re-flashing operation. However, due to the high number of failed rewriting attempts of brake control units on the production line, and the fact that mass-produced vehicles typically do not have externally accessible JTAG interfaces for their brake control units, it is necessary to disassemble the brake control unit casing and physically solder the circuit board to temporarily add a JTAG interface. Frequent disassembly and external connection operations prolong production line time and make the rewriting operation too complex, severely restricting mass production efficiency and quality control. For example, the interface location and packaging of brake control units vary greatly between different vehicle models, requiring customized adapter tools, resulting in poor compatibility. Furthermore, frequent disassembly and reassembly may affect the sealing of the brake control unit, leading to a decrease in the stability of the vehicle's electrical system.

[0026] In response to the existing software flashing scenarios of vehicle electronic control units, this application provides an electronic control device. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic control device provided in this embodiment. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 1 The electronic control device provided in this embodiment will be described in detail. The embodiments described below are for explaining the principle of the method and are not intended to limit actual use.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the electronic control device provided in this embodiment includes an electronic control circuit board 1, a protocol conversion circuit board 2, and an external line 3 for electrical connection with a software flashing device;

[0028] The electronic control circuit board 1 is equipped with a JTAG interface 4, which is electrically connected to the pins of the electronic control circuit board 1. The protocol conversion circuit board 2 is also electrically connected to the JTAG interface 4. The protocol conversion circuit board 2 integrates a protocol conversion chip and related circuit components, and can convert the first protocol signal corresponding to the JTAG interface 4 to the second protocol signal corresponding to the external device. An external line 3 is electrically connected to the protocol conversion circuit board 2, or to the electronic control circuit board 1. The external device can be a software flashing device, the first protocol signal can be a JTAG protocol signal, and the second protocol signal can be an Ethernet protocol signal, USB protocol signal, etc., to facilitate communication with external devices.

[0029] During software flashing, the software flashing device sends the flashing program to the protocol conversion circuit board 2 in the form of a second protocol signal (e.g., an Ethernet signal). The protocol conversion circuit board 2 converts the second protocol signal into a JTAG protocol signal via a protocol conversion chip and then sends it to the electronic control circuit board 1 via the JTAG interface 4, thus completing the software flashing process. During software debugging and fault diagnosis, the protocol conversion chip converts the first protocol signal received from the JTAG interface 4 into the second protocol signal corresponding to the software flashing device. Specifically, for feedback information from the electronic control circuit board 1, this feedback information is transmitted to the protocol conversion circuit board (protocol conversion chip) via the JTAG interface. After protocol conversion by the protocol conversion chip, the software flashing device receives the converted feedback information and uses this feedback information to achieve real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis of the electronic control circuit board 1. The electronic control circuit board 1 is the vehicle's ECU circuit board. In this embodiment, the electronic control circuit board 1 is preferably a brake control unit. The special feature of the brake control unit lies in its physical design (hidden location) and technical architecture (reliant on JTAG low-level debugging), which requires additional hardware conversion and protocol conversion during software flashing. In the prior art, when debugging, testing or programming the firmware of the vehicle brake control unit, it is usually necessary to use an electronic control device (such as a JTAG debugger) to connect to the JTAG interface of the brake control unit circuit board. However, in this embodiment, by setting the brake control unit as described above, the JTAG interface 4 is pre-set during the manufacturing stage of the brake control unit, eliminating the need for disassembly and assembly of the brake control unit and JTAG interface soldering during subsequent software reflashing.

[0030] In this embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 is electrically connected to the JTAG interface 4. Specifically, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 and the JTAG interface 4 are electrically connected via a connecting line, that is, the pins of the protocol conversion circuit board 2 are electrically connected to the pins of the JTAG interface via a connecting line.

[0031] In one embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 and the electronic control circuit board 1 can share a substrate. Specifically, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 can be fixedly disposed on the substrate of the electronic control circuit board 1. For example, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 can be integrated next to the ECU circuit board, and the protocol conversion circuit board 2 can be fixed on the same substrate of the electronic control circuit board 1 by surface mount technology, so as to achieve a simplified setting of the protocol conversion circuit board 2.

[0032] In another embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 can also be set separately from the electronic control circuit board 1. Specifically, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 is electrically connected to the pins of the electronic control circuit board 1 via a ribbon cable. In this setting, the distance between the protocol conversion circuit board 2 and the electronic control circuit board 1 is less than a predetermined distance threshold, that is, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 is connected to the electronic control circuit board 1 via a short ribbon cable.

[0033] In this embodiment, the aforementioned electronic control device further includes a housing, with the electronic control circuit board 1 and the protocol conversion circuit board 2 disposed within the housing, and the external wiring 3 extending out of the housing. Furthermore, the end of the external wiring is provided with an external connector for electrical connection to a software flashing device. This external connector can be fixedly located in an easily accessible position within the vehicle, facilitating plugging and unplugging of the software flashing device before or after software flashing.

[0034] The software flashing device can be connected to the external line 3 connected to the protocol conversion circuit board or electronic control circuit board via a corresponding interface (such as an Ethernet interface, USB interface, etc.) to receive the second protocol signal converted by the protocol conversion device. In this embodiment, the software flashing device includes an adapter electrically connected to the external line 3 and a software flashing terminal (e.g., a computer running a software flashing application) electrically connected to the adapter. For example, an Ethernet signal line (High / Low) can be directly led out from the protocol conversion circuit board 2 or electronic control circuit board 1, and the Ethernet signal can be converted to a USB signal through the adapter and connected to the software flashing terminal.

[0035] In this embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 can be integrated onto the substrate of the ECU circuit board 1. For example, it can be fixed onto the same substrate of the electronic control circuit board 1 using a surface mount technology, or connected to the electronic control circuit board 1 via a short-distance ribbon cable. The circuit board 3 for protocol conversion integrates a protocol conversion chip and related circuit components, which can convert the first protocol signal (such as a JTAG protocol signal) of the JTAG interface 4 into a second protocol signal (such as an Ethernet protocol signal). The converted second protocol signal is output through the connection line 3, facilitating communication with the software flashing device.

[0036] The electronic control device provided in this application includes: an electronic control circuit board 1, a protocol conversion circuit board 2, and an external line 3 for electrical connection with a software flashing device; the electronic control circuit board 1 is provided with a JTAG interface 4, the protocol conversion circuit board 2 is electrically connected to the JTAG interface 4, and the JTAG interface 4 is electrically connected to the pins of the electronic control circuit board 1; the protocol conversion circuit board 2 integrates a protocol conversion chip, which can convert the first protocol signal corresponding to the JTAG interface into a second protocol signal corresponding to the software flashing device, or convert the second protocol signal corresponding to the software flashing device into the first protocol signal corresponding to the JTAG interface; the external line 3 is electrically connected to the protocol conversion circuit board 2, or the external line 3 is electrically connected to the electronic control circuit board 1. This electronic control device integrates protocol conversion function through a pre-installed JTAG interface 4 and protocol conversion circuit board 2, enabling in-situ firmware reflashing of ECUs during vehicle mass production without disassembly. This solves the problem of traditional reflashing processes relying on ECU disassembly and manual intervention, significantly improving production line efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. It effectively solves the problems of complex operation, time consumption, and impact on ECU performance and reliability caused by disassembling and assembling ECU circuit boards and soldering JTAG interfaces during software reflashing in existing technologies. It has the advantages of simple operation, high stability, and strong reliability.

[0037] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present application. Any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be determined by the scope defined in the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An electronic control device, characterized in that, include: Electronic control circuit board, protocol conversion circuit board, and external wiring for electrical connection with software flashing device; The electronic control circuit board is provided with a JTAG interface, and the protocol conversion circuit board is electrically connected to the JTAG interface; the protocol conversion circuit board is provided with a protocol conversion chip, which can convert the first protocol signal corresponding to the JTAG interface to the second protocol signal corresponding to the software flashing device; the external line is electrically connected to the protocol conversion circuit board or the electronic control circuit board.

2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protocol conversion circuit board is electrically connected to the JTAG interface and includes: The protocol conversion circuit board and the JTAG interface are electrically connected via a connecting line.

3. The electronic control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protocol conversion circuit board is disposed on the substrate of the electronic control circuit board.

4. The electronic control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protocol conversion circuit board and the electronic control circuit board are set up separately.

5. The electronic control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The distance between the protocol conversion circuit board and the electronic control circuit board is less than a predetermined distance threshold.

6. The electronic control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic control circuit board is a brake control unit.

7. The electronic control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic control device also includes a housing, in which the electronic control circuit board and the protocol conversion circuit board are disposed, and the external wiring extends out of the housing.

8. The electronic control device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The end of the external line is provided with an external connector for electrical connection to the software flashing device.

9. The electronic control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The software flashing device includes an adapter electrically connected to an external line and a software flashing terminal electrically connected to the adapter.

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