Hot plug bus component, hot plug device, and hot plug bus device

Abstract

The bus hot plug assembly, the hot plug device and the hot plug bus device provided by the embodiments of the present application, wherein the bus hot plug assembly comprises: a first interface, the first interface comprising: a control module, a first signal path and a second signal path, the first signal path and the second signal path being connected with the control module; a second interface, the second interface being provided with a hot plug circuit; when the first interface is docked with the second interface, the hot plug circuit is connected between the first signal path and the second signal path, the control module is used for sending a detection pulse signal to the hot plug circuit through the first signal path; when the control module receives a loopback pulse signal returned by the hot plug circuit through the second signal path, the control module is further used for controlling the communication link of the first interface and the second interface to be connected, thereby greatly improving the stability and safety of the bus system when the device is plugged while being powered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of control bus technology, and more particularly to hot-swappable bus components, hot-swappable devices, and hot-swappable bus devices. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as motion control and servo control, where bus communication technologies are widely used, such as EtherCAT and Profinet buses, they are favored due to their ease of wiring. However, these traditional bus systems typically do not support hot-swapping of nodes or the online addition or removal of new devices during device operation, resulting in low application flexibility. Therefore, bus systems with hot-swapping functionality have begun to be widely used, especially in the field of electronic device communication. However, hot-swapping involves directly inserting or removing a device node while the bus system is powered on. Due to the unreliability of the physical connection state, momentary connection instability can lead to the interruption of the entire bus communication link or data errors, resulting in lower stability and security of bus systems using hot-swapping functionality. Utility Model Content

[0003] This utility model provides a bus hot-swap component, a hot-swap device, and a hot-swap bus device, which can improve the stability and security of bus systems that use hot-swap functionality.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of this application provides a bus hot-swappable assembly, comprising: A first interface, comprising: a control module, a first signal path, and a second signal path, wherein both the first signal path and the second signal path are connected to the control module; The second interface is equipped with a hot-plug circuit. When the first interface is connected to the second interface, the hot-swappable circuit is connected between the first signal path and the second signal path, and the control module is used to send a detection pulse signal to the hot-swappable circuit through the first signal path; When the control module receives the loopback pulse signal returned by the hot-plug circuit through the second signal path, the control module is also used to control the communication link between the first interface and the second interface to be connected.

[0005] In some embodiments, the hot-swap circuit includes an electrical isolation device for receiving the detection pulse signal and generating the loopback pulse signal.

[0006] In some embodiments, the electrical isolation device is an optocoupler.

[0007] In some embodiments, a pull-up resistor is provided on the first signal path.

[0008] In some embodiments, the communication link is an Ethernet physical link.

[0009] In some embodiments, the detection pulse signal is one or more pulse signals.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, a second aspect of the present application provides a hot-swappable device, including a bus hot-swappable assembly as described in the first aspect.

[0011] In some embodiments, the hot-swappable device includes: An inlet interface, which is used to connect to an upstream device, and the inlet interface is the second interface described in the first aspect; An outgoing interface is used to connect to downstream devices, and the outgoing interface is the first interface described in the first aspect.

[0012] In some embodiments, the incoming and outgoing interfaces are structurally symmetrical and can both be used as either the first or the second interface.

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, a third aspect of this application provides a hot-swappable bus device, comprising: A master device and a slave device, wherein the master device is provided with a first interface as described in the first aspect, and the slave device is provided with a second interface as described in the first aspect. The embodiments of this utility model include at least the following beneficial effects: The hot-swappable bus assembly, hot-swappable device, and hot-swappable bus device proposed in this application include: a first interface, which includes a control module, a first signal path, and a second signal path, both of which are connected to the control module; and a second interface, which is provided with a hot-swappable circuit. When the first interface and the second interface are connected, the hot-swappable circuit is connected between the first signal path and the second signal path. The control module is used to send a detection pulse signal to the hot-swappable circuit through the first signal path. When the control module receives a loopback pulse signal returned by the hot-swappable circuit through the second signal path, the control module is also used to control the communication link between the first interface and the second interface to be connected. Based on this, in this embodiment, the "detect first, communicate later" mechanism solves the risk of communication interruption or data error caused by momentary instability of physical connection in existing hot-plug technology. After the first interface and the second interface complete physical docking, the control module first sends and receives a loop pulse signal through dedicated first and second signal paths to confirm whether the physical and electrical connection between the interfaces is stable and reliable. Only after successfully receiving the loop pulse signal, i.e. confirming that the connection is reliable, will the control module connect the main communication link. This design ensures that data communication is always carried out on a verified and stable physical connection, thereby greatly improving the stability and safety of the bus system when hot-plugging devices, realizing a reliable hot-plug function that supports online addition or removal of devices, thus enhancing the application flexibility and maintainability of the bus system.

[0014] Other features and advantages of this invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of this invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims, and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bus hot-swappable component provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a master-slave star topology of a bus device system provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a daisy-chain serial topology of a bus device system provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0018] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this utility model.

[0019] It should be understood that in the description of the embodiments of this utility model, "a few" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. If "first," "second," etc., are used in the description, they are only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the sequential relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0020] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly limited, terms such as setting, installation, and electrical connection should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0022] In fields such as motion control and servo control, where bus communication technologies are widely used, such as EtherCAT and Profinet buses, they are favored due to their ease of wiring. However, these traditional bus systems typically do not support hot-swapping of nodes or the online addition or removal of new devices during device operation, resulting in low application flexibility. Therefore, bus systems with hot-swapping functionality have begun to be widely used, especially in the field of electronic device communication. However, hot-swapping involves directly inserting or removing a device node while the bus system is powered on. Due to the unreliability of the physical connection state, momentary connection instability can lead to the interruption of the entire bus communication link or data errors, resulting in lower stability and security of bus systems using hot-swapping functionality.

[0023] To improve the stability and security of bus systems with hot-swappable functionality, this embodiment employs a "detect first, communicate later" mechanism. This addresses the risk of communication interruption or data errors caused by momentary instability in physical connections in existing hot-swappable technologies. After the first and second interfaces complete physical docking, the control module first sends and receives a loopback pulse signal through dedicated first and second signal paths to confirm the stability and reliability of the physical and electrical connections between the interfaces. Only after successfully receiving the loopback pulse signal, confirming the connection's reliability, will the control module connect the main communication link. This design ensures that data communication always occurs on a verified and stable physical connection, thereby significantly improving the stability and security of the bus system when hot-plugging devices. It also enables reliable hot-swappable functionality that supports online addition or removal of devices, enhancing the application flexibility and maintainability of the bus system.

[0024] The hot-swappable bus assembly, hot-swappable device, and hot-swappable bus device provided in this application are specifically described through the following embodiments.

[0025] The hot-swappable bus component is described below. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a bus hot-swappable assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the bus hot-swappable component includes a first interface, which integrates a core unit for active control and judgment, namely a control module. This control module can be implemented by logic devices such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), microcontrollers (MCUs), or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Simultaneously, the first interface also has a first signal path and a second signal path connected to the control module. These two paths are independent electrical paths, used for sending and receiving subsequent hot-swappable detection signals, respectively.

[0026] In some embodiments, the bus hot-swappable assembly further includes a second interface that mates with the first interface. Referring to the accompanying drawings, the second interface internally houses a hot-swappable circuit. This hot-swappable circuit is a dedicated circuit that functions to respond to a detection signal from the first interface and generate a recognizable feedback signal. For example, the hot-swappable circuit could be an electrically isolated circuit containing an optocoupler, used to transmit signals without forming a direct electrical connection, thereby enhancing signal immunity and security.

[0027] In some embodiments, when the first interface and the second interface are physically connected, the hot-plug circuit in the second interface bridges the first signal path and the second signal path of the first interface, thus forming a complete signal detection loop. In this state, the control module within the first interface initiates a hot-plug detection program, that is, it actively sends one or more preset detection pulse signals to the hot-plug circuit of the second interface through the first signal path. The detection pulse signal here is a transient level change signal used to detect link integrity.

[0028] In some embodiments, when the hot-plug circuit receives a detection pulse signal from the first signal path, it immediately generates a corresponding loopback pulse signal and sends it back to the control module of the first interface via the second signal path. When the control module successfully receives this loopback pulse signal returned by the hot-plug circuit via the second signal path, it indicates that the physical connection between the two interfaces has been stably established. At this time, the control module performs control and connects the communication link for main data transmission, i.e. Figure 1 The “bus section” shown in the diagram allows the device to begin normal bus communication.

[0029] For communication links such as Ethernet in application bus systems, the control module sends an enable signal to the PHY chip responsible for physical signal transmission and reception, activating the chip, allowing it to start working and negotiate the link with the peer device, thereby enabling the communication link for main data transmission to be established.

[0030] In addition, a control power switch can be set between the first interface and the second interface. This switch can be a power management unit or a simple MOSFET switch. The control module controls the power switch to connect the communication link for main data transmission.

[0031] In addition, to further enhance the stability and safety of the hot-plug detection process, such as Figure 1 As shown, an electrical isolation device is integrated within the hot-swappable circuit of the second interface. This electrical isolation device is an electronic component that enables signal transmission between two circuits that are not directly electrically connected. The function of the electrical isolation device is as follows: the input terminal is used to receive the detection pulse signal from the first signal path, and the output terminal is used to generate a corresponding loopback pulse signal and send it to the second signal path, thereby achieving electrical isolation between the detection signal transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit while completing the signal loopback.

[0032] In some embodiments, the electrical isolation device can be implemented using an optocoupler. An optocoupler, or simply optocoupler, is a device that encapsulates a light-emitting device (such as a light-emitting diode) and a photosensitive device (such as a phototransistor) within the same socket. For example... Figure 1As shown, when the detection pulse signal drives the LED inside the optocoupler to emit light, the light signal is coupled to the phototransistor and turns it on, thereby generating a loop pulse signal with a corresponding level state in the second signal path. The entire process uses light as a medium for signal transmission, achieving efficient electrical isolation between input and output.

[0033] The bus hot-swap assembly provided in this application applies electrical isolation devices, especially optocouplers, to the hot-swap circuit. On the one hand, the electrical isolation characteristics can effectively suppress electrical interference such as potential difference and ground noise that may be generated during the insertion and removal, preventing it from affecting the normal operation of the control module through the signal path and improving the reliability of handshake signal detection. On the other hand, it also provides safety protection for the control module. Even if a voltage abnormality or short circuit occurs on the second interface side, it can avoid damage to the core circuit of the first interface, thereby significantly improving the stability and safety of the entire hot-swap operation.

[0034] In addition, to ensure the stability and reliability of the detection signal, such as Figure 1 As shown in the diagram, a pull-up resistor is specifically provided on the first signal path. Referring to the attached diagram, this pull-up resistor is connected between the first signal path and the power supply. The core function of the pull-up resistor is to clamp the level of the first signal path to a defined high level when the first interface and the second interface are not connected or the connection is unstable, preventing the signal line from being interfered with and generating uncertain levels due to floating. When the interface is stably connected, the detection pulse signal (usually a low-level pulse) sent by the control module can form a clear level transition, thereby enabling the control module to more reliably detect the signal loop state and enhancing the anti-interference capability of the entire detection mechanism.

[0035] The hot-swappable bus component provided in this application is designed to protect a communication link specifically an Ethernet physical link. An Ethernet physical link refers to the hardware layer that transmits data according to the Ethernet standard, including cables, interfaces, and transceivers, and is the foundation of mainstream bus technologies such as EtherCAT and Profinet in the current industrial automation field. Applying the hot-swappable bus component provided in this application to an Ethernet physical link can directly solve the problems of hot-swapping devices in these advanced bus systems, ensuring that adding or removing Ethernet node devices will not impact high-speed data communication. This has extremely high practical application value and broad market adaptability.

[0036] In the bus hot-plug component provided in this application, the detection pulse signal can be designed as a single pulse signal or multiple pulse signals. Using a single pulse signal enables the most basic and fastest connection continuity detection. Using multiple pulse signals, such as a specifically coded pulse sequence, allows for more advanced handshake protocols. This design not only confirms the reliability of the physical connection but can also be used to verify device type, transmit status information, etc., adding more flexibility and scalability to the hot-plug process, enabling it to adapt to more complex application scenarios and higher security requirements.

[0037] The bus hot-swappable component provided in this application ensures the stability of the detection signal from an electrical perspective by setting pull-up resistors; the explicit use of an Ethernet physical link for communication locks in the core application scenarios of the bus hot-swappable component in modern industrial control; and the design of single or multiple detection pulse signals gives the solution flexibility and scalability to meet different needs. The combination of these three features makes the bus hot-swappable component provided in this application not only reliable in principle, but also more robust, practical, and advanced in practical implementation.

[0038] The bus hot-swappable component provided in this application implements an intelligent hot-swappable mechanism that "detects handshake first, then establishes communication." It first utilizes an independent low-speed signal loop to confirm the reliability of the physical connection, avoiding direct activation of the high-speed data communication link in cases of poor or unstable interface contact. This design effectively avoids the risks of communication interruptions, data errors, or electrical shocks to the bus system that may result from momentary instability in the physical connection, thereby greatly improving the stability and safety of the system when hot-plugging devices, achieving truly reliable hot-swappable functionality, and enhancing the system's flexibility and maintainability.

[0039] The following will further describe a hot-swappable device provided in this application. A hot-swappable device can refer to any node in a bus system, such as a servo driver, sensor, actuator, or I / O module. By integrating the aforementioned bus hot-swappable components into these devices as their communication ports, the entire device gains the ability to be safely connected or removed while the system is powered on, thereby transforming component-level technological advantages into core device-level functionality.

[0040] To accommodate the daisy-chain or serial topologies commonly found in industrial buses, hot-swappable devices are designed with a clear signal flow. The device includes an input interface and an output interface. The input interface connects to upstream devices in the bus network (such as the master or other higher-level slave devices) and is designed as the second interface in the hot-swappable assembly, passively receiving connections and cooperating in handshake detection. The output interface connects to downstream devices and is designed as the first interface in the hot-swappable assembly, actively initiating connection detection to ensure the link to the next device is reliable. This asymmetric design ensures that, in a serial bus, each node can actively verify its connection status to the next node, guaranteeing the cascading reliability of the entire link.

[0041] To improve ease of use and manufacturing convenience, this application provides a hot-swappable device with a symmetrical interface. In this solution, the input and output interfaces are identical in physical structure and internal circuitry, with each interface simultaneously integrating the functions of both a first and a second interface. The internal logic circuitry can automatically or through configuration determine whether a particular physical interface currently plays an active role in initiating detection (first interface) or a passive role in responding to detection (second interface), based on the actual connection configuration. This symmetrical design eliminates the hassle of distinguishing between input and output ports during installation, greatly simplifying field wiring and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0042] The hot-swappable device provided in this application seamlessly integrates hot-swappable bus components into actual industrial equipment and provides specific and highly practical device forms for different application needs. The asymmetric interface scheme for daisy-chain topology design constructs a bus link with clear logic, step-by-step confirmation, and high reliability, which is particularly suitable for structured industrial sites. The symmetric interface scheme focuses on improving user experience and production efficiency, making device deployment more flexible and convenient.

[0043] The following further describes a bus device system with hot-swappable functionality provided in this application. This system is primarily used in a master-slave communication architecture. The system includes at least one master device and one or more slave devices. In this architecture, the master device typically acts as the control core of the network, responsible for initiating communication, managing network topology, and controlling all slave devices; while the slave devices act as terminal nodes of the network, responsible for executing the master device's instructions and feeding back data. To achieve reliable hot-swapping, this scheme clearly defines the functional allocation of the interfaces: the master device is equipped with a first interface in the bus hot-swappable component, which includes a control module and can actively initiate connection detection. Correspondingly, the slave device is equipped with a second interface in the bus hot-swappable component, which includes hot-swappable circuitry and is used for passively responding to connection detection.

[0044] Reference Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a master-slave star topology of a bus device system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, a central master device serves as the control core, equipped with multiple PLUG function interfaces. Each PLUG interface is independently connected to a slave device. Each slave device has a SOCKET function interface for interfacing with the master device. In this connection method, the PLUG interface on the master device (i.e., the first interface in the bus hot-swappable component) actively initiates hot-swappable handshake detection with the SOCKET interfaces of each slave device (i.e., the second interface of the bus hot-swappable component), thereby achieving independent management and control of the connection status of each slave device.

[0045] Reference Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a daisy-chain serial topology of a bus device system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, this structure consists of an initial master device and a series of sequentially connected slave devices. The master device provides a PLUG interface to initiate the bus link. Each slave device in the link acts as a node, with both a SOCKET interface for connecting to upstream devices and a PLUG interface for connecting to downstream devices. This "one-in, one-out" interface configuration allows bus signals to start from the master device and pass through each slave device sequentially, forming a continuous communication link.

[0046] Through the above architectural design, the hot-swappable bus device provided in this application establishes a clear and reliable management and control process. Since the master device is the control center of the entire system, its first interface with active detection capability ensures that the master device has full control over the access process of any slave device. When a slave device needs to hot-connect to the system, it is connected to the master device's first interface, and the master device immediately initiates a connection reliability handshake check. Only after the master device confirms that the physical connection is stable will it allow the slave device to join the communication network. This design, which centralizes the "decision-making power" of connection verification to the master device, ensures the stable operation of the network at the system level, effectively preventing the risk of the entire bus network paralyzing due to unstable slave device access, thus constructing a flexible and highly reliable industrial communication system.

[0047] The embodiments described in this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of technology and the emergence of new application scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0048] It should also be understood that the various implementation methods provided in this utility model embodiment can be combined arbitrarily to achieve different technical effects.

[0049] The above is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present utility model. However, the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present utility model. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A bus hot-plug component, characterized by, include: A first interface, comprising: a control module, a first signal path, and a second signal path, wherein both the first signal path and the second signal path are connected to the control module; The second interface is equipped with a hot-plug circuit. When the first interface is connected to the second interface, the hot-swappable circuit is connected between the first signal path and the second signal path, and the control module is used to send a detection pulse signal to the hot-swappable circuit through the first signal path; When the control module receives the loopback pulse signal returned by the hot-plug circuit through the second signal path, the control module is also used to control the communication link between the first interface and the second interface to be connected.

2. The bus hot-plug component of claim 1, wherein, The hot-swap circuit includes an electrical isolation device, which is used to receive the detection pulse signal and generate the loopback pulse signal.

3. The bus hot-plug component of claim 2, wherein, The electrically isolated device is an optocoupler.

4. The bus hot-plug component of claim 1, wherein, A pull-up resistor is provided on the first signal path.

5. The bus hot-plug component of claim 1, wherein, The communication link is an Ethernet physical link.

6. The bus hot-plug component of claim 1, wherein, The detection pulse signal is one or more pulse signals.

7. A hot plug device, characterized by Includes the bus hot-swappable assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The hot plug device of claim 7, wherein, The hot-swap device includes: An inlet interface, wherein the inlet interface is used to connect to an upstream device, and the inlet interface is the second interface as described in claim 1; An outgoing interface is used to connect to downstream devices, and the outgoing interface is the first interface as described in claim 1.

9. The hot plug device of claim 8, wherein, The inlet and outlet interfaces are symmetrical in structure and can both be used as the first or second interface.

10. A hot plug bus device, characterized by include: A master device and a slave device, wherein the master device is provided with a first interface of the bus hot-swappable component as described in claim 1, and the slave device is provided with a second interface of the bus hot-swappable component as described in claim 1.

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