Motor control device

Abstract

To provide a motor control device capable of outputting data for malfunction analysis without adding a communication device or the like.SOLUTION: A motor control device 100 includes a signal input terminal 31 to which a command signal is input, and a plurality of phase terminals 32-34 for outputting drive signals to the motor. The motor control device 100 also includes a processing device 11 that generates the drive signals based on the command signal and outputs the drive signals via the respective phase terminals, and a non-volatile memory 12 that stores diagnostic data for motor malfunction analysis. When an output command signal is input from a signal input terminal, the processing device outputs the diagnostic data via the respective phase terminals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a motor control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a diagnostic device as disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-20983 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, a motor control device may be configured to store data for failure analysis in a memory unit, but this motor control device requires a communication device to output the data to the outside.

[0005] One disclosed object is to provide a motor control device that can output data for failure analysis without adding a communication device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The motor control device disclosed herein comprises: A motor control device that drives and controls a motor, an input terminal (31) to which a command signal is input; a plurality of motor output terminals (32 to 34) for outputting drive signals to the motor; a processing unit (11) that generates a drive signal based on the command signal and outputs the drive signal via a motor output terminal; a memory unit (12) in which data for analyzing a motor defect is stored, The processing unit is characterized in that, when an output command signal is input from the input terminal, it outputs data via the motor output terminal.

[0007] In this way, the motor control device outputs the data for failure analysis from the motor output terminal, so the motor control device can output the data for failure analysis without adding a communication device.

[0008] The various aspects disclosed in this specification employ different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. The reference numerals in parentheses in the claims and in this section are intended to exemplify correspondences with the following embodiments and are not intended to limit the technical scope. The objectives, features, and advantages disclosed in this specification will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a motor control device. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing operation of the motor control device. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a diagnostic output mode process of the motor control device. [Figure 4] 4 is a time chart showing a diagnostic output mode process of the motor control device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the contents stored in a nonvolatile memory. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Motor control device 100 is a device that controls the drive of a motor in response to a command signal from a higher-level control device or the like. Motor control device 100 is provided separately from the motor to be controlled. In this embodiment, a three-phase motor is used as an example of the motor.

[0011] Motor control device 100 is configured to be mountable on, for example, a mobile object. Examples of mobile objects include vehicles such as electric cars, hybrid cars, and fuel cell cars, flying objects such as electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and drones, ships, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, etc. However, motor control device 100 can also be used in devices that can be mounted on objects other than mobile objects.

[0012] <Motor control device configuration> As shown in Fig. 1, the motor control device 100 includes a microcomputer 10, a printed circuit board 20, terminals 31 to 36, and a case 40. The motor control device 100 can also be called a motor ECU 100. In the drawing, the microcomputer 10 is represented as an MCU, the processing device 11 as a CPU, the nonvolatile memory 12 as an NVM, the printed circuit board 20 as a PCB, and the case 40 as a CAS. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit.

[0013] The microcomputer 10 includes a processing unit 11 such as a CPU, and a non-volatile memory 12 that can retain its stored contents even when the power is turned off. The microcomputer 10 also includes a volatile memory that can retain its stored contents only while power is supplied. The microcomputer 10 is configured to be able to operate in a drive mode that drives the motor and a diagnostic output mode that outputs diagnostic data, which will be described later.

[0014] The processing device 11 executes programs stored in the non-volatile memory 12 or the like. The processing device 11 performs arithmetic processing by executing the programs. The processing device 11 then performs processing such as generating a drive signal for the motor based on a command signal and outputting the drive signal. The processing device 11 corresponds to a processing unit. The processing operations of the motor control device 100 will be explained in detail later. The processing operations of the motor control device 100 and the processing operations of the microcomputer 10 are mainly the processing operations of the processing device 11.

[0015] The nonvolatile memory 12 stores diagnostic data for analyzing motor malfunctions. The diagnostic data is information used to analyze malfunctions of the motor in the market. The diagnostic data corresponds to data. The nonvolatile memory 12 corresponds to a storage unit.

[0016] The diagnostic data may be, for example, information indicating a voltage drop or short circuit at each of the phase terminals 32-34 due to an abnormality in the motor itself. The usage time of the motor may also be related to the malfunction of the motor. Therefore, the diagnostic data may be information indicating the usage time. The usage time may be the time elapsed since the motor was powered on, the time elapsed since the motor was manufactured, the continuous operation time of the motor, etc. The phase terminals 32-34 will be explained later.

[0017] Furthermore, the diagnostic data may include not only information about abnormalities in the motor itself but also information used to analyze problems related to the operation of the motor. In other words, the diagnostic data may also include information about problems with the terminals 31 to 36. Therefore, motor problems may include abnormalities in the motor itself and problems related to the operation of the motor.

[0018] The microcomputer 10 can obtain diagnostic data by detecting voltages using the processor 11 or a voltage detection circuit, or by measuring voltages using a timer. The diagnostic data can also be considered as analysis data related to the motor.

[0019] The microcomputer 10 may be configured to acquire one type of diagnostic data, or may be configured to acquire multiple types of diagnostic data. The types of diagnostic data include abnormalities in the motor itself, usage time, and malfunctions related to the operation of the motor. Furthermore, abnormalities in the motor itself can have different causes. Therefore, there are multiple types of diagnostic data indicating abnormalities in the motor itself. Similarly, usage time can have different measurement periods. Therefore, there are multiple types of diagnostic data indicating usage time. Furthermore, malfunctions related to the operation of the motor can have different causes. Therefore, there are multiple types of diagnostic data indicating malfunctions related to the operation of the motor.

[0020] Here, as shown in Figure 5, multiple types of diagnostic data indicating abnormalities in the motor itself are used. The microcomputer 10 acquires multiple types of diagnostic data. That is, the microcomputer 10 acquires diagnostic data indicating multiple types of abnormalities. The microcomputer 10 also acquires the diagnostic data at different times. The processing device 11 then stores the diagnostic data in the non-volatile memory 12 in the order in which it was acquired.

[0021] The processing device 11 stores the diagnostic data in the nonvolatile memory 12, for example, in order from the first address of the nonvolatile memory 12. Therefore, the diagnostic data is stored in the nonvolatile memory 12 in chronological order. That is, in this embodiment, the nonvolatile memory 12 is adapted to store multiple types of diagnostic data. Storing the diagnostic data in the nonvolatile memory 12 is also referred to as diagnostic storage.

[0022] In FIG. 5, in the first diagnostic storage, diagnostic data for abnormality A is stored in the nonvolatile memory 12. In the second diagnostic storage, diagnostic data for abnormality B is stored in the nonvolatile memory 12. In the third diagnostic storage, diagnostic data for abnormality A is stored in the nonvolatile memory 12. In the fourth diagnostic storage, diagnostic data for abnormality C is stored in the nonvolatile memory 12. In the fifth diagnostic storage, diagnostic data for abnormality D is stored in the nonvolatile memory 12. In the sixth diagnostic storage, diagnostic data for abnormality E is stored in the nonvolatile memory 12. The example in FIG. 5 shows, as an example, a nonvolatile memory 12 having an unwritten area where no diagnostic data is stored. However, depending on the number of diagnostic data to be stored, the nonvolatile memory 12 may not have an unwritten area.

[0023] The present disclosure is not limited to the above. The microcomputer 10 may acquire only one type of diagnostic data. In this case, the nonvolatile memory 12 can store only one type of diagnostic data. The nonvolatile memory 12 may also store multiple copies of the same type of diagnostic data.

[0024] The nonvolatile memory 12 may be a mask ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM (registered trademark), flash memory, or the like. ROM is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory. PROM is an abbreviation for Programmable ROM. EPROM is an abbreviation for Erasable ROM. EEPROM is an abbreviation for Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM. The volatile memory may be a DRAM, SRAM, or the like. DRAM is an abbreviation for Dynamic RAM. SRAM is an abbreviation for Static RAM.

[0025] The printed circuit board 20 includes an electrically insulating substrate and conductive wiring formed on the substrate. The microcomputer 10 and terminals 31 to 36 are mounted on the printed circuit board 20. Circuit elements other than the microcomputer 10 may also be mounted on the printed circuit board 20. The microcomputer 10 and terminals 31 to 36 are connected to the wiring via conductive connecting members such as solder. Thus, the microcomputer 10 is connected to the terminals 31 to 36 via the wiring.

[0026] Terminals 31 to 36 are provided on a connector of motor control device 100. Motor control device 100 includes terminals 31 to 36, which include a signal input terminal 31, a U-phase terminal 32, a V-phase terminal 33, a W-phase terminal 34, a power input terminal 35, and a ground terminal 36.

[0027] The signal input terminal 31 is connected to an electronic control device other than the motor control device 100. The electronic control device is mounted on a moving body together with the motor control device 100. The electronic control device outputs a command signal. The command signal is then input to the signal input terminal 31. Thus, the microcomputer 10 acquires the command signal via the signal input terminal 31. The command signal can also be considered a drive command signal. The electronic control device can also be considered a higher-level ECU, etc. Like the motor control device 100, the electronic control device is equipped with a microcomputer, etc.

[0028] The U-phase terminal 32 is connected to the U-phase coil of the motor. The V-phase terminal 33 is connected to the V-phase coil of the motor. The W-phase terminal 34 is connected to the W-phase coil of the motor. The U-phase terminal 32, V-phase terminal 33, and W-phase terminal 34 are terminals for outputting drive signals to the motor. The microcomputer 10 outputs drive signals to the motor via the phase terminals 32 to 34. The U-phase terminal 32, V-phase terminal 33, and W-phase terminal 34 correspond to motor output terminals.

[0029] The power input terminal 35 is a terminal to which operating power is input for the microcomputer 10. The power input terminal 35 can also be called a +B input terminal. The ground terminal 36 is a terminal for connecting the microcomputer 10 to a ground external to the motor control device 100.

[0030] The signal input terminal 31 and each phase terminal 32 to 34 can also be connected to an analysis device or the like. The analysis device has a function for analyzing motor malfunctions from diagnostic data. Like the motor control device 100, the analysis device has a microcomputer or the like. The analysis device may also be an application implemented in a personal computer or the like. The analysis device can also be called an analysis tool.

[0031] The analysis device outputs an output command signal to the signal input terminal 31. The output command signal is a signal that instructs the output of diagnostic data. Therefore, the output command signal is input to the signal input terminal 31. The microcomputer 10 then acquires the output command signal via the signal input terminal 31. The output command signal can also be called a diagnostic output mode command signal. The signal input terminal 31 corresponds to an input terminal.

[0032] The output command signal is a different signal from the drive command signal. The output command signal can be considered a signal that is not input when the motor control device 100 is mounted on a moving object. The output command signal can also be considered a signal that is not input from a higher-level ECU. This prevents the motor control device 100 from unintentionally transitioning to the diagnostic output mode in the market. In other words, the motor control device 100 does not transition to the diagnostic output mode when mounted on a moving object. The state in which the motor control device 100 is mounted on a moving object is also simply referred to as the mounted state.

[0033] They are also used as terminals for outputting diagnostic data via the respective phase terminals 32 to 34. The microcomputer 10 outputs the diagnostic data to an analyzer via the respective phase terminals 32 to 34. The output diagnostic data can also be referred to as a diagnostic signal equivalent to the diagnostic data or a diagnostic signal indicating the diagnostic data.

[0034] The case 40 is a housing that houses the printed circuit board 20 on which the microcomputer 10 and terminals 31 to 36 are mounted. The case 40 forms a housing space that houses the printed circuit board 20. The terminals 31 to 36 are provided across the housing space and the space outside the case 40.

[0035] <Processing operation of the motor control device> The processing operation of the motor control device 100 will be described using Figures 2 to 5. The motor control device 100 (processing device 11) starts the flowchart of Figure 2 at predetermined time intervals while operating power is being supplied. Furthermore, the processing device 11 starts the flowchart of Figure 2 when a predetermined interrupt occurs.

[0036] In step S10, it is determined whether or not to transition to the diagnostic output mode. The processing device 11 determines whether or not an output command signal has been input from the signal input terminal 31. If the processing device 11 determines that an output command signal has not been input, it considers that execution of the drive mode has been instructed, and proceeds to step S30. If the processing device 11 determines that an output command signal has been input, it considers that execution of the diagnostic output mode has been instructed, and proceeds to step S20.

[0037] In addition, when the processor 11 is installed, it executes the drive mode without executing the diagnostic output mode. In other words, the processor 11 normally executes the drive mode. Therefore, when an output command signal is input, the processor 11 can be said to transition from the drive mode to the diagnostic output mode.

[0038] In step S20, the processing unit 11 executes a process in the diagnostic output mode. The processing unit 11 operates in the diagnostic output mode in which diagnostic data is output. The process in the diagnostic output mode will be described in detail later.

[0039] In step S30, processing is performed in the drive mode. The processing device 11 operates in the drive mode to drive the motor. The processing device 11 generates a drive signal based on the command signal and outputs the drive signal via each phase terminal 32 to 34. While executing the drive mode, the processing device 11 acquires diagnostic data and stores the diagnostic data in the non-volatile memory 12.

[0040] Here, the processing operation of the diagnostic output mode will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The processing device 11 executes the flowchart of Fig. 3 in step S20.

[0041] In step S21, the diagnostic data to be output is set to the diagnostic data stored first. That is, the processing device 11 sets the diagnostic data stored first as the diagnostic data to be output. In the example of Fig. 5, the diagnostic data of abnormality A stored in the first diagnostic storage is set as the diagnostic data to be output.

[0042] This is to output the multiple diagnostic data stored in the nonvolatile memory 12 in the order in which they were stored. That is, to output the diagnostic data in order from oldest to newest. However, the processing device 11 may set the unoutput diagnostic data as the output target regardless of the order in which they were stored.

[0043] In step S22, it is determined whether or not all the diagnostic data has been output. The processing device 11 determines whether or not all the diagnostic data stored in the nonvolatile memory 12 has been output. If the processing device 11 determines that all the diagnostic data has been output, it proceeds to step S26. If the processing device 11 determines that all the diagnostic data has not been output, it proceeds to step S23. In other words, if the processing device 11 determines that there is diagnostic data that has not been output among all the diagnostic data stored in the nonvolatile memory 12, it proceeds to step S23.

[0044] The processing device 11 may, for example, erase the output diagnostic data from the nonvolatile memory 12 or add information to the nonvolatile memory 12 so that the output diagnostic data can be determined. This allows the processing device 11 to determine whether or not all the diagnostic data has been output.

[0045] In step S23, it is determined whether the current output has continued for a certain period of time. If the processing device 11 determines that the current output has continued for a certain period of time, it proceeds to step S25, and if it determines that the current output has not continued for a certain period of time, it proceeds to step S24. This is because the diagnostic data (diagnostic signal) set in steps S21 and S25 is output continuously for a certain period of time. Therefore, the certain period of time can also be called the diagnostic output time. The diagnostic output time is set in advance. The diagnostic output time may differ depending on the type of diagnostic data.

[0046] When the processing device 11 starts outputting the diagnostic data in step S24, it measures the elapsed time using a timer or the like. If the elapsed time from the start of outputting the diagnostic data has not reached the diagnostic output time, the processing device 11 determines that the certain time has not continued. If the elapsed time from the start of outputting the diagnostic data has reached the diagnostic output time, the processing device 11 determines that the certain time has continued.

[0047] In step S24, the diagnostic data is output with parameters corresponding to the diagnostic data to be output. The processing device 11 outputs the diagnostic data set in steps S21 and S25 from at least one of the phase terminals 32 to .

[0048] The parameters may be, for example, the PWM frequency, PWM duty, or combination of the phase terminals 32-34 to be energized. The processing device 11 outputs each diagnostic data by changing at least one of the PWM frequency, PWM duty, or combination of the phase terminals 32-34 to be energized for each type of diagnostic data. In other words, at least one of the PWM frequency, PWM duty, or combination of the phase terminals 32-34 to be energized is preset for each type of diagnostic data. For example, when diagnostic data for abnormality A is to be output, a PWM signal (diagnosis signal) with a PWM frequency of X Hz and a PWM duty of Y% is output from the U-phase terminal 32.

[0049] In other words, the processing device 11 outputs each diagnostic data by changing the output mode for each type of diagnostic data. It can also be said that the processing device 11 outputs each diagnostic data by changing the format for each type of diagnostic data. Note that the parameters (mode, format) of each diagnostic data are set in advance.

[0050] However, the processing device 11 may output diagnostic data in a manner different from the drive signal. The processing device 11 may also output diagnostic data from all of the phase terminals 32 to 34 at the same PWM frequency and the same PWM duty. In other words, the processing device 11 may output diagnostic data in a redundant manner. This allows the processing device 11 to output diagnostic data even if any of the phase terminals 32 to 34 is faulty.

[0051] After executing step S24, the processing device 11 returns to step S23. Then, when a certain time has elapsed since starting to output the diagnostic data set in step S21 or step S25, the processing device 11 executes step S25. In other words, when a certain time has elapsed since starting to output one piece of diagnostic data, the processing device 11 completes the output of that diagnostic data.

[0052] In step S25, the diagnostic data to be output is set to the next stored diagnostic data. That is, the processing device 11 sets the next stored diagnostic data as the output target. For example, when the output of the diagnostic data from the first diagnostic storage has been completed, the diagnostic data for abnormality B stored in the second diagnostic storage is set as the output target. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the processing device 11 outputs each diagnostic data individually for a certain period of time.

[0053] In step S26, the motor output is stopped. The processing device 11 stops the output of diagnostic data. That is, the processing device 11 stops the output from each of the phase terminals 32 to 34. The motor output here is the output of diagnostic data. As shown in FIG. 4, the diagnostic output mode ends when the output of the diagnostic data is completed.

[0054] In this way, the processing device 11 sequentially outputs the plurality of diagnostic data stored in the nonvolatile memory 12, and when output of all the diagnostic data is completed, stops output via the terminals 32 to 34 of each phase.

[0055] The diagnostic data output from each of the phase terminals 32 to 34 is input to, for example, an analyzer. The analyzer can identify the type of diagnostic data by comparing the input diagnostic data with predetermined parameters.

[0056] <Effects> In this way, the motor control device 100 outputs the diagnostic data from each of the phase terminals 32 to 34. That is, the motor control device 100 outputs the diagnostic data from each of the existing phase terminals 32 to 34. Therefore, the motor control device 100 can output the diagnostic data without adding a communication device or the like.

[0057] Therefore, motor control device 100 does not need to be equipped with a dedicated communication device that is used only in limited use cases, such as checking diagnostic data on recalled products due to market defects. As a result, motor control device 100 can output diagnostic data without increasing security risks.

[0058] Furthermore, the motor control device 100 can extract diagnostic data without removing the microcomputer 10 from the case 40. Therefore, the motor control device 100 can perform reproducible evaluation even after extracting the diagnostic data.

[0059] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. While the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, although various combinations and forms are shown in the present disclosure, other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10...microcomputer, 11...processing device, 12...non-volatile memory, 20...printed circuit board, 31...signal input terminal, 32...U-phase terminal, 33...V-phase terminal, 34...W-phase terminal, 35...power input terminal, 36...ground terminal, 40...case, 100...motor control device

Claims

1. A motor control device that drives and controls a motor, an input terminal (31) to which a command signal is input; a plurality of motor output terminals (32 to 34) for outputting drive signals to the motor; a processing unit (11) that generates the drive signal based on the command signal and outputs the drive signal via the motor output terminal; a memory unit (12) in which data for analyzing a malfunction of the motor is stored, The processing unit is a motor control device that outputs the data via the motor output terminal when an output command signal is input from the input terminal.

2. The motor control device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage unit is a non-volatile memory.

3. The motor control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing unit outputs the data in a form different from that of the drive signal.

4. The storage unit is capable of storing a plurality of types of the data, 4. The motor control device according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit changes at least one of a PWM frequency, a PWM duty, and a combination of the motor output terminals to be energized for each type of data.

5. The motor control device according to claim 3 , wherein the processing unit outputs the data from all of the motor output terminals at the same PWM frequency and the same PWM duty.

6. 3. The motor control device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit outputs the plurality of data stored in the memory unit in sequence, and when output of all the data has been completed, stops outputting the data via the motor output terminal.

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